April 15, 2021

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sashnee Moodley.

Making headlines:

Ace Magashule to visit Nkandla to ask Jacob Zuma for advice

Fuel price breather could be on the cards for financially burdened consumers, according to the AA

And, More people 'thrust' into poverty, but sub-Saharan Africa growth will recover

Ace Magashule to visit Nkandla to ask Jacob Zuma for advice

Embattled African National Congress secretary-general Ace Magashule is expected to meet former president Jacob Zuma at his Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal today to ask him for advice.

Sources close to Magashule said he planned to ask Zuma to advise him on the party's step-aside resolution and other burning issues which they couldn't disclose.

The secretary-general's fate hangs in balance as the deadline approaches for the 30-day ultimatum the party gave to members and leaders who have been criminally charged.

Magashule said he would use the time to consult with elders and former ANC officials and ask for their advice.

Fuel price breather could be on the cards for financially burdened consumers, according to the AA

The current data shows the prospect of a 32 cents-a-litre drop in the price of diesel.

Financially burdened South African consumers might get a fuel price breather in May, the Automobile Association said today.

This is due to stability on international petroleum markets and a stronger exchange rate, the association said in a statement, commenting on unaudited mid-month fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund.

The current data shows the prospect of a 32 cents-a-litre drop in the price of diesel, and 27 cents for illuminating paraffin.

More people 'thrust' into poverty, but sub-Saharan Africa growth will recover

The Sub-Saharan Africa region's GDP is expected to recover from a record low reported in 2020, but it will take per capita income much longer to reach pre-Covid-19 levels.

The International Monetary Fund held a briefing today, which revealed that the region contracted to -1.9% due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, but the IMF now expects a bounce-back of 3.4%. Still, the region will be the slowest growing in the world in 2021.

The IMF noted that policymakers will have to deliver Covid-19 vaccines and restore public balance sheets that took a knock to respond to the health crisis.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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