News 12:00

BULLETIN 5 May 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# TLU SA warns the steep fuel price hikes will affect the agriculture sector’s harvest season
# The FF Plus says Emfuleni Municipality’s denial that sewage is polluting the Vaal River is dishonest
# And at least 26 people are killed in an explosion at a fireworks factory in China

# Agricultural organisation, TLU SA, warns the fuel price hikes will significantly impact the agriculture sector, as wheat farmers begin planting, and citrus and strawberry farmers harvest their crops. From tomorrow, petrol prices will go up by three-rand-27-cents per litre, and diesel prices by six-rand-19-cents per litre. TLU SA’s Bennie van Zyl says farmers are struggling to contain costs and secure fuel, as wheat plantings are forecast to shrink by six-percent:

Forum for South Africa describes the latest fuel price hikes as economic violence against citizens. Illuminating paraffin will go up by four-rand-22-cents per litre. FOSA leader, Tebogo Mashilompane, says government must stop hiding behind global factors for increasing fuel prices:

# The Freedom Front Plus in Gauteng says the Emfuleni Municipality is dishonest by claiming allegations of raw sewage spilling into the Vaal River system are untrue. Municipal manager April Ntuli appeared in the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court yesterday on seven charges of water pollution and violations of environmental laws. The party’s Gerda Senekal says the case was postponed to September after the National Prosecuting Authority added a further 66 charges:

Moving abroad:

# At least 26 people have been killed and 61 were injured in an explosion at a fireworks factory in China’s Hunan province. Authorities say two gunpowder warehouses within the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company factory area posed a high risk. Search and rescue operations have largely been completed, but verification of the casualties and identification of the victims are still underway. President Xi Jinping has called on authorities to investigate the cause of the blast swiftly and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

# Golf: Italian Andrea Pavan hopes to return to the course eventually after sustaining multiple injuries in a freak accident in South Africa in February. He arrived in Stellenbosch to participate in the South African Open, but fell three storeys down a lift shaft the day before. The 36-year-old had major surgery and was forced to stay in the country for weeks before being able to return home to Texas in the US. Pavan says it could still take months, but he is hopeful for full recovery.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-74-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-58-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-68-cents and Bitcoin trades at 80-thousand-872-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-552-dollars-49-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 111-dollars-10-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….