News 11:00

BULLETIN 16 March 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cosatu supports government’s release of excess reserves from SARB
# The DA lobbies for disaster support for the agricultural sector in the Free State
# And, tennis: Iga Swiatek breezes into the Indian Wells final

# Cosatu is pleased about government’s sober approach to releasing excess reserves from the South African Reserve Bank. Government is experiencing severe fiscal pressures, combined with a painful revenue shortfall. Cosatu acting spokesperson, Matthew Parks, lauds the release of 100-billion-rand this year, 25-billion-rand in 2025 and 25-billion-rand in 2026 to ease fiscal pressures while ensuring the SARB can still protect the value of the rand and economy:

# The DA in the Free State is lobbying for disaster support for the agricultural sector, given the severe heat wave and drought that have devastated the sector. Moreover, there is a looming threat of another fire season. The DA’s Roy Jankielsohn says government must intervene as the agricultural sector ensures food security and significantly contributes to the provincial GDP and employment rates:

# Kruger National Park lauds the 17-year sentence handed down to Mbongeni Ngobeni by the Skukuza Regional Court for rhino poaching. Ngobeni, who evaded trial after bail in 2019, faced charges including hunting rhinos, possession of unlicensed firearms, and trespassing in the park. His conviction marks a victory against poaching. The park management says it continues its efforts to combat wildlife crime and protect endangered species.
 

# Tennis: World number one and tournament favourite Iga Swiatek cruised into the final at Indian Wells with a demolition job against Marta Kostyuk. The Polish player dominated her 21-year-old opponent from Ukraine to win 6-2, 6-1 and reach her second WTA 1000 final of the year. Swiatek will take on the winner of the second semi-final between Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari tomorrow, when she will bid for her 19th career title.

# And, applications are open to work in Antarctica’s famous “penguin post office”. Successful applicants will be “self-motivated”, “empathetic” and fine with showering once every two weeks. Sky News reports the shop in Port Lockroy is the southernmost post office in the world and frequently smells like penguin poo. The Antarctic Heritage Trust says this year, there are three positions on offer, and they are only open to UK residents.

Stay tuned for more news………….