News 16:00
BULLETIN 24 April 4 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# Oscar Mabuyane sues Julius Malema over defamation claims
# The court dismisses a bid to drop the case against the Phala Phala accused
# And a poll finds Americans blame Donald Trump for the fuel price surge
# Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane has initiated legal proceedings against EFF leader Julius Malema in the High Court in KuGompo City over alleged defamatory statements. He is asking the court to declare Malema’s claims that he fraudulently obtained a master’s degree from the University of Fort Hare as false and unlawful, award damages, and prevent further remarks. Spokesperson Sonwabo Mbananga says the repeated allegations have harmed Mabuyane’s reputation:
# The Bela-Bela Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo has dismissed an application to have charges withdrawn against the accused in the Phala Phala burglary. The case relates to the 2020 break-in at president Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm when foreign currency worth approximately 10.4-million-rand was reportedly stolen. Evidence in court showed Imanuwela David, Froliana Joseph and Ndilinasho Joseph spent large amounts of the stolen cash on luxury vehicles, property, and personal items. They face charges including theft and money laundering. The court ruled the case should proceed.
Ramaphosa has meanwhile called on countries to act on inequality both domestically and globally. Speaking at the consultative council of the founding committee of the international panel on inequality, he called for investment in education, healthcare, and support for vulnerable communities. Ramaphosa urged stronger labour protections, fair taxation, and limits on corporate power. He also calls for reform of global financial systems and climate commitments to support developing nations:
# Rugby: The heat is on in the United Rugby Championship, with only three league rounds remaining. The top-two teams on the log, Glasgow Warriors and the Stormers, will do battle in Cape Town tomorrow, while the Sharks will face Edinburgh in the Scottish capital tonight. The Lions host Irish team Connacht in Johannesburg, and the Bulls play Scarlets in Wales. The Lions are currently fourth on the log, the Bulls eighth and the Sharks eleventh. The top-eight teams qualify for the quarterfinals.
# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-54-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-38-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-32-cents and Bitcoin trades at 78-thousand-313-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-709-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 99-dollars-10-cents a barrel.
# And finally, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found a clear majority of Americans blame president Donald Trump for surging fuel prices, which is weighing on his Republican Party ahead of November’s congressional midterm elections. Some 77-percent of registered voters in the poll said Trump bears at least a fair amount of responsibility for the recent rise in fuel prices caused by his decision to launch a war on Iran. Fifty-five-percent of Republican voters, 95-percent of Democrats, and 82-percent of independents pinned blame on Trump for the higher costs.
Stay tuned for more news………….