News 07:00

BULLETIN 20 April 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The police say the allegations by the suspended Mpumalanga Commissioner cannot be ignored
# Donald Trump reiterates his threat to destroy Iran’s power plants and bridges
# And cricket: Wolvaardt and Luus lead the Proteas Women to a victory in the second T20 against India

# The South African Police Service says allegations made by suspended Mpumalanga Police Commissioner Daphney Manamela will be assessed and referred to the appropriate investigative units for further action. During a media briefing on Sunday, Manamela accused National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola of taking bribes and interfering in some investigations in the provinces. She also alleged interference by former Police minister Bheki Cele. National police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, says the allegations made by Manamela are serious and cannot be ignored:

# The Forum for South Africa says it will continue to push for criminal prosecutions in all major financial crimes. FOSA leader, Tebogo Mashilompane, says thousands lost their life savings following VBS Mutual Bank looting, while those entrusted with safeguarding financial integrity actively participated in deception. He warns that the failure to enforce accountability  reflects a deeper systemic weakness under the leadership of president Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC:

# The EFF in Gauteng has called on the City of Tshwane to urgently table before council, the Public Protector’s report on alleged maladministration related to recruitment processes, and make its full contents public. The findings reportedly highlight significant flaws in the hiring of senior officials, specifically implicating City Manager Johann Mettler, who chaired the selection panel in question. The EFF’s spokesperson, Dumisani Baleni, says any attempt to delay, suppress, or selectively disclose this report will constitute a direct affront to constitutional accountability:

# Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane says government is strengthening systems of accountability while also intensifying the fight against corruption. Mabuyane addressed the Young Men’s Guild 95th Annual District Convention in Dimbaza. He says the government is working to ensure that public resources are used for their intended purpose, the upliftment of the people. He adds that the government alone cannot achieve this renewal; it requires a whole-of-society approach and it requires families, communities, and even the Church.

# US President Donald Trump has renewed his threats to destroy Iranian infrastructure, including power plants, unless the Tehran regime reaches a deal to end the war. He has confirmed that vice president JD Vance will lead another round of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, today. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump accused Iran of violating the current ceasefire agreement with its blocking of the Strait of Hormuz. He claimed that the US “loses nothing” from the closure of the Strait, but stated that Iran was losing millions of dollars.

# Cricket: The Proteas Women defeated India by eight wickets in the second T20 in Durban to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Tumi Sekhukhune and Chloe-Lesleigh Tryon claimed three wickets each as the visitors were restricted to 147 all out. In reply, captain Laura Wolvaardt and Suné Luus combined for an opening stand of 106, as South Africa reached the target with 17 balls to spare. The series now moves to the Wanderers for the third and fourth on Wednesday and Saturday, before concluding in Benoni on Monday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-36-cents and the euro at 19-rand-23-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-8-cents and Bitcoin trades at 74-thousand-698-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-809-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 91-dollars-13-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….