News 13:00

BULLETIN 29 April 1pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The GOOD Party applauds minister Gwarube for acting over the 1.6-billion-rand textbook tender
# Two more drug mules are arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport
# And athletics: Allyson Felix plans a comeback at 40 at her home Games

# The GOOD Party says Basic Education minister, Siviwe Gwarube, should be applauded for her quick response by asking the National Treasury to investigate alleged irregularities in the 1.6-billion-rand textbook procurement. A News24 report showed Lighthouse Publishers received a quarter of the tender to produce new materials. GOOD’s secretary general, Brett Herron, says the company was only registered days after the terms of reference for the foundation phase national catalogue were released:

The ANC has also expressed concern about the tender. The party says these allegations point to a troubling failure of governance, procurement, integrity and accountability.

# Police at OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng have arrested additional suspected drug mules during ongoing operations, bringing the total to four arrests in three days. Spokesperson Amanda van Wyk says the suspects were intercepted after arriving on an international flight and were allegedly found with concealed narcotics. She says the arrests form part of intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking through major entry points:

# Athletics: The most decorated athletics Olympian, American Allyson Felix, plans to make a comeback at the age of 40. She hopes to participate in the 2028 Games, hosted in her home city of Los Angeles. Felix retired after the 2022 World Championship and has since given birth to her second child. She says the LA Games is the only thing powerful enough for her to come out of retirement. The track and field star earned 11 medals at previous Games.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-59-cents and the euro at 19-rand-41-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-40-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-119-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-569-dollars-50-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 107-dollars-6-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union is calling on its members and all South Africans to attend COSATU’s Workers Day rallies planned across the country for Friday. POPCRU spokesperson Richard Mamabolo says the day carries a special revolutionary significance in South Africa. He says it was the organised might of workers, united under formations such as COSATU, that played a decisive role in dismantling apartheid and advancing the National Democratic Revolution.

Stay tuned for more news………….