News 07:00

BULLETIN 12 April 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Solidarity opposes the retrenchments at Sibanye-Stillwater
# Parliament is considering the DA’s request for the election of a new speaker
# And the FBI fears an attack in the US similar to that in Moscow

# Trade union Solidarity has condemned mining company Sibanye-Stillwater’s announcement of its third retrenchment process in a year, affecting more than three-thousand employees and over 900 contractors. The retrenchment consultations will be facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, but the union plans to request a postponement until after salary negotiations. They intend to oppose the retrenchments vigorously to protect their members’ jobs. Solidarity’s general secretary, Gideon du Plessis, has criticised both the timing of the retrenchments and the company’s executives:

# Parliament has sent the DA’s request for the urgent election of a new speaker to the National Assembly programme committee for consideration. This follows the resignation of Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who is facing 12 charges of corruption and one of money laundering. She is accused of receiving kickbacks for a defence contract when she was the minister of Defence. The DA’s chief whip Siviwe Gwarube says a speaker must be elected urgently as the sixth Parliament must remain competent to perform its functions until May 21st.

# AfriForum pledges full legal assistance to the first motorist facing legal action over historical e-toll arrears in Gauteng. This comes after Transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga stated that the government has yet to decide on Gauteng motorists’ arrears. AfriForum’s campaign officer, Charné Mostert, argues that debts expire after three years, and no one should be held accountable for debts older than that. Mostert views the termination of e-tolls as a significant victory for civil society, companies, and affected motorists:

# Cape Town city manager Lungelo Mbandazayo’s security detail has been enhanced as a precautionary measure. This follows the successful blacklisting of Glomix, a construction company owned by Nicole Johnson, the wife of suspected 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield. The company has been involved in housing projects in Cape Town for over a decade. An investigation initiated by Mbandazayo resulted in several companies owned by Johnson blacklisted. Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security JP Smith says the protection was based on a threat assessment against the city manager.

# The FBI expressed concern over the possibility of an organised attack in the United States, similar to that in Russia last month. At least 144 people were killed when militants targeted a concert in Moscow, with a branch of Islamic State claiming responsibility. FBI director Christopher Wray says seldom in his career had there been a time where so many threats to the US’ public safety and national security were so elevated all at once. He urges the renewal of a surveillance plan which will expire this month.

# Tennis: World number one Novak Djokovic has become the second player to reach ten Monte Carlo Masters quarterfinals in the Open Era. The two-time Serbian champion defeated Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, 7-5 6-3. Italy’s second seed Jannik Sinner beat German Jan-Lennard Struff, 6-4, 6-2, to set up a quarterfinal against Denmark’s Holger Rune, who defeated Belarusian ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6. There were also wins for Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas and Russia’s Karen Khachanov. Djokovic says he played a solid match:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-72-cents and the euro at 20-rand-8-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-50-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-479-dollars-77-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-392-dollars-11-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-48-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….