News 12:00

BULLETIN 19 March 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# COPE calls on president Ramaphosa to fire Senzo Mchunu over the disbandment of the political killings task team
# ACSA and Mangaung partner to boost airport development
# And golf: Rory McIlroy is ready to defend his Masters title following a back injury

# The Congress of the People is calling on president Cyril Ramaphosa to immediately fire suspended minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu. This follows the president’s written submission to Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, in which he stated that he neither approved nor was consulted on the disbandment of the political killings task team. COPE’s acting national chairperson, Pakes Dikgetsi, says Mchunu cannot avoid accountability for a decision of this magnitude:

# Airports Company South Africa and Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality have signed an memorandum of understanding to drive development around Bram Fischer International Airport. The partnership aims to boost economic growth, tourism, infrastructure and investment in the region. Plans include expanding logistics, aviation industries and trade opportunities, positioning the airport precinct as a key economic hub while supporting job creation and long-term development in the Free State.

# The DA in the Western Cape says it will be writing to the MEC of Local Government, Anton Bredell, to request urgent assistance in addressing failures related to pump maintenance and operation in Knysna. The party’s Levael Davis says these failures, caused by the ANC-led Municipality, continue to undermine the town’s water security. He adds that access to water is a fundamental basic need:

# US president Donald Trump has threatened to blow up the entirety of the South Pars gas field in Iran if Tehran keeps up its attacks on Qatar. This comes after Iran attacked Qatar’s Ras Laffan, which contains the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas processing facility. The attack was in retaliation for Israel’s strike on the South Pars gas field. On Truth Social, Trump said the US and Qatar knew nothing about Israel’s attack. He added that Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Qatar’s Ras Laffan were made unjustifiably and unfairly.

# Golf: Thirty-six-year-old Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy says he is pleased with his recovery from a back injury, as he looks to play the Masters in three weeks as defending champion. He captured his fifth major title by winning last year’s Masters to complete a career Grand Slam. Only Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo have captured the Masters in consecutive years. McIlroy says he is excited to head back to Augusta:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-98-cents and the euro at 19-rand-45-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-52-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-244-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-714-dollars-26-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 108-dollars-96-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….