News 07:00

BULLETIN 10 April 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA says the candidate process has been fair and credible
# AfriForum warns against an ideological bias in the proposed history syllabus
# And cricket: Beyers Swanepoel is sacked by the Lions after leaving the One-Day Cup final mid-match

# The DA says the candidate process ahead of the elective congress has been conducted in line with the party’s democratic and transparent internal systems. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Sedibeng caucus leader Sibusiso Dyonase will contest for the position of DA leader at the congress in Midrand, Gauteng, this weekend. Federal Congress Presiding Officer, Desiree van der Walt, says all the processes have been underpinned by robust oversight structures to ensure fairness and credibility:

# AfriForum is encouraging parents, teachers, and stakeholders to submit feedback on the Department of Basic Education’s proposed new history curriculum for Grades 1 to 12, published in the Government Gazette on 20 March. The forum’s Alana Bailey stresses that history must be presented objectively to foster critical thinking, empathy, and literacy. She warns that biased content can entrench myths or create scapegoats, urging more community-focused teaching:

# The Special Investigating Unit has secured an acknowledgement of debt from Rubicon Communications and its CEO, Hangwani Mudangawe Nengovhela. The National Skills Fund awarded this company nearly 2.7-million-rand in November 2018 to deliver a leadership and skills development programme for 100 learners. However, this did not happen. The SIU says the money was diverted to cover Rubicon’s operational expenses, logistics, machinery purchases, rentals, loan repayments, school fees, and personal transfers. It adds that the NSF will recover the full amount, plus interest and costs.

# UK Defence Secretary, John Healey, has accused Russia of using the distraction of the Iran war to ramp up malign activity against Europe. This comes as Britain, Norway, and other countries have responded to increased Russian activity in the North Atlantic in the past few weeks. Healey says a month-long operation was conducted, which involved the tracking of three Russian submarines trying to survey vital undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic. He adds that the vessels were prevented from carrying out “nefarious” operations:

# Cricket: Lions Cricket and all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel have agreed to part ways with immediate effect, after he controversially abandoned a domestic final mid-match to catch a flight to England. The 27-year-old left the field with seven overs remaining during the One-Day Cup final against the Titans at the Wanderers on March 29. His premature departure without approval left his team with only ten players in a match the Lions ultimately lost by three wickets. Swanepoel is playing for Worcestershire in the English County season.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-39-cents and the euro at 19-rand-16-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-1-cents and Bitcoin trades at 72-thousand-282-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-765-dollars-35-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-49-cents a barrel.

# And finally: CapeNature launched a special fire-focused season of its Green Noise podcast, highlighting the December Cederberg Wilderness wildfire that burned 53-thousand hectares. Featuring firefighters, conservationists, and climate experts, the series explores wildfire management, aerial support, and the human and ecological impacts. CapeNature’s Luke Folb emphasises that climate change, combined with human activity, is increasing fire intensity and season length. He says the podcast is available on CapeNature’s website and all major platforms, offering insights into conservation, emergency response, and community resilience.

Stay tuned for more news………….