News 13:00

BULLETIN 25 April 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The PSA is concerned about systemic failures at the State Information and Technology Agency
# Businesses are scrambling to reverse the costly VAT system changes
# And road running: Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon will attempt a historic sub-four-minute mile in Paris in June

# The Public Servants Association says is concerned about the ongoing leadership crisis and the apparent lack of consequence management at the State Information and Technology Agency. The agency recorded irregular expenditure of 456-million-rand in 2022/23 and 112.5-million-rand in the next financial years, while also experiencing frequent leadership changes. The association’s Claude Naiker says recent revelations have exposed systemic failures and inefficiencies that continue to plague the agency, undermining its mandate and eroding public trust:

# Many South African businesses are reportedly scrambling to reverse costly VAT system changes after the government scrapped the 0.5-percent hike. This left firms that had invested heavily in compliance upgrades facing wasted expenses. News24 reports that small businesses, in particular, are hardest hit by the administrative burden of reverting pricing structures and accounting systems, while larger corporations with sophisticated tools can adapt more easily. ​

# The Kingdom of ​Lesotho has held a special Mass at the Our Lady of Victory Cathedral in Maseru to honour the late Pope Francis. The country is home to a significant Roman Catholic community. Queen Masenate Seeiso and prime minister Sam Matekane, who are both devout Catholics, attended the service and offered their condolences. Speaking to SABC News, the church’s Archbishop Tllali Lerotholi praised the pontiff’s desire for peace to reign in war torn countries:

# Road running: Kenyan triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon will attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four-minutes in Paris, France, on the 26th of June. This is part of Nike’s Breaking4 project, mirroring the brand’s previous Breaking2 initiative with world champion Eliud Kipchoge. Nike Sport Research Lab vice president Amy Jones Vaterlaus says Kipyegon will utilise advanced footwear and male pacers during the attempt. She says the run aims to inspire and redefine women’s distance running. ​

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-86-cents and the euro at 21-rand-42-cents. One British pound costs 25-rand-10-cents and Bitcoin trades at 93-thousand-677-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-305-dollars-93-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-49-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The 22nd edition of the highly popular Cape Town International Jazz Festival gets underway today. The festival kicks off with a free concert at Greenmarket Square before the main event takes centre stage atthe Cape Town International Convention Centre tomorrow and Sunday. The lineup for the festival includes Ari Lennox, Black Coffee, Igor Butman Quartet, Thandiswa Mazwai and Incognito. The event seeks to celebrate local and international talent, showcasing the rich diversity of the jazz genre.

Stay tuned for more news………….