News 15:00

BULLETIN 24 March 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa calls for unity amid global politics of disharmony
# Business Leadership SA slams ArcelorMittal’s rescue plan as unsustainable
# And Olympic Games: Brisbane overhauls its plans for the 2032 Games

# President Cyril Ramaphosa urges South Africans to reject the politics of discord emerging globally, particularly in light of tensions with the US. In his weekly newsletter, he reflected on Human Rights Day, rejecting the false narrative that people in South Africa are being persecuted based on race or culture. His comments follow rising tensions with the US after the expulsion of former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool. Ramaphosa also reaffirmed South Africa’s support for global human rights and solidarity with those facing persecution worldwide.

The ANC Veterans League has meanwhile condemned the US’ treatment of Rasool, calling it undignified. He was expelled over his stance on US president Donald Trump’s administration. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, ANC veteran Snuki Zikalala cited concerns over US global influence. He urges renewal of SA-US relations, emphasizing economic growth and trade while resisting rising imperialist threats:

# Business Leadership South Africa says ArcelorMittal South Africa’s proposed rescue plan is unsustainable. The plan, which involves using the temporary employer/employee relief scheme to fund nearly three-thousand employees at a cost of 417-million-rand for the next 12 months, lacks a clear exit strategy. In her weekly newsletter, the organisation’s CEO, Busisiwe Mavuso, argues public resources should be used for structural reforms that support sustainable job creation, rather than providing temporary fixes that do not improve the company’s underlying issues.

# Build One South Africa says the latest findings and research by the Teddy Bear Foundation has laid bare the shocking reality of South Africa’s failing justice system when it comes to protecting vulnerable children. BOSA’s spokesperson, Roger Solomons, says according to the foundation, more than five-thousand cases of child abuse were reported in the past five years, but only four-percent have resulted in a conviction:

# Olympic Games: Australian city Brisbane announced the overhauling of its plans for the hosting of the 2032 Games, saying this will end years of chaos and crisis. The new plan includes a new stadium with a 60-thousand seat capacity. Queensland premier David Crisafulli says they believe they have a plan to get the show back on the road. He says he discussed the revamped plan with prime minister Anthony Albanese, with the federal government previously committing to paying for much of the infrastructure.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-12-cents and the euro at 19-rand-76-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-49-cents and Bitcoin trades at 84-thousand-323-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-and-34-dollars-79-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-32-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….