News 13:00

BULLETIN 15 April 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Former Chief Justice Zondo advocates a hung Parliament as a tool to combat corruption
# The DA in the Western Cape welcomes the transparent appointment process for a commissioner for children
# And golf: Rory McIlroy praises his caddy and long-time friend for helping him to win the Masters

# Former chief justice Raymond Zondo says a hung parliament could help prevent corrupt leaders from being protected. Speaking at Nelson Mandela University’s anti-corruption conference, he urged stronger laws, whistleblower protection, and early intervention. Zondo also condemned the hiring of officials facing allegations and warned against glorifying accused individuals. He emphasised that ethical leadership and accountability are key in running the country.

# The DA in the Western Cape says it supports the legislature’s standing committee on Premier and Constitutional Matters’ decision to conduct public interviews for the appointment of a new commissioner for children in the province. The interviews will be public and will be conducted today and tomorrow. The DA’s Benedicta van Minnen says children’s rights, as outlined in Section 28 of the Constitution and further supported by a range of legislation, are often overlooked in policy decisions:

# eThekwini Municipality is urging residents to take extreme caution as inclement weather conditions continue until tomorrow. The South African Weather Service issued a level 4 weather warning for disruptive rainfall with widespread showers across KwaZulu-Natal. The municipality’s spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, says the persistent rainfall may result in the flooding of roads and settlements, poor driving conditions, damage to infrastructure, and the destruction of mud-based houses:

# Golf: Newly-crowned Masters champion Rory McIlroy praised his caddy after clinching a career major Grand Slam on Sunday, saying he wouldn’t be able to win without his close friend Harry Diamond’s assistance. The two are friends since childhood, and Diamond was McIlroy’s best man at his wedding in 2018. He says the victory is as much Diamond’s as it is his own. Diamond, a former amateur player, stands to win at least ten-percent of McIlroy’s winnings of 79.5-million-rand.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-80-cents and the euro at 21-rand-33-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-90-cents and Bitcoin trades at 85-thousand-936-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-228-dollars-84-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-42-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The world-famous Sterkfontein Caves in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site in Gauteng has reopened to the public today. It has been closed to the public since July 2022 due to safety concerns from heavy rainfall and flooding. The site has yielded significant hominid fossils, including Mrs Ples and Little Foot. The caves, which serve as a dynamic location for science, discovery and education, attracts more than 80-thousand visitors annually.

Stay tuned for more news………….