News 07:00

BULLETIN 24 April 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA says the suspension of Masemola is a necessary step to protect the integrity of the office
# The FF Plus is sceptical of Puleng Dimpane’s appointment as acting National Police Commissioner
# And rugby: The Junior Boks will compete in a new U20 international series next month

# The DA has welcomed the precautionary suspension of National Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, saying this is a necessary step to protect the integrity of the office. Masemola appeared in court on Tuesday in connection with the irregular awarding of a 360-million-rand SAPS health service tender to Medicare 24. President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed SAPS chief financial officer, Puleng Dimpane, as the acting National Police Commissioner. DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says the SAPS can continue to function while due process takes its course:

Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus says the precautionary suspension of Masemola shows how deep the historical crisis in the police service lies. He faces criminal charges in connection with an irregularly awarded 360-million-rand tender to the crime boss Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala. FF Plus’s Wouter Wessels says they are sceptical of the appointment of SAPS chief financial officer, Puleng Dimpane, as the acting National Police Commissioner:

# The Western Cape government is calling for an urgent overhaul of crime-fighting operations, with current efforts under Operation Prosper not delivering enough results. Premier Alan Winde says communities continue to face high levels of crime despite ongoing police and military deployments. Winde calls for better intelligence-led policing, stronger action against gangs, improved reporting and more focus on illegal firearms:

# US president Donald Trump has ordered the US Navy to shoot and kill any boat that is laying mines in the critical Strait of Hormuz. This comes after American forces announced earlier this month that they would intercept vessels travelling to or from Iran’s ports. US Central Command has ordered 31 vessels to turn around or return to port since the blockade of the Strait began. There are fears that Iran has mined the crucial waterway, although this has not been confirmed. Trump says US mine sweepers are clearing the Strait.

# Rugby: Cape Town will play host to a new Under-20 international series in May featuring South Africa, Georgia, Fiji, and Chile. The series will feature three double-header match days at City Park. Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote says this will be the final opportunity to fine-tune his squad for the Junior World Championship, which kicks off at the end of June in Georgia. He says apart from players getting game time, he would like to work on combinations as they build up towards the global showpiece.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-63-cents and the euro at 19-rand-43-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-39-cents and Bitcoin trades at 78-thousand-69-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-692-dollars-39-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 100-dollars-82-cents a barrel.

# And finally: American technology company, Meta, is rolling out new parental control features that will allow parents to see the topics their children discuss with its artificial intelligence assistant. The update also allows parents to block certain AI features or turn off chatbot use for minors. The company, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, says the aim is to improve safety while still respecting teen privacy, as concerns grow about how young people use AI tools, including issues around inappropriate content and emotional dependence.

Stay tuned for more news………….