News 16:00

BULLETIN 18 March 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin

# A Vanderbijlpark driver will seek bail after the fatal learner transport crash
# Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi clarifies the phone number error in Cele’s payment allegations
# And rugby: Argentina hopes to bring the World Cup to South America in 2035

# The driver in the Gauteng learner transport crash that killed 14 learners is set to apply for bail in the Vanderbijlpark Regional Court on the 31st. Ayanda Dludla appeared at the local Magistrate’s Court again on 14 counts of murder, three of attempted murder and one for driving without a permit. His vehicle collided with a truck while he was transporting the children to school in January. The 22-year-old abandoned his bail application during his previous appearance.

# KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says investigations show businessman Vusimusi Matlala did not send money to former Police minister Bheki Cele, but to a third party. Mkhwanazi told Parliament’s ad hoc committee the claim resulted from a data analysis error, where similar phone numbers caused confusion. He emphasised both investigators and Matlala linked payments to the wrong number, and the statement has since been withdrawn and corrected:

# The ACDP in Gauteng has welcomed the deployment of the South African National Defence Force. More than two-thousand soldiers have been deployed to support the police, focusing on hotspots for illegal mining and gang activity in the Free State, Gauteng, North West, the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape. ACDP’s Chris Rohlssen says the SANDF deployment is an excellent short-term plan to stabilise areas troubled by gangsterism and illegal mining:

# The City of Cape Town says clearing invasive plants in water catchment areas has unlocked about 19-billion litres of water a year, or around 51-million litres a day. Mayoral committee member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, says the removal of water-thirsty species like pine, gum and wattle helps more water reach dams and rivers, especially during low rainfall periods:

# Rugby: Argentina hopes to bring the World Cup to South America for the first time in 2035. It is working with the unions of Brazil, Chile and Uruguay on potentially involving them in the tournament. World Rugby’s CEO, Alan Gilpin, will discuss the idea with the president of Argentina’s governing body, Gabriel Travaglini. Travaglini says they want to deliver a World Cup that reflects the passion and progress rugby has made in the country. Australia is hosting the tournament next year and the US in 2031.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-78-cents and the euro at 19-rand-34-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-38-cents and Bitcoin trades at 72-thousand-873-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-901-dollars-67-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 102-dollars-53-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….