News 07:00

 BULLETIN 29 February 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The National Prosecuting Authority is making progress addressing issues to get South Africa off the greylist
# Salga says a legislative framework for coalition governments is needed
# And, Alexei Navalny will be laid to rest in Moscow tomorrow

# The National Prosecuting Authority says it is making progress in addressing issues the Financial Action Task Force raised when it greylisted South Africa in February last year. Reportedly, the country has only addressed five of the 23 actions needed to exit the greylist. This includes implementing a comprehensive strategy to counter the financing of terrorism. NPA Asset Forfeiture Unit head, Ouma Rabaji-Rasethaba, says they are looking at using private law firms and investigation providers to assist in recovering proceeds of crime, some that happened beyond the country’s borders.

# The South African Local Government Association says coalition arrangements must be regulated to ensure stability. Since 2016, coalitions have formed in most metropolitan councils including the City of Johannesburg, the City of Tshwane, and Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, however, they continue to be unstable. The association’s president, Bheke Stofile, says a legislative framework for coalition governments is necessary to direct or guide political parties in forming stable coalitions:

# National police commissioner Fannie Masemola has proposed non-custodial sanctions to alleviate overcrowded prisons. It was revealed during discussions at the National Conference on the Integrated Criminal Justice System that South African prisons are 48-percent over capacity. Masemola suggests alternative solutions for less serious crimes, emphasising the rehabilitative benefits over incarceration. He warns of the consequences of overcrowding, including increased escapes, gang activity, and health risks.

# The EFF in Gauteng says ten months after promising to refund individuals who paid e-tolls, premier Panyaza Lesufi claims he never made such a commitment. The party’s Dumisani Baleni, says in a radio interview in January last year Lesufi said over 6.9-billion-rand would need to be refunded. He says the premier has only demonstrated interest in his leadership, self-gratification, and leveraging the struggles of residents for electioneering:

# Late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny will be laid to rest in Moscow tomorrow, following his death in an Arctic prison earlier this month. His body was only released to his next of kin after eight days, with his cause of death not yet sure. Navalny’s spokesperson, Kira Yarmish, said earlier they struggled to find a funeral home to handle the burial, most likely on president Vladimir Putin’s orders. Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, and several world leaders blamed Putin for the death of his fierce critic.

# Rugby: Lions flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse will join his Springbok brother Jaden at the Sharks at the start of the new United Rugby Championship season. The brothers went to school in Durban. The Sharks, who are experiencing a horror season, is in last place on the URC log after only one victory in eleven matches and doesn’t have another number ten other than Curwin Bosch. Scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse made his debut for South Africa in 2021 and played in 15 Tests since.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-25-cents and the euro at 20-rand-86-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-39-cents and Bitcoin trades at 61-thousand-460-dollars-72-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-36-dollars-50-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-2-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….