News 16:00

BULLETIN 5 March 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Paul O’Sullivan is questioned over his focus on Phahlane and not Khan
# The NPA targets 270 individuals in water sector corruption
# And motorsport: F1 teams are on edge about the wide-ranging technical changes to cars

# Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan faced questions in Parliament over why he focused on former national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane while not pursuing a full probe into top cop Feroz Khan. MK Party MP Crossby Shongwe accused Khan of being protected despite owning lucrative franchises as a public servant in law enforcement. O’Sullivan says limited resources guided his investigations:

# The National Director of Public Prosecutions, Andy Mothibi, says decisive action will be taken against 270 people implicated in water sector corruption. Speaking at the Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum in Pretoria, Mothibi highlighted collaboration with the Special Investigating Unit for asset recovery, and promised prosecutions alongside asset forfeiture. He stresses the need to close infrastructure leaks and tackle organised crime, including water tanker mafia, to protect public resources:

# The City of Cape Town will seek the support of the council for its proposal to proclaim two new nature reserves in the Helderberg area, and expand five existing reserves across the metro. This will add 950 hectares to the reserves under Cape Town’s management. Deputy mayor and mayoral committee member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, says nature reserves play a critical role in the conservation of unique biodiversity and ecosystems:

Moving abroad:

# China has set its lowest economic growth target since 1991, aiming for a 4.5- to five-percent expansion this year. This moderate projection follows three consecutive years of aiming for around five-percent growth from 2023 to 2025. The slight reduction in this year’s growth target is attributed to the need to address structural challenges such as weakened consumption, real estate slump, the local debt crisis, the ageing population, and high youth unemployment. Premier Li Qiang has acknowledged the domestic economy remains in the midst of deep-seated structural problems.

# Motorsport: Formula One’s new era starts at this weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, where teams will leap into the unknown and grapple with sweeping technical changes. F1 has simultaneously overhauled chassis and power unit regulations for the first time in decades, posing a challenge for drivers and engineers alike. With more power generated by electricity than last year’s engines, there is more emphasis on drivers needing to be tactical with energy deployment. Some drivers are comfortable with the changes, while others say there are still lots of unknowns.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-47-cents and the euro at 19-rand-14-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-1-cents and Bitcoin trades at 72-thousand-897-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-165-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-17-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….