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BULLETIN 11 April 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Freedom Under Law wants the full reasons for the Electoral Court’s decision on Zuma
# The European Parliament approves major reforms of migration rules
# And Olympics: The swimming leg of the triathlon may be cancelled because of the Seine’s poor water quality

# Freedom Under Law is calling on the Electoral Court to give reasons for its ruling in favour of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party and former president Jacob Zuma. On Tuesday, the court dismissed the Electoral Commission’s decision to bar Zuma from contesting the elections. The IEC had argued that Zuma could not be a candidate because he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court. Freedom Under Law’s, Judith February, says the need for an urgent decision was understandable:

# Parliament’s Powers and Privileges committee has resolved not to proceed with the investigation into former National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s role in the hiking of Secretary to Parliament Xolile George’s salary in 2022. The DA wanted the committee to probe Mapisa-Nqakula following George’s salary increase from 2.6-million-rand to 4.4-million-rand not long after his appointment. The committee says with Mapisa-Nqakula’s resignation from Parliament, it no longer has jurisdiction over her. However, the DA maintains there are prima facie grounds to proceed as the salary issue remains unresolved.

# The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse says the government has failed to admit to its shortcomings related to e-tolls. After its establishment in 2013 as part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, e-tolls will officially be scrapped at midnight. However, motorists will be held liable for paying their outstanding e-toll bills. Outa CEO, Wayne Duvenage, says it is clear that the introduction of the e-toll system was grossly irrational:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa, alongside Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi, will today visit the site of the tragic bus accident in Limpopo that claimed the lives of 45 Botswana citizens. The incident occurred on 28 March, when a bus carrying Easter pilgrims to Moria plunged off a bridge in the Mmamatlakala Pass. Only an eight-year-old survived. The visit will begin with a closed briefing by officials in Mokopane before the presidents inspect the accident scene along the R518. President Ramaphosa conveyed condolences to Botswana.

# The European Parliament has approved reforms of the rules governing asylum and migration in the European Union. In the EU Asylum and Migration Pact, the EU’s 27 countries must take in thousands of migrants from frontline countries, such as Italy, Greece and Spain, or provide extra funding or resources. Last year saw some 380-thousand people illegally crossing the EU’s borders, the highest number since 2016. European Parliament president, Roberta Metsola, says history has been made:

# Olympics: The organisers of the Paris Games could be forced to cancel the swimming leg of the triathlon if the water quality of the River Seine doesn’t improve. Alarming levels of the E.coli bacterium were found during recent testing, and there’s a possibility summer rains may exacerbate the problem. The president of the Games, Tony Estanguet, says contingency plans are in place, including delaying the event to a later date during the Games. The Games start on the 26th of July.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-73-cents and the euro at 20-rand-13-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-50-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-880-dollars-55-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-343-dollars-37-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-70-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….