News 12:00

BULLETIN 27 February 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cape Town’s mayor officially enters the DA’s leadership race
# The EFF opens a contempt charge against Paul O’Sullivan after his walk-out from Parliament
# And golf: An Italian is forced to withdraw from the SA Open after falling down an elevator shaft in Stellenbosch

# Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has entered the race to succeed John Steenhuisen as DA leader. He will contest the position at the party’s 11 April elective congress. Hill-Lewis says he is seeking a mandate to build a stronger DA, arguing that a stronger party will help build a stronger South Africa. He pledged to prove the DA governs effectively and delivers for all citizens:

# The EFF has opened a case against forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan at Cape Town Central police station for a contempt of Parliament charge relating to the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act. He walked out from an ad hoc committee probing alleged criminal infiltration while under oath. EFF deputy secretary-general Leigh-Ann Mathys says O’Sullivan was neither excused nor dismissed. She claims his exit was a strategic move to avoid the evidence leader’s questions:

# The Freedom Front Plus says political oversight is vital to combat the foot-and-mouth disease. The party’s Jaco Mulder says the role of political oversight is often underestimated, but it is a vital instrument for holding the executive accountable, monitoring action and intervening where capacity is lacking. He says political oversight in tackling FMD is focused on protecting food security, agricultural production and jobs, rather than on party-political differences:

# Golf: Italian Andrea Pavan faces a long road to recovery after a freak accident that forced him to withdraw from the South African Open in Stellenbosch. The 36-year-old was waiting for an elevator where he was staying and stepped in when the doors opened, but there was no cab and he fell down three stories. Pavan sustained multiple injuries and will have to undergo several operations that will keep him in South Africa for many weeks. A GoFundMe page was set up for him.  

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-89-cents and the euro at 18-rand-77-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-44-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-900-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-179-dollars-18-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 71-dollars-38-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber, says birth certificates, smart IDs, and passports are now able to recognise and record Khoi-San traditional names for the first time in South African history. This follows recent upgrades to the department’s information technology systems, which now allow the recognition of names with special characters, addressing long-standing challenges faced by the Khoi-San communities. Schreiber says this is a historic step forward to enhance the inclusion and dignity of Khoi-San communities in South Africa.

Stay tuned for more news………….