News 16:00

BULLETIN 21 April 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA urges Ramaphosa to suspend the national police commissioner over criminal charges
# The PSA says strengthening the SIU’s capacity will improve the effectiveness of investigations into corruption
# And cricket: The Proteas Women can clinch the T20 series against India tomorrow

# The DA has called on president Cyril Ramaphosa to suspend national police commissioner Fannie Masemola and institute a formal inquiry into his fitness for office. This follows criminal charges linked to a 360-million-rand police tender awarded to Medicare24. Masemola appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court this morning. DA federal leader Geordin Hill-Lewis warns continued uncertainty at the top of the police service is weakening public confidence, and decisive action is needed to restore credibility and stability within law enforcement.

National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams has meanwhile questioned Masemola’s authority in the appointment of KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to a national task team. Adams claims Masemola may have violated the Police Act. He also criticised what he called selective action on corruption, raising concerns about accountability within the SAPS:

# The Public Servants Association says the Special Investigating Unit needs to be sufficiently capacitated to strengthen the battle against corruption, maladministration, and the illicit accumulation of wealth in the public sector. PSA’s Claude Naicker says the SIU’s work has revealed systemic corruption that often involves complex networks, senior officials, and politically connected people. He says strengthening the SIU’s capacity will improve the speed and effectiveness of investigations into serious corruption:

# Premier Alan Winde and MEC for Agriculture Ivan Meyer welcome signs of stabilisation in the Western Cape’s foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, with no new confirmed cases since 22 March. Vaccination remains central to the province’s control strategy, with more than 161-thousand doses administered across 730 sites. Authorities say surveillance, movement controls, and traceability measures remain in place. Winde says an additional 50-thousand vaccine doses are being deployed and warns that continued vigilance is needed to prevent further spread.

# Cricket: The Proteas Women can clinch the T20 series against India in tomorrow’s third encounter at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. The hostesses won the first two matches in Durban by six wickets and eight wickets, respectively. The penultimate game will be played on the same field on Friday, and the final one in Benoni, Gauteng, on Monday. The series is used as final preparation for the T20 World Cup in England, starting on the 12th of June, with the Proteas’ first engagement against Australia the next day.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-37-cents and the euro at 19-rand-26-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-12-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-392-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-783-dollars-43-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 91-dollars-51-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….