News 06:00

BULLETIN 5 April 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says Mapisa-Nqakula’s decision to resign must be commended
# Rugby: It’s a do-or-die weekend for five South African teams
# And the Weather Service warns of a severe change in weather patterns over the weekend

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s decision to resign must be commended. She made her first appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court yesterday to face 12 charges of corruption and one of money laundering. She is out on 50-thousand-rand bail. Speaking on the sidelines of an event in KwaZulu-Natal, Ramaphosa, says Mapisa-Nqakula resigned not because she is guilty but because she respects Parliament, the ANC, and the government:

# The Economic Freedom Fighters says the retrenchment of four-thousand-700 South African Post Office workers, driven by business rescue, is callous and unjust. The party blames the ANC government’s mismanagement of state-owned enterprises, proposing debt relief and modernisation for SAPO under an EFF-led government. EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys says despite substantial bailouts, SAPO remains financially troubled, with closures of 235 post offices exacerbating the unemployment crisis. Mathys urges voters to consider their plan for state-owned enterprises in the upcoming elections.

# An independent law firm investigation into the drowning at a camp of a Grade 7 learner at Laerskool Queenswood, Latoya Temilton, has found minimal supervision by teachers and the principal. Nchupetsang Inc. Attorneys director, Meshack Nchupetsang, revealed that there were no lifeguards or proper demarcation at the pool where Latoya drowned. The firm recommends charging school staff for negligence, highlighting shortcomings in the planning and execution of the excursion:

# World Central Kitchen founder, José Andrés, has accused Israeli forces in Gaza of targeting his aid workers systematically, car by car. Seven of its workers were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza while leaving a warehouse in Deir al-Balah where they had unloaded food aid. Three British nationals were among those killed, along with Australian, Polish, and Palestinian workers and a dual US-Canadian citizen. Andrés has called for an independent investigation:

# Rugby: It’s do-or-die for the five South African teams in the round of 16 in European competitions this weekend. The Bulls and the Stormers are playing in the Champions Cup, and the Sharks, the Lions, and the Cheetahs in the Challenge Cup. The Bulls will host Lyon at Loftus on Saturday and the Stormers will welcome La Rochelle to Cape Town. The Sharks play Zebre Parma at home in Durban. The Lions will meet Benetton in Italy, and the Cheetahs play Clermont in France.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-71-cents and the euro at 20-rand-28-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-127-dollar-12-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-271-dollar-6-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollar-99-cents -cents a barrel.

# And finally: The South African Weather Service has cautioned that a cut-off low-pressure system will trigger widespread showers, strong winds, and severe thundershowers over the weekend and early next week. Chief forecaster Kevin Rae predicts that affected areas include the western and northern interior. He says that tropical moisture from neighbouring countries may cause scattered rainfall, with flood risks in central and eastern regions:

Stay tuned for more news………….