News 12:00

BULLETIN 17 April 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Government wishes the public a safe Easter weekend
# The IRR is to approach the DA, FF Plus and ACDP over the scrapping of BEE premiums in public procurement policies
# And rugby: Springbok Women’s captain Nolusindiso Booi will reach her 50th Test milestone this weekend

# Government is wishing South Africans a safe, peaceful and blessed time with family, friends and loved ones during the Easter Weekend. It says this is a time of reflection, renewal and spiritual connection, but also a period when millions travel across provinces. Government Communication and Information System’s spokesperson, Phumeza Msileni, says road users are urged to make safety a top priority, and motorists are not to drive under the influence of alcohol or while fatigued:

Meanwhile, the N3 Toll Concession has warned motorists to expect congested traffic conditions and slower travel times from today. Traversing four provinces – Gauteng, the Free State, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal – the toll route is an important transport and trade route. The concession’s spokesperson, Thania Dhoogra, says southbound traffic volumes towards KwaZulu-Natal are expected to increase from midday today:

# The Institute of Race Relations says it will be writing to the leaders of the DA, the FF Plus and the ACDP to set out the importance of scrapping black economic empowerment premiums in public procurement policies. The institute approached the EFF and MK Party on the same issue last week. It says scrapping BEE premiums in public procurement policies could create the fiscal headroom not only to avoid the controversial VAT increase, but in fact to lower VAT to 11.5-percent.

# Rugby: Captain Nolusindiso Booi will make history on Saturday, as she becomes the first Springbok Women’s player to reach 50 Test caps. South Africa will face Spain in Elche, their first Test of the season. Booi will reach the historic milestone 15 years after her debut in 2010. Performance coach, Swys de Bruin, says Booi is a real example to all involved in the women’s game:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-88-cents and the euro at 21-rand-48-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-99-cents and Bitcoin trades at 84-thousand-610-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-322-dollars-25-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-71-cents a barrel.

# And finally: University of the Western Cape graduate, Sanelisiwe Qayi, says she is determined to make South Africa’s courtrooms more accessible to non-English speakers. The 22-year-old from Lower Cala in the Eastern Cape recently graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA Honours in isiXhosa. Qayi’s research explored the role of African languages in selected South African courts, raising critical questions about fairness and miscommunication when English dominates legal proceedings. She says misinterpretation can lead to injustice.

Stay tuned for more news………….