News 14:00

BULLETIN 3 March 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The bail hearing of Mugabe’s son is postponed
# Cosatu welcomes the FSCA fine imposed on former Steinhoff director Stehan Grobler
# And soccer: England’s women are given the assurance they will be safe in Turkey

# The bail application of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s son, Bellarmine, and co-accused Tobias Mugabe Matonhodze has been postponed to Thursday by the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg. The delay was due to outstanding documents and electricity issues. They are charged with attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice following a shooting incident at their Hyde Park home. Defence lawyer Sinenhlanhla Mnguni says they are ready to proceed:

# Union federation Cosatu has welcomed the 358-million-rand fine imposed by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority on former Steinhoff director Stehan Grobler. An investigation by the FSCA found that Grobler had contravened the Financial Markets Act, specifically the provisions prohibiting the direct or indirect making or publication of false, misleading or deceptive statements. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks says this is a long-overdue victory:

# Transnet Port Terminals has exceeded its automotive handling target for the 2025/26 financial year, moving over 792-thousand fully-built vehicles between April 2025 and mid-February this year. These include new imports, exports and transshipments of vehicles. Car terminals in the ports of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal and East London and Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape recorded productivity highs, boosted by returning importers and strong exports. Transnet says improved market conditions and rising trans-shipment activity further drove growth.

Moving abroad:

# Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central–Al Maktoum International in the United Arab Emirates resumed limited flights after cancellations left thousands of passengers stranded. The move follows operational restrictions and the temporary closure of Qatari airspace after the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Priority is given to passengers with earlier bookings, while Qatar Airways’ flights remain suspended until the country’s Civil Aviation Authority announces a safe reopening. Travelers are advised not to go to airports without confirmed departure notifications.

Meanwhile, the coach of England’s women’s soccer team, Sarina Wiegman, says they have been assured there are no safety concerns for today’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in Turkey, despite the conflict in the Middle East. The match in Antalya kicks off at five this afternoon. Turkey borders Iran as well as Iraq and is also close to Cyprus, where an Iranian drone crashed into a British Air Force Base on Sunday. Wiegman says they won’t hesitate to leave Turkey if their government thinks it’s unsafe.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-33-cents and the euro at 18-rand-96-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-74-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-602-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-276-dollars-24-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-20-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….