News 13:00

BULLETIN 1 April 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South African mining firms step up after the US cuts HIV aid
# ActionSA says it will ensure that citizens are protected from excessive taxation
# And tennis: The Miami Open champion almost didn’t play in the tournament

# South African mining companies and insurer Discovery are stepping in to fill the gap following US aid cuts to HIV programmes in Africa. The Health Department has asked mining companies to help distribute HIV drugs and expand community outreach. With 7.8-million South Africans living with HIV, experts warn that 25 years of progress could be reversed. Impala Platinum and other firms are set to meet with government to discuss solutions amid rising public health concerns.

# ActionSA says it met with the ANC to discuss the approach to the national budget. The ANC has been meeting with parties inside and outside the government of national unity to secure a deal around the budget ahead of Parliament’s vote. ActionSA’s Alan Beesley says it has set aside a long list of its budget reforms in exchange for its conditional support of the budget’s passage with strict conditions:

# The City of Tshwane’s council has approved the Tshwane Automotive City Master Plan. It aims to transform the metro into a leading automotive investment destination by establishing a special economic zone focused on automotive manufacturing and innovation. Mayoral committee member for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, Sarah Mabotsa, says it is estimated that the total development will create around 150-thousand direct and indirect jobs:

# Tennis: Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik almost didn’t play in the tournament. The 19-year-old Czech wanted to inform the tournament referee he couldn’t play his first match against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Augut due to inflammation in his knee. But the referee was on lunch and Mensik opted to visit his physiotherapist, who prescribed different painkillers. He went on to win his first match and eventually the title. Mensik’s prize money has since shot up to 55.6-million-rand, and his world ranking from 54th to 24th.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-38-cents and the euro at 19-rand-89-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 84-thousand-270-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-132-dollars-10-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-47-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The 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………….