News 18:00

BULLETIN 14 April 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The GOOD Party believes Mcebisi Jonas will restore diplomatic balance in Washington
# SA Canegrowers warn that US tariffs threaten rural jobs and stability in the sugar industry
# And tennis: The US and Japan clinch the last two places in the Billie Jean King Cup final in China

# The GOOD Party has welcomed president Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of former Deputy Finance minister Mcebisi Jonas as South Africa’s special envoy to the US. The party says Jonas brings both integrity and experience to the role and is well-suited to rebuild South Africa’s credibility in Washington following the departure of former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool. GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron believes Jonas’ leadership during the state capture inquiry and his business background position him to counter divisive narratives and promote South Africa’s interests abroad effectively.

Meanwhile, SA Canegrowers has warned that any increase in US tariffs on sugar imports could seriously harm growers and rural communities. The organisation urges the government to continue negotiations with the US to prevent further export duties. CEO Thomas Funke says while the 30-percent tariff has been temporarily lifted for 90 days, the ongoing ten-percent duty continues to put jobs and livelihoods in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga at risk:

# South African National Parks board chairperson, Pam Yako, says the organisation’s Vision 2040 will be driven through six strategic areas, one of which is focused on regenerative tourism. SANParks spokesperson JP Louw says regenerative tourism is driven by the principle of inclusivity, ensuring that local communities benefit. He says the board will convene its annual stakeholder session in September this year to provide updates on progress made in the implementation of Vision 2040:

# Tennis: The stage is now set for September’s final of the Billie Jean King Cup women’s team competition in Shenzhen, China. America and Japan became the latest two countries to qualify following victories over Slovakia and Canada, respectively. The other competitors are the hostesses, defending champion Italy, and the winners of the other four qualifying groups – Ukraine, Spain, Great Britain and Kazakhstan. The final will only consist of knockout matches – the quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-85-cents and the euro at 21-rand-38-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-82-cents and Bitcoin trades at 84-thousand-456-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-201-dollars-56-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-66-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime is mourning the death of senior expert Jenni Irish-Qhobosheane in a car accident in Johannesburg on Saturday. She was a well-known researcher who worked on organised crime and policing in South Africa for over 30 years. Irish-Qhobosheane also led the civilian secretariat for police and was helping the government with its crime strategy. Tributes describe her as dedicated and compassionate. She is survived by her sister and brother.

Stay tuned for more news………….