News 07:00

BULLETIN 15 April 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Zane Dangor says the country will engage the US over misinformation
# The Public Servants Association is concerned about the delay in the registration of nurses
# And thousands are arrested in a major crime crackdown ahead of the Easter weekend

# International Relations and Cooperation director-general and South Africa’s G20 Sherpa, Zane Dangor, says South Africa will engage with the US to again correct the misinformation being spread about the country. This comes as US president Donald Trump signalled he would boycott the G20 summit in South Africa in November, again falsely accusing the country of persecuting white farmers. Dangor says it is a pity that this misinformation is fuelled by a campaign by some South African organisations:

# The Public Servants Association says it is concerned about the excessive delay by the South African Nursing Council in finalising the registration of Nurses who qualified at the end of 2024. The country is facing a significant shortage of nurses, with estimates suggesting a need for some 26-thousand additional Nurses. The council has stated that the delays often result from late submissions of applications by provincial departments or nursing education institutions. PSA says addressing this issue requires streamlined processes for registration and proactive measures to retain and recruit nurses.

# Over 13-thousand-800 suspects were arrested nationwide this past week through Operation Shanela. Police also rescued 21 youths from an illegal camp in Mpumalanga and confiscated over 100 firearms. Additional arrests include 164 for rape and 170 for murder. Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says the operation will be intensified ahead of the Easter weekend to ensure public safety:

# Mxenge Foundation has welcomed the beginning of an inquest into the deaths of human rights lawyer Griffith Mxenge and ANC leader Chief Albert Luthuli. The foundation’s chairperson and KZN ANC deputy convenor Nomusa Dube-Ncube emphasised to Newzroom Afrika the importance of justice for the individuals who played a pivotal role in South Africa’s democracy. The matter was postponed to 17 June:

# The United Nations Trade and Development Agency has raised red flags over rising global tariffs, warning they could devastate the world’s poorest economies. A new UNCTAD report urges exemption for least developed countries from proposed US reciprocal tariffs targeting 57 trade partners. The agency says while these nations contribute minimally to US deficits, the tariffs if imposed after a 90-day pause, could cripple vulnerable economies. Agricultural imports including cocoa and vanilla could see price hikes.

# Rugby: The Sharks have named a Springbok-laden touring squad for the next two rounds of the United Rugby Championship in Europe. The Sharks welcome back Springboks Eben Etzebeth, Grant Williams, Lukhanyo Am, and Aphelele Fassi from injury. The touring squad, which consists of 16 forwards and 12 backs, is coach John Plumtree’s strongest he has had available to him this season. The Sharks, who are fourth in the URC standings, will take on Edinburgh in Scotland on Friday followed by Ulster in Belfast, Ireland, a week later.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-90-cents and the euro at 21-rand-39-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-89-cents and Bitcoin trades at 84-thousand-890-dollar-10-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-219-dollars-30-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-55-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….