News 16:00

BULLETIN 29 April 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Mugabe’s son is fined 600-thousand-rand and escapes prison time with immediate deportation
# Johannesburg seeks billions to fix water systems
# And soccer: FIFA increases cash distributions to World Cup countries to 14.4-billion-rand

# Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s son, Bellarmine, has been sentenced to a 600-thousand-rand fine or jail time by the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Gauteng. He previously pleaded guilty to pointing a firearm and violating immigration laws after a shooting incident at his Hyde Park residence in Johannesburg. The wounded employee was paid out 400-thousand-rand in compensation. Magistrate Renier Boshoff ordered Mugabe’s immediate deportation:

# Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero says the city is raising up to 13-billion-rand to upgrade ageing water and sewer infrastructure. Speaking at the launch of a new ground reservoir and water tower in Brixton, Morero emphasised that the plan includes replacing thousands of kilometres of pipes, with seven-billion-rand needed for water and six-billion-rand for sewer systems. He says the city is engaging financial institutions to secure additional funding:

# Postbank says its customers will no longer be able to access banking services at South African Post Office branches from Friday. Customers will now use Standard Bank ATMs, branches and participating retailers for transactions, while support will also be available through its contact centre. Postbank’s Thami Cele has assured that Social Security Agency grant beneficiaries will not be affected and will continue to receive payments as usual:

# Soccer: World governing body FIFA has announced an increase in cash distributions to the 48 countries participating in this year’s World Cup – from just over 12-billion- to 14.4-billion-rand. This follows after several FIFA members reportedly said the high cost of travel, tax and overall operations could lead to them losing money for their participation. Each of the 48 teams will now receive 41.4-million-rand for preparation cost, while their qualifying bonus will now be increased to 165-million-rand each.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-58-cents and the euro at 19-rand-41-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-41-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-124-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-559-dollars-88-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 107-dollars-37-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Entries for Miss South Africa 2026 are now open and will close on 17 May. The organisation says the competition moves into a new phase focused on leadership, service and social impact rather than just the crown. Contestants will undergo a structured development programme aimed at building skills in leadership, communication and community engagement, supported by the Empower Youth Africa initiative. Applicants must be South African women aged 20 to 32-years who are ready for mentorship, accountability, and social impact work.

Stay tuned for more news………….