News 13:00

BULLETIN 21 April 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The PAC leader hails the former late president Motsoko Pheko as a loyalist of the party
# The Johannesburg Crisis Alliance hosts a summit to address water issues
# And, motorsport: Verstappen wins the Chinese Grand Prix

# Pan Africanist Congress of Azania leader, Mzwanele Nyhontso, has described the former late president Motsoko Pheko as a loyalist of the party. The 93-year-old served as a PAC member of Parliament for ten years and held various portfolio committee roles, including Foreign Affairs and Safety and Security. Nyhontso lauds Pheko’s anti-apartheid activism and advocacy for land rights, expressing regret that he passed without witnessing land restitution for indigenous people:

# The 4th summit of the Joburg Crisis Alliance, held at Brixton Recreational Center, Johannesburg, delved into challenges facing residents and the nation. Hosted by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, and others, residents engaged political parties on the city’s deteriorating state. Concerns were raised about the collapsing water and sanitation grid due to insufficient funds for maintenance and infrastructure replacement. Attendees called for transparency and accountability in water infrastructure plans.

# Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, will deliver the keynote speech at the 2024 Skills Development Facilitators’ Conference in Cape Town next week. The department’s spokesperson, Veli Mbele, says the two-day event aims to enhance the professional skills of facilitators and training officials. The conference will cover organisational development plans, skills administration, promoting learning cultures, and understanding SETA Sector Skills Plans:

# The US House of Representatives approved a bill yesterday that would force the wildly popular social media app TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or be shut out of the American market. AFP reports under the bill, ByteDance would have to sell the app within a year or be excluded from Apple and Google’s app stores in the United States. The ultimatum to the social media app was included in a broader text that provides aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. TikTok quickly complained after the vote, calling it unfortunate.

# And, motorsport: Max Verstappen has won his first Grand Prix in China. His win in Shanghai was greeted with roars from the crowd and the Red Bull mechanics. He was 13.9-seconds ahead, with Lando Norris in second place and Sergio Perez, third. Verstappen earlier also won the sprint race. News24 reports the only slight on his weekend is that Fernando Alonso might grab the bonus point for the fastest lap.

Stay tuned for more news………….