News 11:00

BULLETIN 1 April 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Mantashe says a broader review of fuel pricing over the medium term is underway
# The EFF wants a parliamentary debate on the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak
# And cricket: New Zealand Women produce a record run-chase to beat South Africa in the second ODI

# Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, says work is underway to review fuel pricing over the medium term. The escalation of the Middle Eastern conflict has materially increased risks to global energy markets, placing significant upward pressure on domestic fuel prices. Government has temporarily reduced the general fuel levy by three-rand per litre. Mantashe told the SABC government is committed to balancing economic sustainability with the need to protect consumers:

Meanwhile, AfriForum says public pressure played a key role in securing relief for consumers facing these rising fuel prices. The organisation says sustained advocacy from the public and civil groups helped push government to act to cushion households from higher transport and living costs, following the decision to reduce the fuel levy. AfriForum’s Ernst van Zyl urges a wider discussion on permanently lowering fuel taxes:

# The EFF has asked National Assembly speaker, Thoko Didiza, for an urgent debate on the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and the state’s failure to provide adequate vaccines, which has led to major livestock and financial losses. The current number of cases nationwide stands at one-thousand-223, with the Free State and Gauteng most affected. The EFF says it has received an overwhelming number of submissions from farmers, which paint a picture of collapsing livelihoods, absence of meaningful state support and the systematic abandonment of small-scale and emerging farmers.

Moving abroad:

# The United Nations says the situation in Lebanon has dangerously deteriorated with the ongoing escalation between the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah and Israel. Israel has intensified its campaign against Hezbollah after the group fired rockets into Israel last month amid the US-Israeli war against Iran. UN Peace chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, says over one-thousand people have been killed in Lebanon, with 1.1-million people displaced:

# Cricket: New Zealand Women pulled off a world record run chase to beat South Africa by two wickets in the second one-day international in Wellington to level the three-match series. The Proteas Women posted 346 for six with Anneke Bosch scoring 91 off 90 balls. The hostesses’ captain, Amelia Kerr, then scored an unbeaten 179 off 139 balls to guide the White Ferns to victory with two balls to spare. This is the highest successful run-chase in the history of women’s ODIs. The series decider will be played on Saturday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-81-cents and the euro at 19-rand-48-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-33-cents and Bitcoin trades at 69-thousand-143-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-717-dollars-20-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 98-dollars-8-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….