News 08:00

BULLETIN 11 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Sakeliga takes the Employment Equity quotas fight to the Constitutional Court
# The country’s manufacturing output falls by 2.8-percent in February
# And the NASA Artemis II crew is safe after an ocean splashdown

# Sakeliga and the National Employers’ Association of South Africa have taken their challenge against Employment Equity quotas to the Constitutional Court, in a final bid for urgent relief. The business groups are seeking to overturn a lower court decision that refused to suspend the new regulations, which impose strict race and gender hiring targets on companies with 50 or more employees. Sakeliga’s Anton Meijer argues the rules could place heavy compliance burdens on businesses:

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the party is implementing a structured plan to address service delivery, infrastructure and governance challenges through a national war room system. Addressing the evolving relationship with the South African Communist Party, Mbalula says councilors and government departments must respond to community concerns. Mbalula also confirmed that only approved party conferences will be allowed to continue. He confirmed that branch meetings for candidate selection ahead of the 2026 local government elections began on 1 April under strict guidelines.

# Statistics South Africa says manufacturing production fell by 2.8-percent in February compared with the same period last year, driven mainly by declines in food and beverages, paper and publishing, and metal-related industries. Over the three months to February, output was down 20-percent, with most manufacturing divisions recording negative growth. Stats SA’s Nicolai Claassen says manufacturing sales increased slightly by 0.3-percent in February compared with January:

# Eskom has concluded a 62-cents per kilowatt-hour electricity tariff agreement with Samancor Chrome and Glencore–Merafe Chrome ferrochrome smelters, as part of a new pricing approach for energy-intensive users. According to the utility, the deal is intended to improve its finances, secure stable demand, and support key industries, but it still requires approval from the energy regulator, Nersa. Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena says the plan will help protect jobs and allow more flexible pricing for big electricity users over the next five years.

# NASA has confirmed that the Artemis Two crew has been safely recovered following a successful ocean splashdown. The spacecraft completed what officials described as a “textbook landing.” All four crew members exited the capsule and are reported to be in good health. The mission marks a significant milestone in preparations for future lunar exploration, as NASA continues its efforts to return humans to the Moon under the Artemis programme.

# And tennis: Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the Monte-Carlo semi-finals with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 victory over Alexander Bublik yesterday. He now faces local sensation Valentin Vacherot, who upset Alex de Minaur to become the first Monegasque semi-finalist. World number one Jannik Sinner extended his Masters 1000 winning streak by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime in their quarterfinal clash. Sinner now meets Alexander Zverev, who outlasted Joao Fonseca in a three-set thriller.

Stay tuned for more news………….