News 14:00

BULLETIN 16 April 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA leader praises Malema’s sentence as an affirmation of the justice system’s integrity
# COSATU urges further government interventions to cushion the economy from the Middle Eastern war
# And soccer: Durban City and TS Galaxy will face off in the Nedbank Cup final on 2 May

# DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis welcomed the sentencing in EFF leader Julius Malema’s firearm case, saying it reinforces the rule of law and sends a clear message that no one is above the Constitution. He says gun violence remains a serious problem and firearm offences must be met with firm consequences. Hill-Lewis says the sentence of five-years direct prison time is a positive step in strengthening accountability and restoring public confidence in the justice system:

# COSATU urges more government interventions to cushion the economy from further expected fallouts from the Middle Eastern war. The union federation says latest reports from the Central Energy Fund warn of additional hikes of over three-rand per liter for petrol, ten-rand for diesel and seven-rand for paraffin next month. Spokesperson Matthew Parks says this is yet another blow for the economy that is limping along at one-percent growth for the past decade:

# The DA in Tshwane says it will seek a decisive mandate in the local government elections to become the largest party in the capital. The party’s mayoral candidate, Cilliers Brink, says the metro has been paralysed by coalition chaos and a revolving door of mayors. He says this election is about taking back Tshwane from cadres, comrades, and tenderpreneurs, who have put personal gain ahead of public service, to get the capital working:

# The Department of Home Affairs says there has been no change in policy regarding the status of Zimbabwean Exemption Permit holders. This follows confusion sparked by media reports on comments made by deputy minister Njabulo Nzuza during a television interview. He suggested ZEP holders could now apply for permanent residency in South Africa. The department says current permits will remain valid until May next year, as per the extension granted in June last year. It adds ZEP holders do not qualify for permanent residency permits.

# Soccer: The Premier League confirmed the final of the Nedbank Cup will be played at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo, on the second of next month. The match between Durban City and TS Galaxy will kick off at six. Tickets are already available at outlets in Shoprite, Checkers and USave stores, at 50-rand each. The PSL encourages fans who want to attend the match to buy tickets as soos as possible for the final, described as a memorable occasion on the South African soccer calendar.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-39-cents and the euro at 19-rand-30-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-18-cents and Bitcoin trades at 74-thousand-467-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-809-dollars-96-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-26-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….