News 13:00

BULLETIN 27 March 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Donald Trump confirms Brent Bozell as the new US ambassador to South Africa
# A Johannesburg men’s health clinic closes amid the US aid freeze
# And tennis: Spaniard Paulo Badosa faces another lengthy spell out of the game due to injury

# US president Donald Trump has appointed Brent Bozell to succeed Reuben Brigety as ambassador to South Africa. Bozell is a staunch media critic and founded the Media Research Centre, an agency that critiques perceived liberal media bias. Trump says Bozell brings fearless tenacity, extraordinary experience, and vast knowledge to a nation that desperately needs it. His appointment comes amid strained relations between the two countries, over issues such as former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool’s expulsion and South Africa’s expropriation policies.

Meanwhile, Engage Men’s Health clinic in Johannesburg is closing due to the US foreign aid funding freeze. The USAID and Pepfar-funded clinic provided HIV treatment for the LGBTQI+ community. Staff were placed on unpaid leave in January after Trump’s administration halted Pepfar funding. Now, over 70 employees face unemployment. Project manager Joseph Adams told Africa News the closure affects both livelihoods and vital healthcare access. Engage plans to auction assets to pay staff, while concerns grow over the future of HIV treatment availability.

# The Institute of Race Relations says there are two practical steps to reduce black economic empowerment procurement premiums, which Finance minister Encoh Godongwana can take now to avoid raising the value-added tax. These are to make BEE preference premiums transparent and reduce premiums in public procurement to zero-rand. The IRR’s Gabriel Crouse says waste due to corruption associated with the premium procurement system is in the region of 133-billion-rand per annum:

# The GOOD Party says it will support today’s motion of no confidence in Cape Town Speaker, Felicity Purchase. A multi-party caucus led by the ANC has accused Purchase of failing to uphold the integrity of council processes amid allegations against mayoral committee members JP Smith and Grant Twigg. GOOD’s Jonathan Cupido says Purchase has decided the vote will happen by open ballot, a decision they strongly reject:

# Tennis: Spanish player Paulo Badosa faces another lengthy spell out of the game after suffering a lower back injury during the Miami Open in the US. The former world number two has fallen out of the top-50 due to a string of injuries, including a chronic lower back issue that made her contemplating retirement last year. The 27-year-old says she has already withdrawn from the Charleston Open in the US, starting on Monday. She didn’t give a timeline for her expected return to the circuit.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-24-cents and the euro at 19-rand-65-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-56-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-484-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-and-35-dollars-68-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-73-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….