News 08:00

BULLETIN 10 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Jacob Zuma’s private prosecution decision is due next week
# The Treasury releases more disaster relief funds for several provinces
# And soccer: Banyana Banyana fail to qualify for the Olympics 

# The High Court in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, will on Wednesday deliver its verdict on the private prosecution of former president Jacob Zuma, potentially impacting the resumption of his arms deal trial for corruption and fraud. Zuma pursued the case against State prosecutor Billy Downer, accusing him of leaking medical records to journalist Karyn Maughan. Awaiting the Constitutional Court’s decision, the former president’s lawyer insists the matter can only be concluded after all appeal processes are exhausted. Zuma’s appeals have been dismissed twice by the Supreme Court of Appeal.

# Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister, Thembi Nkadimeng, says the allocation of disaster grants comes with stringent reporting and compliance measures, to ensure transparency and accountability. The National Treasury has approved an allocation of 1.844-billion-rand for the 2023/2024 financial year to address the effects of disasters across multiple provinces, including the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape. Nkadimeng says the funds are earmarked to facilitate urgent repairs, reconstruction, and infrastructure rehabilitation.

# The George Municipality will continue mop operations today following flooding in parts of the Western Cape town. The Disaster Management Services says parts of the town saw more than 100- millimetres of rain with the Garden Route Dam overflowing. Flooding was reported in homes and roads, as well as the Wilderness Civils Depot and Water Treatment Works. Mayoral committee member for Community Safety, Marais Kruger, says wet and cold conditions will persist over the next few days, but no further extreme rainfall is expected:

# The parents of a Michigan school shooter, have each been sentenced to 10-to-15 years in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. James and Jennifer Crumbley’s son Ethan took a gun from home and killed four students at Oxford High School in November 2021. They are the first parents in the US to be held criminally responsible for a mass school shooting committed by their child. Judge Cheryl Matthews says this sentence should be a deterrent to try to stop school shootings in the future:

# Soccer: African champions Banyana Banyana have failed to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games after playing to a goalless draw against Nigeria at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. The senior women’s national team was unable to turn around their one-nil first-leg defeat in Abuja last week. This is the second time in succession Banyana has failed to qualify for the Olympics, having also missed the Games in Tokyo in 2020. Coach Desiree Ellis says they are disappointed:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-44-cents and the euro at 20-rand-2-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-38-cents and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-883-dollars-82-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-351-dollars-78-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-45-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….