News 13:00

BULLETIN 24 April 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A second-hand generator is purchased to assist the Medupi Unit 4 recovery 
# The NPA is to drop the fraud case against Tshwane’s former mayor upon receiving his death certificate 
# And tennis: Carlos Alcaraz believes he will be able to play in Madrid

# Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has announced that Medupi’s Unit 4 will resume operations ahead of schedule. He said during a visit to the power station in Lephalale, Limpopo, that government has acquired a second-hand generator from the Netherlands to aid in the recovery process. Ramokgopa says the move is aimed at cost-effectively boosting generation capacity to address the ongoing challenge of load-shedding:

# The National Prosecuting Authority plans to drop the fraud case against former Tshwane mayor Murunwa Makwarela upon receiving his death certificate. Makwarela passed away in hospital after a brief illness. He faced two fraud charges for non-disclosure of insolvency status and presenting a fake rehabilitation certificate, and his case was last heard in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court. NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana says the case will be withdrawn from the roll on July 31 upon receipt of the certificate.

# Employers in the steel industry and trade unions representing workers are meeting for the second round of wage negotiations at the Metals Engineering Industries Bargaining Council today. During the first round of talks, the metalworkers union Numsa tabled its demands for a seven-percent increase for this year and six-percent for 2025 and ’26. Numsa’s spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, says employers must table a meaningful wage offer:

# AgriSA says climate-smart agriculture is crucial in combating climate change. According to the organisation, human activities, notably burning fossil fuels and habitat destruction, are key drivers of climate change. Agriculture, a major contributor to climate change, is also highly vulnerable to its impacts like extreme weather events and pest outbreaks. Climate-smart agriculture, encompassing practices like conservation and regenerative agriculture, includes practices that mitigate and adapt to climate change, promoting sustainable farming. It seeks to increase productivity, enhance resilience, and reduce emissions.

# Tennis: Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz is set to play in his first clay-court tournament of the season in his country’s capital. The Madrid Open starts today, with the world number three having a bye. His first match should be on Friday. Alcaraz, who won the tournament the past two years, missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona due to injury, but believes he should be fit this week. He hopes for a final against his famous compatriot, Rafael Nadal, who is also struggling to regain full fitness.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-13-cents and the euro at 20-rand-45-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-78-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-438-dollars-93-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-312-dollars-96-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-98-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….