News 16:00

BULLETIN 27 February 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The NPA requests a retrial of a former minister acquitted by the suspended Western Cape Judge President 
# The DA prepares contempt of court charges against the ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula
# And Soccer: Banyana won’t under-estimate Tanzania in Mbombela tonight 

# The National Prosecuting Authority plans to apply to the Supreme Court of Appeal for a retrial of corruption-accused former minister of State Security, Bongani Bongo, who was acquitted by suspended Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe in 2021. Bongo was charged for allegedly trying to bribe Ntuthuzelo Vanara, who was in charge of Parliament’s inquiry into Eskom. Hlophe was impeached by Parliament for gross misconduct earlier this month, with Bongo voting in support of the impeachment. The NPA argues Hlophe made legal mistakes when he acquitted Bongo.

# The DA says it will pursue access to information through the Promotion of Access to Information Act to expose the minutes and records of the ANC’s provincial and regional cadre deployment committees. The party today unveiled a billboard in Gauteng calling for the outlawing of cadre deployment. Building on a Constitutional Court victory, they aim to uncover evidence of similar committees at lower levels. Briefing the media, the DA’s Leon Schreiber threatens legal action if the ANC doesn’t comply within a 30-day deadline:

# Eskom has announced that stage two load-shedding will continue until further notice due to sustained adequate emergency reserves. Contrary to previous communication, stage three load-shedding will not be implemented at 4 PM. Eskom assures the public that any significant changes to the schedule will be promptly communicated.

# Soccer: Banyana Banyana is taking on Tanzania in the home leg of their Olympic qualifier in Mpumalanga tonight. South Africa beat Tanzania 3-0 in last week’s away game in Dar-es-Salaam to strengthen their quest for a place in the Paris Games in July. Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says the convincing victory took away much of the pressure on her players, but insists they wouldn’t under-estimate their opponents. Kick-off at the Mbombela Stadium is at 7.30.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-14-cents and the euro at 20-rand-78-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-29-cents and Bitcoin trades at 56-thousand-960-dollars-67-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-37-dollars-78-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-45-cents a barrel.

# And finally: South Africans are celebrating National Milk Tart Day today, a beloved culinary tradition that holds a special place in the country’s dessert culture. The milk tart, which originated in the 17th century among the Dutch in the Cape Colony, has continued to be a favourite in especially Afrikaner households. This iconic dish, known for its rich cultural significance, is said to reflect the country’s heritage and diversity.

Stay tuned for more news………….