News 16:00

BULLETIN 30 April 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa sets 4 November for the local government elections
# Minister Hlabisa urges accountability in tackling the water crisis
# And the PSA urges urgent funding for the Madlanga commission amid a budget crisis

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced this year’s local government elections will be held on 4 November. The date was confirmed following consultations with Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, with formal gazetting expected soon. Ramaphosa spoke on the sidelines of the coordinating council meeting in Boksburg, Gauteng. He says citizens will choose who they vote for, and government will respect the outcome and continue to serve them:

Ramaphosa said at the meeting challenges in municipalities are undermining service delivery. He cited weak revenue bases, skills shortages and governance instability as key issues. Ramaphosa warns poor financial management and accountability have led to infrastructure failures and disruptions in water and electricity. He emphasises the White Paper on Local Government will be crucial in driving long-term reform:

Hlabisa said at the event South Africa’s water crisis requires urgent, coordinated action beyond technical fixes. He highlighted the establishment of the National Water Crisis Committee as a shift to a unified government response. Hlabisa stressed that political stability, financial discipline and accountable leadership are critical to tackle infrastructure and enhance service delivery:

# The Public Servants Association calls on president Ramaphosa and the National Treasury to urgently fund the Madlanga commission, which it says is at risk of shutting down due to depleted resources. Spokesperson Claude Naicker warns halting the commission would undermine the fight against corruption and weaken public trust. He says the body made progress in exposing maladministration and supporting arrests and urges immediate intervention to ensure its continued its work.

# Roadrunning: The City of Cape Town announced parking restrictions and road closures ahead of next month’s Cape Town Marathon. Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security JP Smith says a fully car-free route is required as part of the race’s bid to join the World Marathon Majors. He says key areas, including the CBD, the Atlantic Seaboard, and surrounding suburbs, will be affected:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-79-cents and the euro at 19-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-67-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-290-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-633-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 107-dollars-92-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….