News 15:00

BULLETIN 2 April 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The UDM calls on the speaker to present herself to the police
# Experts are concerned about Eskom’s implemented electricity tariff hike
# And cricket: Mumbai fans blame new captain Hardik Pandya for the team’s bad run in the IPL 

# The United Democratic Movement urges National Assembly speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, to present herself to the police after the High Court in Pretoria dismissed her urgent application to halt her arrest. The party welcomed the court’s decision. Mapisa-Nqakula is accused of receiving payments of millions of rand from a company with contracts with the South African National Defence Force during her tenure as minister of Defence and Military Veterans. UDM president Bantu Holomisa calls on the speaker to address the accusations and avoid a motion of no confidence.

# Experts have voiced concerns over Eskom’s 12.74-percent tariff hike for the 2024/25 financial year. Energy analyst Adil Nchabeleng warns the hike may also fuel dissatisfaction ahead of the elections. Last year, Eskom approached the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to approve its retail tariff and structural adjustment application, aimed at bolstering its financial standing. Nchabeleng warns the increase will worsen the financial strain on consumers:

# Arise South Africa has announced plans to initiate legal action against the Electoral Commission after being excluded from the national ballot paper. Despite submitting the requisite signatures and paying the registration fee, the party claims unjust removal. The IEC has cited an alleged administration error by its headquarters. Arise South Africa says it’s dedicated to equitable participation in the electoral process and the protection of citizens’ rights. The party says it remains committed to championing the aspirations and interests of all South Africans.

# Free State farmers are urging government to declare the ongoing drought a disaster, to seek relief and mitigate losses during the dry season. The farming community emphasised the threat to food security due to the severe impact of the drought. With soaring commodity prices, farmers fear further price hikes if the drought persists. Zimasa Leputla of the Department of Agricultural in the province confirmed that an assessment of the situation is underway:

# Cricket: Fans blame Mumbai Indians’ new captain, Hardik Pandya, for their bad run in this year’s Indian Premier League. The team is at the bottom of the log after losing all three matches so far. Pandya replaced hugely popular Indian captain Rohit Sharma as captain of Mumbai after returning from Gujarat Titans. Sharma led Mumbai to all five of its IPL titles. The team’s next match is on Sunday against Delhi Capitals, who are in seventh place after losing two of their three games.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-80-cents and the euro at 20-rand-21-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-63-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-520-dollars-45-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-258-dollars-87-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 88-dollars-66-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….