News 08:00

BULLETIN 15 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Thuli Madonsela warns against voting for corrupt politicians like Zuma
# The MK Party marches to the election commission’s offices over bias
# And Donald Trump’s hush-money trial will begin in New York today

# Former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has warned South Africans against voting for corrupt politicians including the likes of former president Jacob Zuma in next month’s elections. Last week, Zuma said he failed to understand why presidents were only limited to rule two terms by law, saying he had unfinished business in the presidential office. Madonsela says citizens should not forget that Zuma is the person who sold the country to the Guptas, warning that if returns to public office he would bring the country into total collapse.

# The MK-party says it plans to march to the Electoral Commission’s offices in Centurion on Friday. The IEC last week turned to the Constitutional Court in a bid to try and keep former president Jacob Zuma off the party’s parliamentary list. MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela says they want IEC commissioner Janet Love removed, citing allegations of bias and misconduct:

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says government is addressing electricity challenges in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg. He was campaigning in the area yesterday. Last year, the provincial government launched its multimillion-rand power transformer replacement programme as an important service delivery initiative. Transformers in some of the townships explode or malfunction due to illegal connections and overload flowing from high demand. Ramaphosa says progress has been made in installing or replacing transformers in Orange Farm:

# Former US president Donald Trump’s hush-money trial will get underway in a New York court today with jury selection. He faces 34 counts of falsifying his business records to disguise a hush-money payment made to former adult film star, Stormy Daniels, shortly before the 2016 election. Trump, who becomes the first former US president to stand trial in a criminal case, has pleaded not guilty. If convicted the 77-year-old faces a maximum of four years in jail or a hefty fine.

# Soccer: Arsenal and Liverpool’s title hopes suffered a huge blow, after suffering defeats in their Premier League games. Aston Villa claimed a two-nil victory against the Gunners at the Emirates, while the Reds lost one-nil to Crystal Palace at Anfield. Arsenal and Liverpool are now two points behind reigning champions Manchester City with six games left to play. Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, says he is disappointed they did not capitalise on their chances:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-83-cents and the euro at 20-rand-6-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-47-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-262-dollars-95-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-357-dollars-79-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-24-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….