News 17:00

BULLETIN 13 April 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Matipandile Sotheni’s bail application in the Witness D murder case is postponed and he appoints a new defence team
# Minister Sisisi Tolashe is concerned about the ongoing gender-based violence crisis
# And tennis: Carlos Alcaraz returns to his home tournament in Barcelona after losing his number one ranking

# The Brakpan Magistrate’s Court has postponed the bail application of former SAPS Special Task Force member Matipandile Sotheni, accused of murdering Madlanga Commission witness Marius van der Merwe known as Witness D, to next Friday for a formal hearing. He appeared with new legal representative Nthabiseng Mohomane after Eric Bryer withdrew when Sotheni said he did not know him. He faces murder, conspiracy and attempted murder charges linked to the December 2025 killing in Brakpan outside Van der Merwe’s home.

# A Southern African Development Community report shows two member states now rank among the world’s most expensive for fuel following sharp increases linked to the US-Israel-Iran war. Malawi and Zimbabwe top the regional list, while Angola remains among the cheapest globally. In South Africa, petrol prices remain slightly below the global average, but diesel costs are higher. Rising oil prices and market pressures continue to impact fuel costs across the region.

# Minister of Social Development, Sisisi Tolashe, says the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Dobsonville, Western Soweto, is a grim reflection of South Africa’s ongoing gender-based violence crisis. A 58-year-old man, who allegedly attacked the child, has been arrested. The department’s spokesperson, Sandy Godlwana, says it is the legislative mandate to ensure that the rights and well-being of children are always protected:

# Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz returns to his native Spain for the Barcelona Open this week after relinguising his number one world ranking to fierce rival Jannik Sinner in Monte-Carlo yesterday. The Italian won the Masters Tournament for the first time. Sinner isn’t playing in Barcelona, but is expected to participate in the Madrid Open, also in Spain, or in his home tournament in Rome in the run-up to the claycourt Grand Slam, the French Open, starting in Paris on the 24th of next month.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-54-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-35-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-24-cents and Bitcoin trades at 71-thousand-225-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-730-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 98-dollars-52-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Britney Spears has gone into rehab, a month after she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The 44-year-old American singer voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility, three weeks before she is due to appear in court in California to face the driving under the influence charge. Spears is one of the most successful pop stars of all time. She was in a conservatorship for 13 years until 2021 that saw her finances and personal life controlled by her father.

Stay tuned for more news………….