News 07:00

BULLETIN  March 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The IFP says the ANC has failed South Africa and must be voted out
# A poll shows some Americans believe Biden is too old to serve effectively
# And, a high alert is issued as severe weather is expected over the Cape Winelands and Overberg Districts

# The IFP says South Africans cannot afford another five years of ANC rule. The party concluded its two-day campaign in KwaZulu Natal’s KwaMashu and Phoenix yesterday. This is ahead of its election manifesto launch at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Sunday. IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa says voters must go to the polls in large numbers on the 29th of May to give the ANC government a red card on unemployment, load-shedding, crime, and corruption. He adds that the ruling party has failed the country.

# Union federation Saftu condemns Public Enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan’s attempt to keep secret the affairs of South African Airways regarding the sale of a 51-percent stake to Takatso Consortium. Gordhan wrote to the parliamentary portfolio committee on Public Enterprises last week seeking non-disclosure from members to keep information on SAA secret. Saftu’s spokesperson Trevor Shaku says members of the media were also barred from the committee’s sitting:

# Concerned parents of Theresapark High School in northern Pretoria will be protesting today, as they call for the completion of the construction of the school. The school was established last year as an overflow school resulting from the many applications received in Pretoria North. Mobile classrooms were erected at Amandasig Secondary School to provide interim relief. Parents task team’s, Thabo Qoako, says failure to complete the construction of the school has resulted in learners only attending school on rotation:

# Sixty-one-percent of Americans who voted for president Joe Biden in 2020, believe his age will make him an ineffective president for a second term. This is according to a poll by the New York Times and the Siena College. Biden is the oldest-serving president in US history at 81. If re-elected in November, he will be 86 years old by the end of his term. Meanwhile, across all registered voters, 26-percent expressed that while Biden’s age makes him ineffective, he is still able to handle the job well enough.

# Golf: America’s Jordan Gumberg secured his maiden DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour title after beating South African Robin Williams in a play-off to win the SDC Championship in the Eastern Cape. They both finished regulation play tied for the lead on 12 under par. Gumberg holed a birdie putt from around 15 feet at the second playoff hole for victory. Frenchman David Ravetto finished. Gumberg says this win means everything to him:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-09-cents and the euro at 20-rand-71-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-19-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-546-dollars-89-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-en-80-dollars-66-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-60-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Western Cape Disaster Management Centre is preparing for a cut-off low-pressure weather system, which will result in severe thunderstorms and rain over parts of the Cape Winelands and Overberg Districts today. According to the South African Weather Services, rapid heavy downpours ranging from 20-to-40 millimetres, excessive lightning, and large amounts of small hail can be expected. The provincial government says while local authorities are ready to deal with any eventuality, the public should be careful and take heed of warnings that are issued.

Stay tuned for more news………….