For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Shomolekae.

Making headlines: Godongwana, Mantashe confirm R3/l fuel levy reduction for April; Kenya's inflation rises slightly to 4.4% year-on-year in March; And, expert warns of ‘critical new phase’ in Iran conflict

Godongwana, Mantashe confirm R3/l fuel levy reduction for April

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe have announced that the fuel levy will temporarily be reduced by R3 a litre from April 1 as part of measures to provide short-term relief to South Africans.

Petrol prices were estimated to have increased by between R5 and R6 a litre from midnight, and the R3-a-litre reduction in the fuel levy should provide some relief.

Based on current local and international factors, Petrol grades of 93 and 95 will increase by R3.06 per litre.

Diesel (0.05% sulphur) will increase by R7.37 per litre, and Diesel (0.005% sulphur) will increase by R7.51 per litre.

Kenya's inflation rises slightly to 4.4% year-on-year in March

Kenya's inflation rose slightly to 4.4% year-on-year in March from 4.3% a month earlier, the statistics office said today.

On a month-on-month basis inflation was 0.5% compared with 0.2% in February, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement.

The government targets year-on-year inflation of between 2.5% and 7.5% over the medium term.

And, expert warns of ‘critical new phase’ in Iran conflict

As the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran enters its second month, Stellenbosch University Professor of Military Science Abel Esterhuyse today warned that the conflict is shifting toward a critical new phase: a limited ground offensive to secure the global economy.

Speaking at the PSG Think Big Series, Esterhuyse noted that the US is preparing to deploy forces along the coastal regions of the Persian Gulf.

This move, he argued, was a “pragmatic response” to a "strategic predicament" created by Iranian efforts to block international oil shipping.

The conflict, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, began in late February with a staggering opening salvo of about 900 coordinated strikes.

While the initial focus was on "offensive air power" to degrade Iranian leadership and military infrastructure, Esterhuyse noted a pivot in American strategy over the past week.

He explained that the American focus appears almost exclusively on the economic realities of oil flow.

He highlighted that as the confrontation dragged on, keeping the Strait of Hormuz open became the primary driver of military necessity.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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