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BULLETIN 24 March 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Tau describes SA-US relations as fluid
# The ANC considers a complaint against the Sunday Times
# And, Keir Starmer says Britain won’t be dragged into the war in Iran

# Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, says South Africa continues to engage with the US on trade issues. Most recently, South Africa was included among the 60 economies that the United States Trade Representative would investigate, to determine whether sufficient steps had been taken to prohibit the importation of goods produced with forced labour. Briefing the media on the state of readiness for the upcoming South Africa Investment Conference in Pretoria, Tau described relations with the US as fluid:

Meanwhile, Tau says the government is ready to host the sixth South Africa Investment Conference at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on March 31st. Delegates from more than 31 countries are registered to attend. Tau says the first five-year investment drive, which ran from 2018 to 2023, was an unqualified success by any measure, with South Africa securing 1.56-trillion-rand in investment pledges. He says this surpassed the Presidency’s original target by 26-percent:

# The ANC says it’s considering lodging a formal complaint with the Press Ombuds against the Sunday Times and TimesLIVE over what it calls misleading reporting. The party has rejected claims that it attempted to interfere with SABC programming, describing the allegations as unsubstantiated. ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu also criticised the publications for failing to seek the party’s comment before publishing the story, calling it a breach of media ethics.

# The Health Ombud has criticised George Mukhari Academic Hospital over the death of 35-year-old psychiatric patient Lerato Mohlamme, citing serious failures in care and patient safety. The investigation found systemic negligence, including improper admission procedures, mishandling of medication, and inadequate monitoring. It also highlighted allegations of unreported abuse. Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi says corrective measures are being implemented, including increased staffing and improved security, as authorities work to address the identified shortcomings.

# British prime minister Keir Starmer has reiterated that the UK will not be dragged into the US-Israeli war with Iran. He appeared before the Commons Liaison Committee on Monday, where he welcomed reports of talks between the US and Iran. Starmer told the committee that any UK action in this war must be on a lawful basis and supported by a viable, well-thought-out plan. He added that the UK and its allies will continue to act in their own collective self-defence:

# Tennis: Six-time Grand Slam champion, Iga Swiatek, has parted ways with coach Wim Fissette. The move comes a few days after the Polish world number three was eliminated in the second round of the Miami Open. Swiatek and Fissette joined forces in October 2024 and, working alongside the Belgian, Swiatek claimed her first Wimbledon title. The 24-year-old added two more WTA Tour titles – at Seoul and Cincinnati – while working with Fissette last year. Swiatek says the rest of her team will remain unchanged.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-93-cents and the euro at 19-rand-62-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-68-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-743-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-357-dollars-73-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 98-dollars-95-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….