News 11:00

BULLETIN 24 April 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA says the scrapping of the VAT hike is a victory for South Africans
# Ramaphosa is consulting on the vacant deputy Chief Justice position
# And at least nine are killed and over 60 injured in Russian attacks on Kyiv

# The DA says Finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s decision to terminate the 0.5 percentage point VAT hike is a turning point in the fight to protect South Africans from unjustified financial burdens. The party confirmed that it received a proposal from Godongwana’s lawyers for an out-of-court settlement for its application to interdict the increase. The DA’s Federal Council chairperson, Helen Zille, says the minister would not have reversed the VAT hike if it were not for the party:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has initiated consultation with the Judicial Service Commission and leaders of political parties represented in the National Assembly on the appointment of a deputy Chief Justice. The position has been vacant since September last year, when the then deputy, Mandisa Maya, was appointed Chief Justice. The candidates are Gauteng judge president Dunstan Mlambo, Supreme Court of Appeal president Mahube Molemela, Free State judge president Cagney Musi, and Northern Cape judge president Pule Tlaletsi.

# Deputy Health minister Joe Phaahla has reassured the public of the continuation of services at the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital in Gauteng, despite a second fire breaking out at the main outpatient department yesterday morning. The weekend fire ravaged the emergency unit, destroying vital medical equipment. Phaahla says the causes of both incidents are under investigation by various law enforcement teams and regulators:

# Russian missile and drone attacks on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the early hours of this morning have killed at least nine people, with over 60 injured. The wounded include six children. Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, was hit by seven missiles and 12 drones in strikes throughout the night. The attacks follow US president Donald Trump accusing his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, of harming peace negotiations. The Russian military has not yet commented on the attacks, but said it had intercepted 87 Ukrainian drones and 45 over Crimea.

# Tennis: France’s Gael Monfils defeated Croatian qualifier Borna Gojo in three sets to earn his first Madrid Open victory since 2022. The 38-year-old, who is the oldest match winner in the tournament’s history, will face Andrey Rublev of Russia in the second round. In the women’s draw, British number two Emma Raducanu earned a hard-fought victory over the Netherlands’ Suzan Lamens. Two-time Wimbledon champion, Czech Petra Kvitova, suffered her fourth straight defeat, losing to American Katie Volynets.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-56-cents and the euro at 21-rand-9-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-635-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-338-dollars-31-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-82-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….