News 15:00

BULLETIN 7 April 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Tshwane Metro Police chief clarifies the city manager has no authority over appointments
# A police captain is granted 50-thousand-rand bail in a multimillion-rand fraud case
# And roadrunning: Cape Town is ready for the Two Oceans Marathon

# Tshwane Metro Police chief Yolande Faro has stressed while the city manager oversees her appointment, they cannot interfere in operational staffing decisions. This follows a clarification request from Madlanga commission commissioner Sisi Baloyi after previous testimonies from the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department, raising concerns about governance and accountability in municipal law enforcement structures. Faro says legislation assigns her responsibility for recruitment, promotions and transfers within the municipal police:

# A police captain attached to the Protection and Security Services, Johannes van Rensburg, has been granted 50-thousand-rand bail by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on charges of fraud and theft. The 53-year-old, allegedly manipulated the Police Financial Management system to divert millions meant for presidential protection travel expenses. The case was uncovered through an internal probe, leading to his suspension. The SAPS Anti-Corruption Unit is investigating the matter. Van Rensburg will return to court on 30th July.

# Finance analyst Ciaran Ryan has warned South Africa’s transport reforms risk repeating mistakes seen in the partial privatisation of Telkom. In his opinion piece on Moneyweb, Ryan says Transnet retaining majority control in key projects may deter private investment and limit reform impact. Concerns centre on regulatory burdens and unclear risk-sharing for partners. While government aims to modernise infrastructure and boost efficiency, Ryan argues without greater independence for private players, reforms could slow economic growth and undermine long-term sector sustainability.

# South Africans for Constitutional Reforms says the revised White Paper on citizenship and immigration aims to protect both South Africans and migrants. Following cabinet approval, the policy will consolidate existing laws into a single framework. The changes introduce measures including the first safe country principle for asylum seekers, while addressing concerns about managing migration more effectively. Spokesperson Princy Mthombeni says the current system is fragmented and needs reform:

# Roadrunning: Cape Town is set to host the iconic Two Oceans Marathon this weekend, widely known as the world’s most beautiful race. Organiser Michael Meyer says the event continues to grow in prestige, attracting thousands of runners locally and internationally. He confirmed a combined prize purse of 2.6-million-rand across events. The race also contributes significantly to the local economy, attracting local and international tourism.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-88-cents and the euro at 19-rand-51-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-36-cents and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-324-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-649-dollars-28-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 107-dollars-51-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….