News 14:00
BULLETIN 17 April 2 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# The president of the National Coloured Congress calls for a ‘Coloured Spring’ ahead of the elections
# Gun Free South Africa cautions against the celebratory use of guns
# And roadrunning: Two men were disqualified from the Two Oceans half-marathon for participating in the women’s race
# The president of the National Coloured Congress, Fadiel Adams, has urged supporters to organise for what he calls a “Coloured Spring” ahead of the local government elections. He addressing residents in the Western Cape. Adams called on members to prioritise service delivery over personal ambitions, stressing his commitment to the movement. He says the party is focused on practical action on the ground, to strengthen support within Coloured communities:
# Gun Free South Africa’s director, Stanley Maphosa, says the five-year direct prison sentence handed to EFF leader Julius Malema should be a noted lesson in gun use regulations. The court in KuGompo City in the Eastern Cape found Malema guilty of contravening the Firearms Control Act after discharging a rifle during a 2018 rally in Mdantsane. Maphosa told the SABC this shows the seriousness of accountability for firearm-related offences:
# Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, says the success of local economic development hinges on functional, capable, and accountable municipalities. This follows the two-day National Local Economic Development Summit, which aimed to drive coordinated, practical, and impactful solutions for inclusive local economic growth and improved service delivery. Hlabisa says local government remains the engine of economic development. He, however, cautioned that financial investment alone will not yield results without competent municipal administrations and capable political leadership.
Moving abroad:
# Thousands of people gathered in Cameroon’s largest city and economic hub, Douala, earlier today for a mass with Pope Leo that will likely be the biggest event of the pontiff’s four-nation African tour. The Vatican is expecting about 600-thouand people to fill the streets around Japoma Stadium to be part of the celebration. The first American pope has become outspoken about world leaders – including US president Donald Trump – saying they spend billions on wars and the world was being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.
# Roadrunning: Last weekend’s Two Oceans half-marathon was plunged into controversy when it was revealed two athletes finishing among the top-ten women were actually men. They were disqualified and banned from the race for two years, together with the two women who provided their entries to the cheaters. Two Oceans chairperson Chris Goldschmidt says the man who finished in seventh position competed under the name of Larissa Parekh and the man finishing tenth those of Tegan Garvey.
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-36-cents and the euro at 19-rand-30-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 75-thousand-650-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-791-dollars-60-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 91-dollars-97-cents a barrel.
Stay tuned for more news………….