News 12:00
BULLETIN 1 April 12 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# The Public Works summit will tackle South Africa’s infrastructure crisis
# Western Cape municipalities may witness an increase in coalition governments in 2026
# And New Zealand Rugby settles its sponsorship dispute with Ineos
# Public Works minister Dean Macpherson is hosting the inaugural Public Works and Infrastructure summit in Sandton, Johannesburg, today. Running under the theme, Turning South Africa into a Construction Site, the event will address South Africa’s deteriorating infrastructure, which hampers economic growth and investor confidence. Key topics include underinvestment, poor maintenance, and project delays, with a focus on reviving infrastructure to boost economic growth.
# The Western Cape may see an increase in coalition governments within its municipalities following next year’s local government elections. This trend is influenced by the formation of the government of local unity. During the previous elections in 2021, the province saw an unprecedented 16 out of 30 municipalities that could not get an outright majority. Parties like ActionSA have expressed readiness to enter coalitions. News24 reports these developments suggest a shift towards collaborative governance in the Western Cape’s municipal landscape.
# The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a 38-year-old street dweller to life imprisonment for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend. The National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, says the couple, who frequently stayed at the corner of Park and Wessels Streets in Sunnyside, had an argument that escalated into violence in December 2023. She says Trevor Nolan stabbed Monica Matrose several times before fleeing the scene, but was arrested two days later:
# Rugby: New Zealand Rugby and Ineos have settled their sponsorship contract dispute. The British chemicals giant was accused of breaching its six-year sponsorship deal with New Zealand Rugby. The company, owned by billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, allegedly abruptly walked away from its lucrative sponsorship agreement three years early, and failed to make its first payment this year. Both parties say whilst the details of the settlement remain confidential, they are satisfied with the outcome.
# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-39-cents and the euro at 19-rand-87-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-75-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-823-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-132-dollars-63-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-27-cents a barrel.
# And finally: NASA astronauts who were stranded on the International Space Station, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, say it has been weird adapting to life back on Earth. The duo’s eight-day mission became a nine-month space odyssey after their Boeing Starliner experienced technical problems. They finally returned to Earth on the 19th of last month aboard the SpaceX Dragon. Speaking to the media for the first time, Williams said they never felt stuck up in space:
Stay tuned for more news………….