News 17:00
BULLETIN 2 April 5 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# Cabinet applauds SARS’ record two-trillion-rand revenue milestone
# Fatal accidents fall by 16-percent ahead of the peak Easter travel period
# And rugby: The Junior Springbok coach names an expanded group for the Under-20 training camp
# Cabinet has praised the South African Revenue Service for collecting a record two-trillion-rand in net revenue under outgoing Commissioner Edward Kieswetter. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says the milestone was achieved in record time, boosting fiscal stability and reducing reliance on debt. She emphasised that improved compliance and administrative efficiency drove gains, alongside strong mining sector performance, marking significant growth from 114-billion-rand collected in 1994:
Meanwhile, president Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed tax administrator Johnstone Makhubu as the new South African Revenue Service commissioner. Makhubu, currently serving as deputy commissioner for taxpayer engagement and operations, takes over from Kieswetter from the first of next month, for a five-year term. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says Ramaphosa has also expressed appreciation to Kieswetter for his leadership, adding that the transition reflects strong succession planning within the institution:
# Transport minister Barbara Creecy says road accidents and fatalities have declined ahead of the busy Easter travel period. Fatal accidents dropped by 16.7-percent, from 306 to 255, while fatalities decreased by 18.3-percent, from 356 to 291 compared to the same period last year. The improvement is attributed to intensified law enforcement, including over 300 roadblocks and increased police visibility. Creecy urged motorists to stay responsible to sustain lower accident numbers over Easter:
# French president Emmanuel Macron says it would be unrealistic to launch a military operation to force open the strategically-important Strait of Hormuz. US president Donald Trump earlier challenged allies to work towards reopening it. Macron told media on a visit to South Korea some people defend the idea of freeing the strait by force via a military operation. He adds it would take forever, and would expose all those who go through the strait to risks, not only from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, but also ballistic missiles.
# Rugby: Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote named a training squad of 45 players for a two-week camp in Stellenbosch from Monday in preparation for the Under‑20 Rugby Championship. They include four players who attended the recent senior Springbok alignment camp. Riley Norton, who lead the Junior Boks to the world title in Italy last year, Siphosethu Mnebelele, Kai Pratt, and Markus Muller all had a taste of the senior Bok environment. The third Under-20 championships for Southern Hemisphere teams takes place in Gqberha from the 27th.
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-97-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-43-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-103-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-620-dollars-38-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 106-dollars-55-cents a barrel.
Stay tuned for more news………….