News 14:00

BULLETIN 10 April 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Home Affairs minister outlines plans for secure, tech-enabled borders
# The Welsh Rugby Union pledges support for Cardiff who applied to enter administration
# And Comic Con Africa Joburg is brought forward by a month

# Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber has unveiled new surveillance technology to secure the borders. This includes four drones, 40 body cameras and other surveillance equipment to boost patrol operations. From Easter, four advanced drones will be deployed at key border posts to intercept illegal crossings and monitor movement. Schreiber says the move is part of a broader plan to fight corruption and improve security, with intensive training underway for border personnel:

# Water and Sanitation minister Pemmy Majodina has cautioned residents living within the flood line along the Vaal River System, downstream of the Vaal Dam and Bloemhof Dam, that low-lying areas remain vulnerable. This is due to the open sluice gates at both dams, which are being used to manage water levels. Majodina urged residents to evacuate the areas that are prone to flooding during heavy rains:

# Zimbabwe has initiated compensation payments to former farm owners under the Global Compensation Deed signed in 2020. To date, 740 farms have been approved for compensation, with the government disbursing approximately 59.3-million-rand for the first batch of 378 processed farms. Finance minister Mthuli Ncube says the compensation is part of Zimbabwe’s Arrears Clearance and Debt Resolution Process, led by the African Development Bank:

# Rugby: The Welsh Rugby Union has pledged its support to Cardiff after it filed a notice of intention to enter administration, which gives the club two weeks to explore its options. Cardiff gave the assurance everything possible was being done to protect its employees and its future, saying a plan was in place. Cardiff’s problems reportedly raise new questions about the viability of club rugby in Britain after Worcester, Wasps and London Irish all entered administration during the 2022/’23 season.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-45-cents and the euro at 21-rand-52-cents. One British pound costs 25-rand-8-cents and Bitcoin trades at 81-thousand-801-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-119-dollars-33-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-69-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The organisers of Comic-Con Africa’s Johannesburg edition say fans can still expect a packed programme despite this year’s event happening a month earlier. The event will take place in August due to planned renovations at the Johannesburg Expo Centre and an upcoming international event. The festival is set to return to its usual September schedule next year. The organisers say the over 70-thousand fans will enjoy gaming and eSports tournaments, comics, and trading card games, among other activities. Comic-Con Cape Town is still going ahead next month.

Stay tuned for more news………….