News 17:00

BULLETIN 30 April 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa urges reform to boost local economic growth
# A nuclear watchdog says Iran has enough enriched uranium for ten nuclear bombs
# And: motorsport: Kimi Antonelli is aiming for a hat-trick as the F1 returns in Miami

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged municipalities to lead service delivery to support economic growth. Speaking at the Extended Presidential Coordinating Council, Ramaphosa called for reduced red tape to attract investment and support entrepreneurs. Ramaphosa emphasised the need to professionalise local government, ensuring merit-based appointments, accountability and improved skills. He says initiatives like Operation Vulindlela will help strengthen municipalities as drivers of development and inclusive economic growth:

# Action Society stepped in after being mandated by the family of an eight-year-old girl in a sexual abuse case involving allegations of grooming and abuse by the girl’s mother and her partner, which has stalled between provinces since 2024. The society’s Juanita du Preez says the matter faced delays, miscommunication, and passing between SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority, and social development authorities. She says despite repeated follow-ups, no prosecutorial decision has been made:

# The Public Servants Association has commended government for acting decisively to protect ordinary South Africans from the worst effects of escalating fuel costs. Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana has extended the temporary fuel relief levy of three-rand for petrol and 3.93-rand per litre for diesel until June 2nd. PSA’s Claude Naicker stresses that the current economic climate requires sustained, people-centred interventions to protect workers from external economic shocks beyond their control:

# The head of the United Nations nuclear agency says the majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is still believed to be at its Isfahan nuclear complex. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s director general Rafael Grossi stated in an interview a significant portion of Iran’s highly enriched uranium was stored there in June 2025 when the 12-day war broke out, and it has been there ever since. He believes the country has enough enriched uranium for ten nuclear bombs, although they haven’t been able to inspect the complex since.

# Motorsport: The youngest championship leader in Formula One history, Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, will seek to complete a hat-trick of victories at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend. F1 returns after a month following the cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to the Middle Eastern conflict. Antonelli holds a nine-point lead over his Mercedes teammate, Briton George Russell, at the top of the drivers’ championship after the season’s opening three races. Mercedes has not won in Miami since the event was launched five years ago.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-78-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-61-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-66-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-301-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-636-dollars-33-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 108-dollars-78-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….