News 16:00

BULLETIN 17 April 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA officially unveils its campaign anthem for the elections
# Cosatu welcomes Parliament’s excellent progress on the Pension Fund Amendment Bill
# And golf: Thomas Bjorn will again be Europe’s Ryder Cup vice captain next year

# The DA has unveiled its campaign anthem, We Gotta Rescue South Africa, for the upcoming elections. Party leader John Steenhuisen says the anthem reflects the DA’s commitment to what they call a critical rescue mission in this elections. They will visit major metropolitan areas nationwide, aiming to spread a message of hope to supporters. The anthem, written and performed by music legend Lloyd Cele, premiered at a rally in Cape Town as part of the party’s rescue tour:

# Cosatu has welcomed excellent progress at Parliament on the Pension Fund Amendment Bill, which is one of two critical amendment bills that will enable the long-sought two-pot pension reforms to take place on 1 September this year.  The other one, the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill, has been adopted by both Houses of Parliament. Cosatu’s acting spokesperson, Matthew Parks, says the union federation has been engaging on the reforms with Treasury and Parliament since May 2020:

# The Eastern Cape economy has received a significant boost with Volkswagen Group Africa’s four-billion-rand investment in its Kariega plant, creating job security and skills development. The investment reaffirms the province’s gross domestic product and adds a third passenger car model to the plant’s manufacturing portfolio. Managing Director Martina Biene highlights the investment’s focus on maintaining employment levels. She says the investment reflects the automotive sector’s critical role in global markets and Africa’s strategic position in the transition to electric vehicles:

# AgriSA says the Extension of Security of Tenure Amendment Act is a significant milestone in South Africa’s property rights evolution. Enacted this month, the act aims to enhance the security of tenure while balancing landowners’ and occupiers’ rights. The legislation refines key definitions, mandates mediation before eviction, and grants rights for dwellings and gravesites. It also transitions from subsidies to tenure grants and establishes institutional mechanisms for oversight. AgriSA’s endorsement emphasises the importance of proactive engagement and adherence to the law in fostering trust between stakeholders.

# Golf: Thomas Bjorn of Denmark will again be vice captain of Team Europe in next year’s Ryder Cup competition against America in New York. He also filled the role of assistant to Luke Donald of England when Europe beat the United States in Rome last year. The continent hopes to win the competition on American soil next year, for the first time since 2012. Donald says since it’s an away competition, they have to start planning as soon as possible. It will be played in Farmingdale in September.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-5-cents and the euro at 20-rand-26-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-74-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-619-dollars-21-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-387-dollars-80-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-50-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….