News 16:00

BULLETIN 9 April 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Inspection failures are revealed in a forensic report on the collapsed building in George
# BOSA urges the electoral reform panel to prioritise accountability with a new electoral system by 2029
# And soccer: FIFA pledges 19-million-rand to host cities for the Club World Cup legacy

# Human Settlements minister Thembi Simelane has revealed significant lapses in the inspection model used by the National Home Builders Regulatory Council during the construction of a building in George which collapsed a year ago. The first inspection occurred eight days after enrollment, breaching the required five-day window. Simelane also noted several occupational health and safety violations, including unclear compliance guidelines, which compromised the project’s regulatory oversight and safety standards:

# Build One South Africa urges the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel to adopt a constituency-based electoral system and introduce the direct election of the president for the 2029 elections. At a two-day conference in Johannesburg, the party reiterated its proposal for a mixed constituency-based system with open candidate lists and fixed boundaries to ensure direct accountability between voters and officials. BOSA’s Roger Solomons calls for formalised coalition agreements to enhance stability and accountability in the government.

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says female judges play a key role in building a fair and equal justice system. Speaking at the Cape Town conference of the International Association of Women Judges, he said women on the bench help shift court culture, especially in cases of gender-based violence and femicide. Ramaphosa welcomed the progress that nearly half of the top judges are now women, including Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, who leads the Constitutional Court:

# As the number of rice-producing countries gets fewer, experts are warning that climate disruptions could threaten future global supply. This comes amid reports of Malaysia’s rice production dropping from 71- to 56-percent due to climate change. This has forced the country to rely more on imports from Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Malaysia uses over 2.7-million tons of rice each year, with roughly 30-percent of that supply currently coming from Cambodia. Experts say Malaysia is currently exploring climate-resilient rice strains, though long-term solutions are urgently needed.

# Soccer: FIFA will donate 19-million-rand to each host city of this year’s Club World Cup for building mini-pitches. This forms part of FIFA’s legacy plan for the expanded tournament, offering 19.6-billion-rand in total prize money, including two-billion-rand for the winner. The 32-team event kicks off across 12 US stadiums on 15 June. Speaking in Charlotte, FIFA president Gianni Infantino emphasised its historic significance.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-74-cents and the euro at 21-rand-81-cents. One British pound costs 25-rand-23-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-513-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-and-64-dollars-57-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 59-dollars-13-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….