News 06:00

BULLETIN 11 April 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Jacob Zuma pursues the private prosecution of president Ramaphosa
# Eskom will keep load-shedding suspended until further notice
# And the FF Plus is considering legal action over motorists still required to pay their e-toll debt

# Former president Jacob Zuma’s private prosecution of president Cyril Ramaphosa unfolds today at the High Court in Johannesburg. Zuma accuses Ramaphosa of being an accessory after the fact in another private prosecution against state prosecutor Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan. The Jacob Zuma Foundation expects Zuma to attend in person to update the court on appeals regarding the summons served on Ramaphosa in December 2022. Last year, the High Court overturned Zuma’s private prosecution of Ramaphosa, deeming it unlawful and unconstitutional.

# Eskom says load-shedding will remain suspended until further notice due to sustained available generation capacity and adequate emergency reserves. This comes after two consecutive weeks without load-shedding, the longest period of full power supply since the December festive season. Eskom’s spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says they will provide a system update on Sunday afternoon or if any significant changes occur:

# The Freedom Front Plus says it will determine whether legal action can be taken to successfully write off outstanding e-toll bills and reclaim money already paid. This comes as Transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga confirmed that Gauteng motorists would still be expected to settle their e-toll bills as the government prepares to switch off the gantries. FF Plus’, Anton Alberts, says the party had opposed the e-toll system right from the outset:

# The Western Cape Education Department says despite all districts reopening, 16 schools are closed due to damage or blocked roads. MEC David Maynier says reconstruction processes have begun as over 100 schools were damaged following the severe weather conditions over the weekend. The MEC sent his appreciation to officials, schools, parents, the South African Weather Service, and the disaster management team for their assistance and support:

# Hamas is apparently not able to track down 40 Israeli hostages matching the specific criteria it needs for the first phase of a ceasefire deal. An Israeli official says this raises fears more hostages taken during the 7 October attacks may be dead than was previously known. The framework laid out by negotiators entails Hamas’s release of 40 Israeli hostages, including all women as well as sick and elderly men, during a six-week pause in hostilities. In exchange, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from its jails.

# Rugby: Ospreys quartet Tristan Davies, Lewis Jones, Will Hickey, and Cameron Jones have joined the Cheetahs on a short-term loan. This is part of the ongoing partnership between the two clubs initiated late last year. The four will be available to play for the Bloemfontein franchise in the SA Cup in the coming weeks. Cheetahs CEO, Ross van Reenen, says by sharing talent and resources, they strengthen both clubs and enrich the rugby experience for players and fans alike.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-74-cents and the euro at 20-rand-14-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-51-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-649-dollars-60-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-339-dollars-49-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-55-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….