News 06:00

BULLETIN 16 April 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA criticises president Ramaphosa’s decision to retain minister Nzimande amid corruption claims
# The Central Energy Fund forecasts petrol to rise and diesel to drop in May
# And Britain’s prime minister describes Iran’s attack on Israel as reckless and dangerous

# The DA condemns president Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to retain Higher Education, Science, and Innovation minister Blade Nzimande amid corruption claims. They argue Nzimande’s continued presence makes the task of the new National Student Financial Aid Scheme administrator, Freeman Nomvalo, even more difficult. The party is concerned about Nomvalo’s appointment and believes he must address various outstanding issues to restore the scheme’s credibility. The DA’s Chantel King calls on Ramaphosa to act against corruption:

# The Central Energy Fund’s mid-month data predicts petrol prices to increase for the fourth consecutive month in May, with an anticipated under-recovery of around 30-cents-per-litre. However, diesel prices are expected to decrease, with an over-recovery of approximately 28-cents-per-litre. The anticipated increase sees 93 octane petrol rising by 30-cents-per-litre and 95 octane by 31-cents-per-litre. Meanwhile, diesel wholesale is expected to have a decrease of 26 to 31-cents-per-litre. Illuminating paraffin could decrease by 19-cents-per-litre. The company says oil prices are the main culprit behind the under-recovery in petrol. 

# An investigation is underway after two learners from the Daveyton Skills School drowned in the Hennops River near Centurion. They drowned during a school excursion yesterday. Tshwane Emergency Services Department’s, Thabo Charles Mabaso, says when they arrived on the scene they found that the two boys aged between 13 years and 16 years of age had already died:

# KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ assessment will continue today following heavy rain and flooding in parts of the province. Five people died in Margate on the South Coast. Some areas received rainfall accumulation of more than 200 millimetres. Businesses and public infrastructure, including roads and houses, have been severely damaged. The department says the cost implications of the damages caused will be consolidated.

# UK prime minister Rishi Sunak says Iran sought to plunge the Middle East into crisis with its attack on Israel which was a reckless and dangerous escalation. Tehran launched more than 300 missiles at Israel, in what it said was retaliation for a strike on its consulate in Syria, which claimed the lives of seven people. Addressing the House of Commons, Sunak says with this attack, Iran has once again shown its true colours:

# Roadrunning: The organisers of Sunday’s Beijing half marathon are probing allegations that three other athletes deliberately allowed a local star athlete to win. He Jie was announced the winner, but a video on social media shows how Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat from Kenya, and Dejen Hailu from Ethiopia, slowed down just before the finishing line and waved him past them. World Athletics says in a statement to BBC Sports they are aware of the situation, but won’t comment before the investigation is finalised.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-4-cents and the euro at 20-rand-20-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-867-dollars-19-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-380-dollars-94-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-61-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….