News 14:00

BULLETIN 20 April 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Almost 300-thousand teachers are still not vetted against the National Sex Offender Registry
# Japan issues a tsunami warning after a major offshore earthquake
# And tennis: Sinner confirms his participation in Madrid after Alcaraz and Djokovic withdrew

# Almost 300-thousand teachers are reportedly still not vetted against the National Sex Offender Registry, raising serious concerns about safeguarding in schools. The Department of Justice’s spokesperson, Samuel Midpane, says the backlog has sparked alarm among education and social justice stakeholders, who warn that incomplete screening processes could expose learners to potential risk. Teachers’ union Naptosa’s spokesperson, Basil Manuels, calls for urgent action to clear the vetting gap and strengthen compliance systems within the education sector.

# Tshwane chief financial official Gareth Mnisi has denied cooperating with police’s suspended organised crime unit sergeant Fanni Nkosi. He told the Madlanga commission he was irritated by Nkosi’s persistent messages on checking tender compliance on a list of companies. Commissioners challenged inconsistencies, arguing his responses appeared to encourage further communication, disputing claim that he disengaged from Nkosi’s requests. Mnisi maintains he made it clear he could not assist:

# The GOOD Party is concerned about the City of Cape Town’s use of borrowed funds, as residents continue to live without basic services despite repeated claims of large-scale infrastructure investment. This is in relation to 9.7-billion-rand infrastructure investment announced in 2024. GOOD’s Suzette Little says the figure was presented as evidence of progress in sanitation, transport, water, and energy, but no breakdown of how those funds were spent has been provided:

Moving abroad:

# A tsunami has been observed about 50-kilometres off the Japanese coast following a powerful earthquake north-east of the country. Prime minister Sanae Takaichi urged people in impacted areas to seek higher ground. Public broadcaster NHK reports the quake struck at a depth of 10-kilometres and was felt in the capital of Tokyo, hundreds of kilomatres away from the epicentre. Japan’s Meteorological Agency warns a bigger tsunami may hit after the first wave. Tsunami warnings have been issued in parts of Hokkaido and Iwate.

# Tennis: World number one, Italian Jannik Sinner, confirmed his participation in this week’s Madrid Open in Spain, where he will try to make history as the first player to win five straight Masters One-thousand titles. This follows his victories in Paris last year and Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo this year. Sinner is the absolute favourite in the absence of local hero Carlos Alcaraz and three-time champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia. The tournament is used as preparation for the French Open, starting in Paris on 24 May.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-36-cents and the euro at 19-rand-25-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-11-cents and Bitcoin trades at 75-thousand-367-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-798-dollars-80-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 90-dollars-79-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….