News 08:00

BULLETIN 18 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Godongwana confirms VAT increase to take effect on 1 May despite political opposition
# Russia removes the Taliban’s designation as terrorist organisation
# And Cape Town backs bold new films with inaugural film fund support [SOUND]

# Finance minister Enoch Godongwana has confirmed that the 0.5-percentage point VAT increase will proceed as planned on the first of next month, despite the DA and EFF’s court challenges. In court papers, Godongwana argues the VAT hike is necessary to avoid cuts in spending on public services or more debt. He dismissed the DA’s claim the VAT Act is unconstitutional, as the law permits him to announce such increases, provided Parliament approves it. The case is set to be heard in the High Court in the Western Cape on Tuesday.

# The GOOD Party has welcomed the government’s 90-day campaign to tackle gender-based violence and femicide, calling it an important and long-overdue step. The party supports the revival of the Inter-ministerial committee on GBVF and efforts to fix problems in the justice system. GOOD secretary-general, Brett Herron says the recent acquittal of Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso, accused of rape and human trafficking, highlighted major failures in how such cases are handled:

# Police are investigating the fatal shooting of Santaco Western Cape provincial executive committee member, Mongi Titi, which happened at the Nyanga taxi rank in Cape Town on Wednesday. The taxi organisation has condemned the assassination, urging anyone with information to assist police. No arrests have been made and the motive is still unknown. Santaco has also appealed for calm, and says that Titi will be remembered as a dedicated leader committed to unifying and professionalising the taxi industry in the province.

# Russia’s Supreme Court has removed the Taliban’s designation as a terrorist organisation, a symbolic gesture aimed at building friendly ties with Afghanistan’s de facto rulers. The Islamist group seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, when American forces supporting the country’s internationally recognised government pulled out. Moscow, which called the US withdrawal a “failure”, has taken steps to normalise relations with the Taliban authorities since then, seeing them as a potential economic partner and ally in fighting terrorism.

# Rugby: Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote has named a competitive Junior Springbok squad consisting of 31 players for next month’s Rugby Championship U20 in Gqeberha. Five capped Junior Boks are included in the squad, including three who took part in last year’s inaugural Southern Hemisphere tournament in Australia. Loose forward Batho Hlekani, scrumhalf Haashim Pead, and back JC Mars are the trio who will be returning for their second Rugby Championship, while the two other returning Junior Boks are loose forward Wandile Mlaba and prop Herman Lubbe.

# And finally, the City of Cape Town has announced support for seven locally produced films through its inaugural Cape Town Film Fund. The initiative, launched in partnership with the Independent Producers Organisation, aims to boost the city’s film industry and create job opportunities. Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says the selected projects include feature films, documentaries, and animation, all set to showcase the city’s diverse stories and talent:

Stay tuned for more news………….