News 17:00

BULLETIN 15 April 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

#  Ace Magashule’s former secretary is arrested in the US  
# Torrential downpours claim lives in Durban and surrounding areas
# And rugby: The Sharks are happy to host Clermont in London

# Former ANC secretary general Ace Magashule’s former secretary, Moroadi Cholota, is behind bars in the United States. The National Prosecuting Authority confirmed Cholota was arrested over the weekend. Her arrest comes as the 255-million-rand Free State asbestos removal project trial of Magashule and 17 co-accused, including businessman Edwin Sodi, was set to begin in the High Court in Bloemfontein. The trial, involving more than 70 charges including fraud, corruption and money laundering, has now been postponed to 14 June.

# Heavy downpours in KwaZulu-Natal have claimed several lives in Durban and surrounding areas, including a grandmother and her grandson in Verulam. Three people were found dead after their vehicle plunged down an embankment in Margate, suspected to have been swept off the road. The severe weather also caused two deaths in Folweni and one in Umlazi due to collapsed walls and structures. Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs spokesperson Siboniso Mngadi says disaster management teams are on high alert:

# AfriForum Youth has delivered a memorandum to the Presidency opposing the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The organisation condemns the bill, likening it to historical anglicisation policies post-Anglo-Boer War, which suppressed Afrikaans. Spokesperson Louis Boshoff argues the BELA Bill threatens Afrikaans instruction. Boshoff highlights clauses limiting school language policies and parental teaching rights, warning of cultural ethnic cleansing if passed:

# South Africa’s strategy to bolster trade ties with China is set to gain momentum at the upcoming China International Import Expo in November. The Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition outlined the nation’s objectives during a conference in Johannesburg to promote the expo. The deputy director-general, Lerato Mataboge, emphasised the aim of increasing South Africa’s exports, particularly in the realm of manufactured and value-added products, to the Chinese market. The target is to diversify the composition of trade between the two countries.

# Rugby: The Sharks will have to travel to London to host Clermont in their Challenge Cup semifinal, while Gloucester will be the home-side against Italian outfit Benetton. Both semifinals are scheduled to take place on the first weekend of May. South African clubs only received home-ground advantage up to the quarterfinals, which is why the Sharks will have to play at a neutral venue in the semis. Coach John Plumtree is just happy to reach the final four:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-99-cents and the euro at 20-rand-21-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-69-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-17-dollars-12-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-350-dollars-25-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 89-dollars-53-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….