News 07:00

BULLETIN 16 April 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A political analyst says the Constitutional Court must hear the IEC’s appeal on Zuma urgently
# The ACDP calls for global prayer for peace in the Middle East
# And tennis: Nadal wants to enjoy every moment of probably his last year

# Political analyst, Mpumelelo Mkhabela, says the dispute between the Electoral Commission and former president Jacob Zuma must be settled with clear legal certainty. The IEC has approached the Constitutional Court to appeal the Electoral Court’s decision to allow Zuma to stand as a parliamentary candidate in the elections next month. The IEC had argued Zuma could not be a candidate because he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. In a News24 opinion piece, Mkhabela says the Constitutional Court has no option but to give this matter the urgency it deserves.

# 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:

# RISE Mzansi has promised to create 600-thousand new permanent jobs over five years in Gauteng if it is elected into power on the 29th of next month. The party’s provincial premier candidate Vuyiswa Ramokgopa presented RISE Mzansi’s Gauteng plan at Beyers Naude Square in Johannesburg yesterday. She says Gauteng is a shadow of the province that used to be bustling with economic opportunity at every turn. Ramokgopa has vowed to make the province a place of meritocracy, accountability, and transparency.

# Action Society says it has been left with mixed emotions following the death of murder-accused Werner de Jager. The Department of Correctional Services confirmed that he died in hospital yesterday. De Jager was on trial for the murder of his wife, Amanzimtoti minister Liezel de Jager, who was killed in October 2021. Action Society’s spokesperson, Juanita du Preez, says they will see this case through since they lobbied for the National Cold Case Unit to take over the investigation:

# The African Christian Democratic Party has joined the Group of Seven leaders in condemning Iran for launching approximately 300 drones and missiles into Israel. The party has expressed concerns that Iran’s actions risk escalating conflict not only in the region but globally. They commend the European Union and the United Kingdom for condemning Iran’s attack and confirming their commitment to Israel’s security, urging all nations to be peacemakers to prevent wider conflict. The ACDP calls for prayers for peace in the Middle East, Jerusalem, and communities worldwide.

# Tennis: Twenty-two-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal says he wants to enjoy every moment of this year, which he expects to be his last. He plays Italian Flavio Cobolli in the first round of the Barcelona Open today. Nadal, who turns 38 in June, had over a year of struggles with his fitness and last played a match on clay when he won the French Open for the 14th time in 2022. He says he isn’t setting any deadline for his retirement yet:

# 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 62-thousand-924-dollars-28-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-381-dollars-79-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-72-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….