News 12:00

BULLETIN 20 March 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Motorists are warned against panic fuel buying
# The Bitou Municipality in the Western Cape warns of a 50-day water supply
# And rugby: France and Ireland dominate the fan-voted Six Nations Team of the Championship

# The Fuel Industry Association of South Africa’s Avhapfani Tshifularo urges South Africans to maintain normal fuel-purchasing patterns amid global supply disruptions. He warns that panic buying could create unnecessary imbalances in the supply chain, stressing that motorists should only fill up when their petrol gauges are low. Tshifularo emphasised that rational behaviour is essential to ensure the country’s fuel supply remains stable during the ongoing international crisis:

Meanwhile, the Motor Industry Staff Association says while inflation has eased to three-percent, concerns remain about rising costs in the coming months. According to MISA, expected fuel price hikes and an Eskom electricity tariff increase next month could push inflation higher, placing further strain on households. The union’s Phakamile Hlubi‑Majola warns that higher living costs will impact both workers and the unemployed, especially ahead of winter and the Easter travel period:

# Bitou Municipality in Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape, has only 50 days of water storage, with Roodefontein Dam at 28-percent. Wastewater Manager Edward Oosthuizen says extraction from the dam has stopped, and the town is now drawing from the Keurbooms River, whose flow fluctuates between 300 and 30-thousand litres per second. He says interim measures include reliance on groundwater, the desalination plant, and the dam while monitoring water levels. He adds that authorities implement strategies to ensure water needs are met.

# Prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel and the US are acting together in Iran with great determination and unprecedented strength. The US-Israel war against Tehran is nearing the end of a third week, as Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Gulf nations are pushing global oil prices up. Netanyahu says they are winning and Iran is being decimated. The prime minister has outlined three clear goals of the war:

# Rugby: The Six Nations team of the championship has been picked, as voted for by the fans. France, who were crowned champions but failed to win the Grand Slam, has four players in the team, prolific wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey, legendary scrumhalf Antoine Dupont, fullback Thomas Ramos and second row Mickael Guillard. Ireland also earned four spots in the side. Italy and Scotland both have three players included, with Wales’ Rhys Carré rounding out the team. Fifth-place England, which suffered their worst-ever tournament finish, doesn’t have a single player included.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-75-cents and the euro at 19-rand-40-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-51-cents and Bitcoin trades at 71-thousand-277-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-732-dollars-52-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 104-dollars-21-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….