News 18:00

BULLETIN 3 March 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Hawks confirm high treason investigations over misinformation
# A former teacher appears in a Johannesburg court on historic charges of sexual assault and sexual grooming
# And rugby: The Bulls’ long injury list becomes a huge headache

# Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya has confirmed that the National Prosecuting Authority is investigating four cases of high treason related to spreading false information. Speaking to the SABC, Lebeya refused to name the organisations. He however mentioned that the case involves some individuals who may have crossed borders to spread misinformation. The Solidarity Movement, including AfriForum, recently sent a delegation to meet with the Trump administration. Lebeya says the NPA will decide on potential arrests:

Meanwhile, former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has criticised AfriForum for their actions in the United States. US president Donald Trump has since cited concerns over South Africa’s land expropriation laws. Madonsela told Newzroom Afrika AfriForum’s actions are morally despicable:

# A former teacher from St John’s Preparatory School in Johannesburg was granted ten-thousand-rand bail during his first appearance in a historic sexual assault and sexual grooming case in the local Magistrate’s Court. The 52-year-old man’s alleged victim was only 12 when the teacher allegedly molested him in 2006. The man left the school in 2014 and became deputy principal at another Johannesburg school, who asked him to step down when the allegations surfaced in 2021. The case was postponed to the eighth of next month.

# Dozens of construction workers have been pulled out alive from metal containers after they were buried by an avalanche in the Himalayas in India’s Uttarakhand state. The BBC says some of them survived for nearly two days, as the containers in which they were living, had enough oxygen to sustain them until they were rescued. On Friday, 54 workers were buried when the avalanche hit a construction camp. Eight died. Avalanches and landslides are common in the Himalayas. Experts say climate change has made extreme weather more severe.

# Rugby: The Bulls’ injury worries have grown after this weekend’s United Rugby Championship loss to the Stormers at Loftus. Director of rugby Jake White’s normal Monday medical report isn’t good reading, containing the names of Elrigh Louw, Cameron Hanekom, Johan Goosen, Canan Moodie, Cobus Wiese and Marco van Staden. The Bulls play log-leader Leinster next, with the Pretoria team currently in third position. Luckily, the team now has a two-week break and hopes some of their stalwarts will be available by then.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-62-cents and the euro at 19-rand-52-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-63-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-946-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-874-dollars-30-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-7-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….