News 07:00

BULLETIN 30 April 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa to convene the Extended Presidential Coordinating Council meeting
# OUTA urges stronger fiscal discipline despite the temporary fuel levy reliëf
# And, Pete Hegseth says the US is rebuilding a military that instils fear in its adversaries

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will convene the Extended Presidential Coordinating Council meeting in Boksburg, Gauteng, today. The PCC is the president’s platform for consultations and engagement with provinces and organised local government, in order to raise matters of national interest, coordinate alignment of priorities, and discuss performance. The Presidency says the meeting will discuss immediate interventions aimed at stabilising the system, while adopting short-to long-term sustainability instruments to ensure infrastructure resilience, improved governance, and a culture of accountability.

# The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse says while the extension of fuel levy relief for May offers short-term help to consumers, government must use the opportunity to strengthen fiscal discipline. The organisation calls for tighter control of public spending, reduced wasteful expenditure, and improved transparency around strategic fuel reserves. OUTA CEO, Wayne Duvenage, says long-term stability will depend on stronger budget management and deeper financial reforms:

# The ANC has formally withdrawn its application for leave to appeal a court interdict that stopped its 10th elective conference in the Eastern Cape. Three Buffalo City members approached the courts to stop the conference on the eve of its sitting, arguing that the conference was in breach of both the ANC constitution and Section 19 of the Constitution. The ANC says the withdrawal follows the receipt of the learned Judge’s formal reasons for the interim order and was taken on the considered advice of the legal team. 

# US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says president Donald Trump’s administration is rebuilding a military that the American people can be proud of, one that instils unrelenting fear in its adversaries and the utmost confidence in its allies. He appeared before the House Armed Services Committee yesterday. Hegseth slammed opposition to the ongoing war with Iran, saying the criticism comes as the conflict has reached the two-month mark, which is significantly shorter than the Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam wars:

# Cricket: Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, and Lea Tahuhu describe their participation for New Zealand in the women’s T20 World Cup as their final mission. All three announced their retirements after the tournament in England and Wales, starting in June. Coach Ben Sawyer says the trio had distinguished careers, and it’s a rare and special occasion to have them finish their careers at the same tournament. Captain Amelia Kerr’s group includes ten players who beat South Africa in the final of the 2024 tournament.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-81-cents and the euro at 19-rand-63-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-199-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-568-dollars-28-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 110-dollars-5-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Three learners will represent South Africa at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in the US. The event, taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, from 9 to 15 May, is the world’s largest pre-college science competition, bringing together about one-thousand-800 learners from more than 80 countries. The South African participants will present projects in artificial intelligence, environmental science and biomedical research, following strong performances at the Eskom Expo International Science Fair.

Stay tuned for more news………….