News 07:00

BULLETIN 6 March 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Paul Mashatile says the sustainable supply of water remains a national priority
# The NPA says Vincent Smith’s jail sentence is a victory against state capture
# And, severe storms and heavy rainfall are forecast for Southern Africa this weekend

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile says the government is accelerating water infrastructure projects to strengthen supply reliability and long-term water security. He responded to questions in the National Council of Provinces in Cape Town yesterday. Mashatile says the Water Task Team has assessed the impact of abandoned and incomplete water infrastructure projects, and confirmed that delays have reduced water availability, weakened system reliability, compromised water security, and affected environmental compliance:

# Mineral and Petroleum Resources minister Gwede Mantashe says natural gas will play a key role in addressing energy poverty and driving industrial growth in Africa. Speaking at the Africa Gas Forum 2026 in Cape Town, Mantashe said nearly 600-million Africans still lack electricity, warning that limiting funding for gas projects could deepen energy poverty. He added that the government is working to secure future gas supply through imports and increased local exploration:

# The National Prosecuting Authority says the conviction and sentencing of former member of Parliament, Vincent Smith, is a victory against state capture. The Johannesburg High Court sentenced Smith to seven years’ direct imprisonment after he agreed to a plea and sentence agreement with the State. The conviction relates to corruption charges in his personal capacity, as well as to his capacity as the sole director and shareholder of Euroblitz 48, which he failed to disclose to Parliament. NPA head Andy Mothibi says the rule of law was upheld in this case.

# US president Donald Trump says he must be involved in the appointment of Iran’s next leader. This follows the assassination of the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, by US-Israeli airstrikes last Saturday. Speaking to Axios, Trump acknowledged that Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, is the most likely successor but made it clear he finds that outcome unacceptable. He says he will not accept a successor who continues the policies of Iran’s former supreme leader. He added that they want someone who will bring harmony and peace to Tehran.

# Golf: South Africa’s Luke Brown earned a one-shot lead following a weather-affected first day of the Joburg Open at Houghton Golf Course. The 27-year-old leads the way at seven-under-par after completing just 12 holes of his first round. His compatriot, two-time DP World Tour winner Jayden Schaper, is tied in second with England’s Nathan Kimsey, Maximillian Steinlechner of Austria, and Spain’s Angel Ayora. Last week’s SA Open champion, Casey Jarvis, was three-under-par after completing only 14 holes when bad light and rain halted play.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-58-cents and the euro at 19-rand-26-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-886-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-103-dollars-69-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-6-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The South African Weather Service has issued severe weather warnings, with heavy rain and thunderstorms expected to persist through the weekend. Orange level five warnings are in place for parts of the Free State, Northern Cape, and North West, while yellow alerts cover Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo. Forecaster Tokelo Chiloane says some storms may produce damaging winds, lightning, hail, and localised flooding, especially in low-lying and flood-prone areas:

Stay tuned for more news………….