News 14:00

BULLETIN 2 April 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The National Council of SPCAs delivers a significant blow to the Vrede Dairy Farm’s legal defence
# OUTA threatens government to fix license backlogs or face legal action
# And roadrunning: An Olympic runner refuses to represent Great Britain because athletes have to pay their own expenses

# The National Council of SPCAs says it has successfully countered legal manoeuvres by the defence in the ongoing animal cruelty case against the Vrede Integrated Farming Trust, formerly known as the Estina Dairy Farm in the Free State. The council’s spokesperson, Jacques Peacock, says the accused attempted to evade criminal liability by arguing that, as trustees, they are only accountable to the Master of the High Court, in terms of the Trust Property Control Act:

# The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse demands urgent action from Transport minister Barbara Creecy on the ongoing license backlogs, warning that legal steps may follow if government fails to act. They call for the extension of driver’s license validity to ten years, immediate repairs to the only license card printer, and clarity on the cancelled tender. OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage says motorists are suffering due to government inaction and demands transparency and solutions:

# Cosatu has welcomed government’s effort to keep ArcelorMittal South Africa’s two key steel mills in Newcastle and Vereeniging operational. The company has deferred the decision to wind down its long steel business by at least six months, to August 31st, as it has received a 1.68-billion-rand loan from the government’s Industrial Development Corporation. Cosatu’s spokesperson, Zanele Sabela, says it is also glad that ArcelorMittal has received a Temporary Employee Relief Scheme grant to assist in funding employee costs:

# Roadrunning: Olympic distance runner Ben O’Connor won’t participate for Great Britain in this month’s European championship because it is expected of athletes to pay their own travel, accommodation, food and kit expenses. This could amount to over 26-thousand-rand. O’Connor was selected to run in the half marathon in Leuven, Belgium. He says England Athletics offered to subsidise his cost and although he is grateful for that, he feels representing the country shouldn’t boil down to who can or cannot afford to pay for it.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-61-cents and the euro at 20-rand-10-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-8-cents and Bitcoin trades at 85-thousand-221-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-129-dollars-43-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars a barrel.

# And finally: The Green Connection says South Africa’s Just Energy Transition has failed to consult grassroots communities and include them in effective decision-making on energy projects. Launched in 2021, JET is aimed at helping coal-dependent emerging economies transition towards cleaner energies. Green Connection says past coal, oil, and gas extractive initiatives have compromised people’s lives instead of uplifting the communities in which they operate. It adds that part of addressing sustainability is ensuring that the just transition to renewable energy is driven from the bottom up, and not top-to-bottom.

Stay tuned for more news………….