News 15:00

BULLETIN 6 March 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa calls for urgent action to tackle crime and lawlessness in Gauteng

# The DA in Gauteng reports a 1.8-billion-rand payment to an ANC-connected consultancy to the Public Protector

# And rugby: Rassie says Kolisi will still be Springbok captain as long as he’s good enough

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for urgent action to address crime and lawlessness in Gauteng. Speaking at a meeting between the national executive and the provincial executive council in Johannesburg, he warned that delays in resolving these issues could undermine progress. Ramaphosa identified unemployment and poverty as the province’s biggest challenges and stressed that commitments made must lead to tangible results that directly benefit the people:

# The DA in Gauteng has asked the Public Protector for an urgent investigation into the suspicious payment of over 1.8-billion-rand to the ANC-connected Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance by the provincial Department of Education. The DA’s Michael Waters says the payments were made between 2019 and last year, including the Covid-19 pandemic when educational institutions were closed:

# Egoli Gas has restored gas supply to four Gauteng hospitals after the provincial Health Department committed to paying its 14-million-rand debt. The affected hospitals were Rahima Moosa, Charlotte Maxeke, Helen Joseph, and Edenvale. The facilities had faced a week without gas, resulting in no hot water while meal preparations were impacted. Egoli Gas and the department have agreed on a structured payment plan and long-term arrangements to prevent future disruptions while ensuring continued gas supply.

# The National Financial Ombud Scheme says since its inception in March last year, it has dealt with 40-thousand-859 cases and recovered 416-million-rand. The scheme is the result of a merger of four ombudsman agencies, providing a single platform for resolving complaints and disputes in South Africa’s financial services sector. NFO head, Reana Steyn, says they have helped provide a vital safety net to those affected by maladministration, disputes, or financial loss:

# Rugby: Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus says Siya Kolisi will captain the team as long as he’s good enough to be the first choice in his playing position. He says he realises Kolisi will be 36 when the next World Cup takes place in 2027. Erasmus says other players such as Eben Etzebeth, Salmaan Moerat, Bongi Ngobeni and Pieter-Steph du Toit all led the team at times, but for now he will stick to Kolisi as long as he is fit enough and good enough.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-34 and the euro at 19-rand-78-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-61-cents and Bitcoin trades at 91-thousand-428-dollars-89-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-903-dollars-2-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-32-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….