News 07:00

BULLETIN 13 April 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# An organisation campaigns to empower voters
# Netanyahu meets with Israel’s war cabinet
# And, roadrunning: Cape Town comes alive for the Two Oceans marathon

# Non-profit organisation Futurelect is providing leadership development programmes to young people and women who want to run for office. Futurelect CEO and former DA member of Parliament, Lindiwe Mazibuko, says their aim is also to provide education to voters ahead of the general elections next month. Mazibuko stressed the importance of equipping citizens with knowledge and skills to engage in a meaningful democratic process:

# The Freedom Front Plus says the number of unsolved criminal cases in the country is a clear indication of declining detective services. In a parliamentary reply, Police minister Bheki Cele revealed over 2.5-million cases in the 2020/2021 and 2022/2023 financial years remain unresolved, representing 42-percent of reported crimes. Cele attributed this to insufficient evidence but the FF Plus leader Pieter Groenewald says the entire criminal justice system has collapsed under the ANC’s rule:

# The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority believes their partnership with the Rwanda Food and Drug Authority will ensure access to safe, quality and effective health products in both countries. This collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding, entails joint reviews and inspections, with a focus on enhancing regulatory oversight, particularly in the realm of mRNA vaccine production. SAHPRA’s CEO, Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, says African regulatory agencies working together strengthen capacity to address common challenges and promote public health.

# Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet top officials of his war cabinet to prepare for a possible attack by Iran. This includes Defence minister Yoav Gallant and opposition figure Benny Gantz. Tensions are high over the possibility that Tehran will retaliate for an air strike that killed senior Iranian commanders nearly two weeks ago. US officials told CBS News a “challenging” major attack on Israel could happen imminently. Israel has said it is ready “defensively and offensively”.

# And roadrunning: Around 11-thousand athletes are pounding the tar around the Cape Peninsula in what is fondly known as the world’s most beautiful marathon. Among them are the favourites for today’s ultra marathon over 56-kilometres, Stephen Mokoka and Gerda Steyn. The 39-year-old Mokoka is making his highly anticipated debut at the race, while Steyn is chasing her fifth Two Oceans title in a row. Tomorrow sees the running of the 21-kilometre half-marathon, with around 16-thousand entrants.    

Stay tuned for more news………….