News 14:00

BULLETIN 28 April 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Bail is granted to Mkhwanazi and Lerutla in a corruption case
# Allan Boesak calls for accountability amid corruption among public officials
# And rugby: Three South African teams still have a shot at home quarterfinals in the United Rugby Championship

# Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi and city manager Kagiso Lerutla have been granted bail at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court in Gauteng. The pair face charges of fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice over an alleged 2019 plot to hire a third party to impersonate Lerutla over a traffic offence. Magistrate Emmanuel Magampa postponed the case to 13 May and ordered them to surrender their passports:

# Anti-apartheid activist, Allan Boesak, says crime, poverty, corruption and inequality continue to disadvantage many South Africans. Speaking at the launch of the “New Freedom Campaign” at St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, Boesak highlighted the widening gap between rich and poor, describing it as a moral crisis. He criticised alleged corruption among public officials and called for urgent accountability:

# The Road Traffic Management Corporation says close to 80 motorists were arrested for bribery and corruption across the county this weekend. The arrests were made as part of the six-week extended Easter road safety campaign that started last month. Spokesperson Simon Zwane says bribery and corruption in the traffic sector is a major concern and believed to be a major factor behind the culture of impunity displayed by many motorists:

# Public comment on a draft circular for the overhaul of South Africa’s exchange control laws dating back to 1961, can be submitted to the National Treasury until 17th May. The Finance Ministry’s proposals include raising discretionary offshore allowances for individuals, regulating crypto assets and easing capital-flow restrictions. The JSE estimates the changes could attract at least ten-trillion-rand in investment over time and attract more investor capital. A key aim of the overhaul is to address long-standing structural problems that have seen South Africa lose financial capital to rival hubs.

# Rugby: The Stormers, the Lions and the Bulls all still have a chance of securing home quarterfinals in the United Rugby Championship. The Stormers top the log after annihilating Glasgow Warriors in Cape Town on Saturday, while the Lions improved to third after beating Connacht in Johannesburg. The Bulls are currently in sixth position after a nail-biting victory over Scarlets in Wales, and can still clinch a quarterfinal at Loftus in the final two league matches. The Sharks can’t qualify for the quarterfinals anymore.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-59-cents and the euro at 19-rand-40-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-38-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-521-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-611-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 104-dollars-6-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….