News 08:00

BULLETIN 4 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# ActionSA hopes Mapisa-Nqakula’s resignation will lead to a speedy prosecution
# The Special Investigation Unit is going to auction off a former Eskom manager’s assets to recover almost R25-million
# And rescue efforts continue following Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years

# ActionSA has welcomed the long overdue resignation of National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, but says accountability will only happen once the ANC is removed from power. She is facing up to 12 counts of corruption and bribery stemming from her time as Defence minister. ActionSA leader, Herman Mashaba, says it trusts that this is a positive step forward towards Mapisa-Nqakula’s speedy prosecution, at a time when the National Prosecuting Authority has failed to achieve any high-profile corruption prosecution:

The IFP has also welcomed the immediate resignation of Mapisa-Nqakula. The IFP’s spokesperson, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, says this is a responsible decision by Mapisa-Nqakula, as it allows her to focus on her legal matters without dragging Parliament along any further:

# The Special Investigating Unit says through the Asset Forfeiture Unit, it has obtained an order to seize the assets of former Eskom manager Duduzile Moyo and her husband. A luxury property in Silver Lakes Estates in Pretoria and two vehicles are some of the assets set to be auctioned off to recover losses suffered by Eskom. SIU spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, says Moyo allegedly siphoned almost 25-million-rand, where she contracted Tamukelo Business Enterprise to transport water from Kendell to Kusile power station:

# Rescue efforts are continuing after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan’s east coast yesterday, leaving nine people dead and more than one-thousand injured. Rescuers are trying to reach 77 people trapped in the Jinwen and Qingshui tunnels along the road in Hualien County. Over 100 buildings were also damaged in the quake, which also caused landslides and 50 aftershocks. This is Taiwan’s strongest earthquake since 1999 when a 7.6-magnitude quake killed two-thousand-400 people.

# Tennis: Two-time champion Simona Halep has received a wildcard for the Madrid Open set to begin on the 22nd of this month. The Romanian made her first appearance since her four-year anti-doping rule violation was reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sports when she played in the Miami Open last month. Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, Kei Nishikori of Japan, and Spain’s Martín Landaluce have also been awarded wildcards for the clay court tournament.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-67-cents and the euro at 20-rand-25-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-63-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-682-dollars-77-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-299-dollars-93-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-65-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….