News 13:00

BULLETIN 13 April 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA says DIRCO must fire a diplomat who owes taxpayers 800-thousand-rand for the vandalism of property
# The EFF condemns members of Parliament’s visit to Israel as ‘disgraceful’
# And Tennis: Alcaraz is to face Italy’s Musetti in the Monte Carlo final

# The DA is calling on International Relations and Cooperation minister Ronald Lamola to immediately fire South African diplomat advocate David Nkosi from South Africa’s foreign service and recall him. The DA’s Ryan Smith says a reply to the party’s Parliamentary question has revealed that Nkosi has been redeployed as political counsellor to the South African Embassy in Amman, Jordan. This despite owing the department just under 800-thousand-rand for damages incurred to rented properties in Austria and India where he was previously deployed:

# The EFF has condemned, what it calls, the disgraceful and treasonous visit by members of Parliament from the DA, Patriotic Alliance, African Christian Democratic Party to Israel. The EFF says their so-called fact-finding mission is nothing less than a betrayal of all oppressed peoples of the world. It added that MPs choosing to meet with the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, a key political figure presiding over this mass slaughter, is a stain on South Africa’s democracy.

# The DA in Johannesburg has written to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to demand his intervention in what it called the continued violation of Section 56 of the Municipal Systems Act by the city. The DA alleges the appointment of Acting Chief Operating Officer Helen Botes was done without councl approval:

# The Communist Party of Swaziland is calling for comprehensive political change to establish true democracy and ensure the rights of all citizens in Eswatini. Yesterday, the party commemorated 52 years of the infamous 1973 decree that banned political parties and established an absolute monarchy by King Mswati III. The CPS International Secretary, Simphiwe Dlamini says unbanning political parties and media is crucial for fostering a democratic environment. He adds that citizens must have the freedom to organize and express their political views without fear of reprisal:

# And Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz booked his place in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time with a dominant 7-6 , 6-4 win over fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina yesterday. He will face Italian Lorenzo Musetti in today’s final after the 13th seed fought back to beat Australian eighth seed Alex de Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 in the second semifinal. Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is targeting his first Masters title since winning at the Indian Wells last year and his first on clay since the 2024 French Open.

Stay tuned for more news………….