News 09:00

BULLETIN 9 April 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The EFF files court papers against the adoption of the fiscal framework
# Four wanted criminals were killed in Umlazi
# And at least 79 are killed in a Dominican Republic nightclub

# The EFF has filed court papers in the Western Cape High Court to join the DA in its application to challenge the 2025/2026 budget fiscal framework, declaring it unlawful and unconstitutional. The fiscal framework was adopted in Parliament last week and includes a 0.5-percent value-added tax hike, which comes into effect in May. The EFF’s spokesperson, Sinawo Thambo, says Parliament’s standing committee on Finance’s adoption of the fiscal framework was not consistent with the law:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Small Business Development is urging all township and rural spaza shop owners to take advantage of the 500-million-rand Spaza Shop Support Fund. The fund will provide support to eligible South African black-owned township community convenience shops, including spaza shops, to increase their participation in the townships’ and rural areas’ retail trade sector. Committee chairperson, Masefako Dikgale, says spaza shops constitute a multi-billion sector that requires mainstreaming into the country’s economy to stimulate growth, job creation, and poverty eradication.

# Four suspected criminals were killed in a shootout with police on the M4 highway near the old airport just outside uMlazi, south of Durban, on Tuesday. The suspects are believed to have been active members of the West Gang, which has been terrorising townships in north Durban. Police spokesperson, Robert Netshiunda, says the suspects were being monitored by members of Crime Intelligence, the Inanda SAPS Task Team and Metro Police’s Trio Crimes Team:

# At least 79 people have been killed and more than 200 injured after the roof of an iconic Dominican Republic nightclub collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday morning. About 300 people were inside Jet Set nightclub, in the capital of Santo Domingo, when the roof collapsed during a performance of merengue artist Rubby Pérez. Former Major League Baseball player Octavio Dotel was among those killed. Officials say some 400 rescuers are still searching the rubble for survivors, fearing the death toll will rise further.

# Soccer: Arsenal stunned holders Real Madrid 3-0 in their Champions League quarterfinal first-leg at the Emirates Stadium in London. Declan Rice scored two free-kicks and Mikel Merino added the third, leaving the Gunners within touching distance of a place in the semifinals. In Germany, Inter Milan recorded a 2-1 victory against Bayern Munich in their quarterfinal first-leg. Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, was delighted with Rice’s two sensational free-kicks:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-77-cents and the euro at 21-rand-84-cents. One British pound costs 25-rand-39-cents and Bitcoin trades at 75-thousand-578-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-8-dollars-60-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 60-dollars-10-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….