News 08:00

BULLETIN 10 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Deputy president Mashatile reiterates that he never met Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala
# Freedom Under Law says the Constitutional Court ruling against Cash Paymaster Services is significant
# And, Melania Trump denies connections to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile has reiterated that he does not know alleged Big 5 cartel figure Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala. Last month, suspended police sergeant Fannie Nkosi told the Madlanga Commission that Matlala had arranged a meeting with Mashatile. Speaking on the sidelines of the Gauteng Investment Conference on Thursday, Mashatile maintained that he was not in the country at the time of the said meeting with Matlala. He also reiterated that he is prepared to cooperate with the commission fully.

# Freedom Under Law says the Constitutional Court judgment against Cash Paymaster Services is significant in ensuring the accountability of a private body exercising a public function. CPS has been ordered to pay the South African Social Security Agency 81.3-million-rand. This relates to the nationwide payment tender awarded to CPS by Sassa, which the ConCourt formally declared unlawful in 2014. However, to ensure continuity of grant payments, the court allowed CPS to continue operating. FUL says the ruling is also significant in ensuring that companies cannot profit from unlawful contracts.

# The 2026 Gauteng Investment Conference has exceeded its target, securing 205.6-billion-rand in new investment pledges against a 200-billion-rand goal. The bulk of the pledges is concentrated in infrastructure-led sectors, with transport and logistics attracting about 60.3-billion-rand, followed by property development and core infrastructure. Last year’s conference garnered some 312.5-billion-rand in pledges. MEC for Economic Development, Agriculture and Rural Development, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, says the province has now mobilised over 500-billion-rand in private sector investment commitments:

# US First Lady Melania Trump has strongly denied reports that she had a relationship with the late disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. The Epstein files released by the Justice Department earlier this year contained a 2002 email between her and Maxwell, calling it nothing more than casual correspondence. In rare remarks from the White House, Trump stated that she is not a witness or a named witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes:

# Golf: World number two Rory McIlroy has made the dream start to his bid to become just the fourth man to win back-to-back Masters. The 36-year-old from Northern Ireland shares the first-round lead with American Sam Burns after carding a five-under par 67 at Augusta in Georgia. Americans Patrick Reed, Kurt Kitayama, and Australian Jason Day are two shots behind in a tied third. McIlroy says he was nervous on the first tee:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-40-cents and the euro at 19-rand-18-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-2-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 71-thousand-907-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-758-dollars-33-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-65-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….