News 8:00

BULLETIN 20 April 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# MK Party distances itself from Shivambu’s visit to Bushiri’s church in Malawi
# Eskom says spending on fuel for the open-cycle gas turbines fleet will decrease
# And, an NGO criticises government’s inaction on drunk driving

# The MK Party has distanced itself from the recent visit by secretary general Floyd Shivambu to the church of self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi. The party says this visit was not sanctioned, endorsed or initiated by the leadership or any official structure of the MK Party. In a statement it says Shivambu undertook this visit in his personal capacity and without the mandate or knowledge of the party. It says it remains firmly opposed to any association with individuals who are fugitives from justice.

# Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a surprise Easter truce in Ukraine, set to last until midnight tonight in what would be the most significant pause in the fighting throughout the three-year conflict. The short-term order for Russia’s troops to halt all combat activity, which Ukraine has said it will match, comes after months of US President Donald Trump pushing both Moscow and Kyiv to agree a truce. He has threatened to withdraw from talks if no progress is made.

# Eskom says it expects its spending on fuel for the open-cycle gas turbines fleet to decrease as maintenance activities begin to slow down. The power utility has from 1 to 17 April spent approximately 1.67-billion-rand on fuel for the fleet, generating 284.4 gigawatt-hours. Eskom’s spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says this is higher than the 109.4 gigawatt-hours generated during the same period last year:

# South Africans Against Drunk Driving has slammed government for not doing enough to combat drunk driving. Most crashes in the country are a result of human error, including fatigue, reckless overtaking and drunk driving. The organisation’s Caro Smit has commended the liquor laws in the country; however, she says poor enforcement is a major challenge. She has reiterated calls for harsher penalties to address what she describes as a national crisis:

# Soccer: Mamelodi Sundowns were held to a nil-nil draw by Al Ahly in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semi-final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Despite dominating ball possession, the Brazilians failed to register a single shot on target. Al Ahly had two goals disallowed for offside, including a close call in the 69th minute. Coach Miguel Cardoso must now strategise for the return leg in Cairo on Friday.

# And finally Rugby: It was Springbok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s day in Cape Town as he scored three tries, three conversions and a penalty to hand the Stormers a dramatic 34-29 victory over Connacht in the United Rugby Championship. A possible winning try for Connacht in the final minute was disallowed due to obstruction. It was a crucial win, which has the Stormers well-placed in their play-off run with three home games remaining in the league phase of the competition.

Stay tuned for more news………….