News 07:00

BULLETIN 10 March 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says deepening South Africa’s economic cooperation with Brazil is imperative
# The British chancellor warns that inflation is likely to rise due to the Iran war
# And cricket: Sri Lanka appoints Gary Kirsten as their new head coach

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa and Brazil share a commitment to equality, economic growth, and the eradication of poverty. He began his two-day state visit to the country on Monday to enhance bilateral relations. Ramaphosa says the shared values between South Africa and Brazil provide a strong basis for building practical, mutually beneficial programmes that advance the countries’ respective national development priorities:

# The High Court in Pretoria has set aside the suspension of Road Traffic Management Corporation CEO Makhosini Msibi, declaring it unlawful. He was suspended in July last year over allegations of financial misconduct, irregular expenditure, and governance failures, following a whistleblower complaint. Judge Jan Jacobus Clute Swanepoel ruled that the RMTC board did not have the power to suspend Msibi, as this belongs to the Shareholders Committee. The judge also declared the board’s 2024 charter invalid, but this has been suspended for 90 days.

# The Economic Freedom Fighters in Gauteng are demanding the immediate release of the Phala Phala judgment, which has been withheld for over a year and four months. The party says the delay undermines transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the justice system. Supporters plan to gather at the Constitutional Court to call for urgent judicial action, emphasising the EFF’s commitment to defending the rule of law and ensuring the public has access to the long-awaited judgment.

# Western Cape MEC for Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Ivan Meyer, has called for stronger rural safety measures and better-resourced police following a surge in violent attacks on farmers and rural communities. Meyer yesterday attended the first court appearance of suspects accused of assaulting a farmer in Lambert’s Bay. He highlighted a recent assault on tourists in Swellendam, warning such crimes threaten both agriculture and tourism:

# UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has warned that the situation in the Middle East is likely to put upward pressure on inflation in the coming months. She delivered an emergency statement to Parliament yesterday, regarding the economic impact of the US-Israel war with Iran. It comes after she joined an emergency meeting of G7 finance ministers remotely. Reeves says during the meeting, she highlighted four immediate priorities:

# Cricket: South African Gary Kirsten has been appointed as Sri Lanka’s new head coach on a two-year deal. The 58-year-old replaces Sanath Jayasuriya, who resigned after the team’s exit from the T20 World Cup. Kirsten’s contract runs until April 2028. He famously guided India to its 2011 World Cup title, and during his tenure, South Africa became the top-ranked side across all formats in 2013. Sri Lanka Cricket says Kirsten’s primary responsibility will be guiding the team in its preparation and campaign for the 2027 World Cup.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-32-cents and the euro at 18-rand-95-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-91-cents and Bitcoin trades at 69-thousand-225-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-171-dollars-27-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-85-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….