News 8:00

BULLETIN 12 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA Congress is set to elect a new leadership today
# SARS urges trusts to submit their tax returns or risk penalties
# And, the Cape Crime Coalition warns of continued gang killings in the Cape flats amid SANDF deployment

# Over two-thousand delegates at the DA’s elective congress will elect a new leader to be John Steenhuisen’s successor this morning in Midrand, Gauteng. The two candidates vying for the position are frontrunner Cape Town mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, and Sedibeng Municipality caucus leader Sibusiso Dyonase. Delegates will also elect a federal chairperson and three deputy chairpersons. The congress’s presiding officer, Werner Horn, explains the electronic voting process:

And, DA Delegates at the congress have rejected a proposal for the party to have a deputy federal leader. The proposal to amend the party’s constitution, brought by Gauteng’s Pogiso Mthumunye, received 50.08-percent of the vote, falling short of the required threshold of 66-percent. Mthumunye believed that the position was necessary to aid the federal leader, especially since the party is now in the government of national unity. However, several senior DA leaders argued that the federal chairperson already serves effectively as the party’s number two, given their responsibilities.

# The South African Revenue Service is urging all registered trusts to submit annual income tax returns, even if they had no financial activity. The revenue authority warns that failing to comply may result in penalties or personal liability for trustees. SARS says trustees must ensure full compliance before seeking termination of a trust through the Master of the High Court. The revenue service also advises that trusts should first regularise all tax affairs before deregistration to avoid delays, protect possible refunds, and ensure proper legal closure of the trust.

# Cape Crime Crisis Coalition chairperson Llewellyn Macmaster says gang violence in Cape Town has escalated since the deployment of the South African Defence Force in the Western Cape. It is alleged that more than 30 people have been killed in gang-related shootings since the deployment. He raised concerns that the military presence has not stopped ongoing violence in affected communities. He calls for longer-term, community-driven solutions beyond military deployment.

# U.S. and Iranian negotiators held high-level talks in Pakistan yesterday to try to end their six-week war. The talks in Islamabad ‌were the first direct U.S.-Iranian meeting in more than a decade. U.S. Vice President JD ⁠Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi for two hours. The Strait of Hormuz, that Iran has effectively blocked but Trump has vowed to reopen, is crucial to negotiations between the two sides, that is set to continue today.

# And finally, tennis: Carlos Alcaraz overcame home favourite Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-4 on yesterday to book his place in the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters final. Alcaraz is making his third appearance in Monte Carlo, having lifted the title last year. Earlier in the week, he cruised past Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-0, a victory that also marked his 300th tour-level win. The Spaniard will now face world number two, Jannik Sinner of Italy in their first meeting of the year, with the winner set to be named world number one in next week’s ATP standings.

Stay tuned for more news………….