News 17:00

BULLETIN 10 April 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA’s PAIA application is submitted to get to the bottom of the airports crisis
# Olympics: The 2028 Games in LA will have a record 351 medal events
# And Universal’s first theme park in Europe will be built in England

# The DA says it has submitted two Promotion of Access to Information Act applications to the Department of Transport and the Airports Company South Africa to ensure transparency and accountability for the airports’ crisis. Airports in South Africa are faced with multiple issues, including systemic failures in air traffic safety, failing infrastructure, mismanagement and fuel supply issues. The DA says yet Transport minister, Barbara Creecy and ACSA remain silent, avoiding their responsibility to remain accountable and transparent.

# The Minerals Council South Africa is focused on mining sector transformation, compliance and performance growth. CEO Mzila Mthenjane highlighted the importance of the upcoming Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill to foster investment in exploration and mine development. He emphasised progress despite challenges like electricity costs and regulatory delays. Mthenjane says discussions continue on efforts in empowering communities, creating job opportunities, and achieving transformation goals through the Mining Charter. He says this reflects significant progress in the industry’s development and socio-economic impact.

# Civil society, led by Women for Change, demands that president Cyril Ramaphosa must declare gender-based violence and femicide a national disaster. According to Statistics South Africa, over 50-percent of assaults against women are committed by someone they know, with intimate partners or spouses accounting for at least 15-percent of these attacks. Women for Change’s Lesego Mahlangu says civil society has to stop calling for action and rather start taking action:

# Olympics: The International Olympic Committee has approved a record 351 medal events for 2028’s Games in Los Angeles – 22 more than in Paris last year. These include the Olympic debuts of the 50-metre backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly for both men’s and women’s swimmers, and a mixed four-by-100-metre relay on the track. The women’s water polo tournament will see the number of teams raised from 10 to 12, matching the men’s competition. The IOC says these additions reflect its commitment to gender equality.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-40-cents and the euro at 21-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 25-rand-5-cents and Bitcoin trades at 81-thousand-645-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-127-dollars-62-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-6-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Universal Studios is planning to build its first European theme park in Bedfordshire, England. Set to open in 2031 as the largest visitor attraction in the UK, it is expected to attract 8.5-million visitors in its first year. Universal has theme parks in Orlando and Los Angeles in the US, as well as in Japan, Singapore and China. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, says a full planning proposal will be submitted to the government, with construction expected to start next year:

Stay tuned for more news………….