News 13:00

BULLETIN 28 April 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Allan Boesak calls for accountability amid corruption among public officials
# The DA files a second ethics complaint against minister Tolashe
# And rugby: Reinach’s United Rugby Championship is over after a serious knee injury against Glasgow

# Anti-apartheid activist, Allan Boesak, says crime, poverty, corruption and inequality continue to disadvantage many South Africans. Speaking at the launch of the “New Freedom Campaign” at St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, Boesak highlighted the widening gap between rich and poor, describing it as a moral crisis. He criticised alleged corruption among public officials and called for urgent accountability:

# The DA has formally lodged a second ethics complaint against minister of Social Development, Sisisi Tolashe, with Parliament’s joint committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests. This is in relation to the vehicles allegedly received as donations from the Chinese embassy, which Tolashe allegedly concealed or misrepresented. This latest complaint follows an earlier DA ethics complaint lodged last year, which raised concerns about Tolashe’s conduct in relation to the irregular appointment of a director-general. The DA says her actions strike at the heart of ethical governance.

# The National Youth Unemployment Movement says political freedom must translate into real economic opportunity, especially for the youth. Statistics South Africa put the unemployment rate for the fourth quarter of last year at 31.4-percent, while youth unemployment was 43.8-percent. The movement’s spokesperson, Lindokuhle Yende, urges government, business and civil society to work together to create jobs, expand skills development, and restore dignity for both graduates and non-graduates:

Moving abroad:

# Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Nigeria’s north-eastern Adamawa state. Authorities say the militants raided a soccer pitch in Guyaka where people had been gathering and opened fire at random, killing at least 29 people. State governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has condemned the attack, saying it will not go unpunished, while vowing to intensify security operations to restore peace. The latest attack comes as Nigeria’s security crisis is increasingly under scrutiny as general elections are less than a year away.

# Rugby: The Stormers’ Springbok scrumhalf, Cobus Reinach’s United Rugby Championship is over after sustaining a long-term knee injury against Glasgow Warriors on Saturday. Coach John Dobson says Reinach’s absence puts them under a bit of pressure, but they can still call on Stefan Ungerer, Imad Khan and Dewaldt Duvenage. The Stormers took over first place on the log from the Scots after beating them at home in Cape Town. They play their remaining group matches against Ulster in Ireland and Cardiff in Wales.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-57-cents and the euro at 19-rand-39-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-38-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-754-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-616-dollars-91-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 104-dollars-7-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….