News 08:00

BULLETIN 14 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fikile Mbalula says the budget impasse cannot be resolved by one political party
# Minister Tau is taken to court over his failure to provide a date for a new lottery licence
# And Donald Trump warns the exemption of tariffs on high-tech products from China will be short-lived

# ANC secretary general, Fikile Mbalula, says this week they will map out an agreement with all the political parties that agree on breaking the budget impasse. The ANC has been engaging with parties within and outside of the government of national unity to try and find a solution to the impasse. The sticking point is a value-added tax increase. Mbalula told eNCA that the budget impasse is no longer an issue that can be resolved by a singular political party:

# Wina Njalo, an initiative of the HCI Foundation, has launched a court action against minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, Parks Tau, in which it is seeking to compel him to award a new licence to operate the national lottery. Tau recently announced a target date for the announcement of the new bidder, however, Wina Njalo wants this to be made an order by the Pretoria High Court. Wina Njalo claims that Tau was frustrating the process to advance the interests of the present licence holder, Ithuba.

# Western Cape Police have arrested a 35-year-old woman in connection with a shooting at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court last Tuesday. Taxi owner Dingalomoya Cintso was gunned down inside the court. According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the 50-year-old man was an accused in a criminal case. Western Cape police spokesperson, Novela Potelwa, says the suspect is expected to appear in court today:

# US president Donald Trump has warned that nobody is getting off the hook for unfair trade balances, suggesting that further tariffs could be expected for China. This comes after the White House had excluded high-tech products from its import taxes on China last Friday. In a post on the Truth Social, Trump clarified that these products are still subject to the existing 20-percent fentanyl tariffs. He added that the US will not be held hostage by other countries, incredibly hostile trading nations like China.

# Golf: World number two Rory McIlroy beat England’s Justin Rose in a play-off to win the Masters at Augusta National, Georgia, and complete a career Grand Slam. The Northern Irishmen birdied the first hole of a sudden death playoff to claim his fifth major and become just the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam. Defending champion American Scottie Scheffler finished fourth. McIlroy says he is honoured and proud to be able to call himself a Masters champion:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-5-cents and the euro at 21-rand-65-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-96-cents and Bitcoin trades at 84-thousand-662-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-232-dollars-62-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-5-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….