News 08:00

BULLETIN 28 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA says the court order halting VAT is a victory for all South Africans
# Gwede Mantashe says South Africa remains committed to a progressive foreign policy outlook
# And athletics: Elroy Gelant breaks the SA marathon record in Hamburg

# The DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille says the Western Cape High Court’s ruling that a VAT hike must officially be suspended is a victory for all South Africans. She says the decision ensures that changes to the VAT rate must be properly approved by Parliament before taking effect. Zille says the party is please with the outcome and will continue to fight for and with all South Africans to ensure an economy that grows and creates jobs:

# Acting president Gwede Mantashe says South Africa remains committed to a progressive foreign policy outlook, and to engaging with countries of the Global North and the Global South in pursuit of the country’s national interest. He was speaking during the Freedom Day Celebration in Ermelo in Mpumalanga. Mantashe says South Africa owes its liberation to the many countries of the world that supported it during the struggle:

# Activists and Citizens Forum says it completely rejects the call for the resignation of the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana. Last week, Godongwana announced the reversal of the 0.5-percent VAT increase. Forum’s spokesperson, Dennis Bloem says in stead of Godongwana, they are calling for the whole of Parliament to dissolve and for fresh elections to be held:

# Eleven people were killed when a vehicle drove into a crowd at a street festival in Vancouver, Canada. The police said a 30-year-old suspect, who is from Vancouver and known to them, was arrested at the scene after bystanders intervened. According to Vancouver Police spokesperson, Steve Rai, dozens more were injured, some seriously, and the number of dead could rise. He added he was confident that the attack was not an act of terrorism but described it as the darkest day in the city’s history.

# Athletics: Elroy Gelant on Sunday broke the 31-year-old South African men’s marathon record in Hamburg, Germany. Gelant took fourth place at the Hamburg Marathon, completing the 42.2-kilometre race in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 36 seconds. The 38-year-old athlete, a former South African record holder over five-thousand metre on the track, ripped nearly a full minute off the national record set by Gert Thys in Tokyo in 1999. Gelant obliterated his personal best and also qualified for the marathon race at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.

Stay tuned for more news………….