News 08:00

BULLETIN 20 March 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# COPE is the latest party to call for the National Assembly Speaker to step Down
# The National Council of Provinces passes the Expropriation Bill
# And the US Supreme Court allows Texas to enforce a controversial immigration law

# Pressure is mounting on National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to step down, with the Congress of the People the latest party to call for her resignation. This comes after the Hawks raided her home in Johannesburg yesterday. The raid follows a high-level investigation into allegations that Mapisa-Nqakula solicited and received over two-million-rand in cash from a former military contractor during her tenure as Defence minister. Cope’s, Erick Mohlapamaswi, says this latest development means that the matter has reached serious proportions:

# The National Council of Provinces has adopted the Expropriation Bill with proposed amendments, meaning the legislation must return to the National Assembly for changes to be approved. All the provinces, except the DA-governed Western Cape, supported the bill. Broadly the bill seeks to amongst other things, provide for the expropriation of property for a public purpose or in the public interest. DA NCOP delegate, Tim Brauteseth, says the bill does not pass constitutional muster:

# Water and Sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu says it is clear that the City of Johannesburg requires serious interventions and funding to deal with its water infrastructure renewal programme. Johannesburg Water has urged residents to use water sparingly and observe level one-water restrictions, saying the system is severely constrained. The department’s spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa, says they are assisting Johannesburg Water in some of its key infrastructure projects:

# The US Supreme Court has given Texas the green light to enforce a controversial immigration law known as SB4. The law allows state authorities to arrest, process, and imprison people suspected of crossing the US-Mexico border illegally. This infringes on roles long reserved for federal authorities. The White House has strongly criticised the court for allowing what it called a harmful and unconstitutional law to come into effect. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hailed the Supreme Court decision as a huge win against the Biden administration.

# Tennis: Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep suffered defeat on her return from a doping ban against Paula Badosa in the Miami Open. The Romanian won the first set but the Spaniard dug in to win, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Thirty-two-year-old Halep was playing for the first time in 18 months after her four-year ban was reduced to nine months. In other matches, Dane Caroline Wozniacki beat France’s Clara Burel, 6-1, 6-4, but American Venus Williams was knocked out by Russian Diana Shnaider, 6-3, 6-3.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-90-cents and the euro at 20-rand-55-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-5-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-341-dollars-87-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-158-dollars-79-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 87-dollars-17-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….