News 16:00

BULLETIN 3 April 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Helen Zille declares war on the VAT hike with urgent court action
# Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi is concerned over the handling of the Timothy Omotoso case
# And motorsport: Liam Lawson says he was shocked to be demoted by Red Bull

# DA federal council chairperson, Helen Zille, has announced that the party is taking legal action to block the proposed 0.5-percent VAT hike on 1 May. Speaking outside the High Court in Cape Town, Zille confirmed she has signed papers to challenge the process behind the VAT increase, calling the parliamentary procedures used to push it through invalid:

# Justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has expressed deep concern over the handling of Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso’s case after his acquittal on all charges, including rape and human trafficking. Judge Irma Schoeman criticised the prosecution’s weak cross-examination. Kubayi has requested a full report from the National Prosecuting Authority to assess the shortcomings. She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fighting gender-based violence and called for a more meticulous approach in prosecuting such cases to ensure justice for victims.

# South Africa is hosting the second G20 Sherpa meeting virtually from Pretoria today. Chaired by International Relations director-general Zane Dangor, the two-day meeting focuses on solidarity, equality, and sustainability. Key topics include debt resilience in low-income countries, securing critical minerals for sustainable development, and mobilising South Africa’s just energy transition. The first Sherpa meeting under South Africa’s G20 presidency took place in December last year. These discussions set the stage for the G20 summit in December.

# Motorsport: New Zealand’s Liam Lawson admits he was shocked to be demoted from Red Bull to Racing Bulls after just two races of the Formula One season. After struggling in Australia and Shanghai, Red Bull decided on an immediate driver swap, giving Racing Bulls’ Japanese driver, Yuki Tsunoda, his long-awaited chance in the main team. Lawson says he is frustrated at the lack of time he was afforded, but he is now focused on doing well in Japan this weekend:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-91-cents and the euro at 20-rand-96-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-89-cents and Bitcoin trades at 82-thousand-856-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-and-86-dollars-42-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-17-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Cape Town firefighters and former Springbok player James Dalton are gearing up for the Two Oceans Half Marathon this weekend. Firefighters Jermaine Carelse and Renaldo Duncan are participating in the marathon to raise funds for a much-needed Volunteer Wildfire Services vehicle. The team hopes this vehicle can help improve emergency response in the metro. With over nine-thousand-498 fires recorded last season, the service urgently needs support. Donations are encouraged during the race to aid these brave responders.

Stay tuned for more news………….