News 06:00

BULLETIN 30 April 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The police confirm the bodies of the missing constables were found in Centurion
# The Finance minister will today outline the technical steps of the budget
# And rugby: The Cheetahs sign the dynamic young flanker Sasko Ndlovu

# National Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, has confirmed that three of the five bodies retrieved from the Hennops River in Centurion, Pretoria, are those of the constables who were reported missing last Wednesday. Constables Linda Cebekhulu, Keamogetswe Buys, and Boipelo Senoge went missing while travelling from Bloemfontein to their deployment area in Limpopo. Masemola says the fourth body is of an administrator at Lyttleton Police Station, and the fifth body has decomposed, and its identity has not been confirmed:

# Finance minister Enoch Godongwana will today outline the technical steps ahead of the 2025 Budget tabling. He will be joined by deputy ministers David Masondo and Ashor Sarupen, along with National Treasury director-general Duncan Pieterse. The briefing aims to clarify the process leading to the finalisation of the national budget. The minister has agreed to the High Court’s order in the Western Cape suspending his decision to increase VAT by a proposed 0.5-percent.

# The Motor Industry Staff Association says Transport minister Barbara Creecy’s tough love approach is bringing much-needed discipline to the roads. The union welcomed the reported 46-percent drop in road deaths, the lowest in three-years, and a 33-percent decline in accidents over the Easter weekend. The association’s spokesperson, Sonja Carstens, commended Creecy’s decisive actions, including visible law enforcement and increased roadblocks, calling it a lifesaving strategy:

# The DA in Johannesburg will lay criminal charges of fraud, corruption, and possible money laundering against five senior City officials. The DA’s Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku says the case, linked to over 18-million-rand in missing funds, highlights ongoing financial mismanagement in the metro. She reiterated the importance of accountability:

# Two Catholic cardinals will miss next week’s conclave to elect a new pope because of health issues, bringing the number of electors expected to 133. The Vatican did not name them but a source at the archdiocese of Valencia confirmed to AFP that its archbishop emeritus, Cardinal Antonio Canizares, would not be attending due to health reasons. The secret ceremony in the Sistine Chapel begins on 7 May. The winner to succeed Pope Francis will require at least a two-thirds majority, a figure that now falls to 89.

# Rugby: The Cheetahs have secured the services of former Junior Springbok and University of Johannesburg captain, Sasko Ndlovu. The dynamic young flanker will join the squad ahead of the 2025 Currie Cup season in July. Originally from Durban, Ndlovu made his name at the Lions, where his performances earned him selection for the Junior Springboks. In addition, the Cheetahs have extended the contract for veteran lock Carl Wegner, who will remain with the team for two more years

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-53-cents and the euro at 21-rand-10-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-86-cents and Bitcoin trades at 93-thousand-975-dollar-10-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-315-dollars-5-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-2-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….