News 14:00

BULLETIN 1 April 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The IEC says the local election logo reflects the importance of voter participation
# The tourism sector nears a milestone of one-million jobs 
# And soccer: FIFA’s president says Iran will take part in the World Cup and play their games in America

# Electoral Commission chairperson Mosotho Moepya says the logo for this year’s local government election reflects the importance of voter participation amid declining turnout. The logo was unveilled at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Gauteng, this morning. The launch marks growing preparations for polls expected later this year, with a special voter registration weekend scheduled for June. Moepya urges political parties and the media to engage voters and encourage informed participation:

# Tourism minister Patricia de Lille has welcomed new figures showing the sector supports nearly one-million direct jobs. Statistics South Africa reports almost 954-thousand jobs in 2024, making up 5.7-percent of the workforce. Tourism contributed 4.9-percent to the gross domestic product, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Total expenditure reached 779.2-billion-rand, driven largely by domestic travel. De Lille says growth is supported by strong local demand and rising international arrivals. She emphasises further gains are expected through digital visa systems and targeted global marketing campaigns.

# Five people have died in a crash on the N1 near Modimolle in Limpopo this morning. The collision involved a bakkie and a car, with the cause still unclear. Emergency services remain on the scene as recovery operations continue. Traffic is being redirected, with the northbound lane towards Polokwane affected and possible temporary closures expected. Authorities say details are still preliminary, including the number of injured, as investigations continue. The accident occurs amid increased Easter holiday traffic volumes.

# Union GIWUSA has welcomed the three-rand per litre reduction in the fuel levy for a month, but says this is not enough. Government has reduced the levy following talks between the National Treasury and the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, aimed at easing pressure on consumers while maintaining a stable fuel supply. GIWUSA president Mametlwe Sebei says three-rand is not nearly enough against the latest fuel price increases:

# Soccer: FIFA president Gianni Infantino says Iran will play in the upcoming World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico. This is despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Iran’s reluctance to play matches on US soil. Last month, the Iranian governing body said it was negotiating with FIFA to relocate the country’s World Cup matches from the US to Mexico. Infantino says there won’t be changes to the schedule, and matches will be played where they are supposed to be according to the draw.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-81-cents and the euro at 19-rand-49-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-36-cents and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-486-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-718-dollars-30-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 102-dollars-11-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….