News 09:00
BULLETIN 29 March 9 am
Good morning. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# NPA’s Investigating Directorate dispels allegations of it targeting senior police officials
# Parliament welcomes lifestyle audits to combat corruption in Basic Education Department
# And cricket, Virat Kohli stole the show for RCB at the IPL opening game
# The National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate Against Corruption has condemned false allegations circulated on social media platforms, insinuating that IDAC is deliberately targeting police senior officials. Spokesperson Henry Mamothame says this follows the arrest of 12 senior police officers and summons being served to national police commissioner Fannie Masemola, in relation to an alleged irregular contract that was awarded by police to Medicare 24. He says this matter was referred to the IDAC in 2024, wherein investigations were conducted.
# Parliament Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration welcomed the firm and principled stance taken by the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, to confront and dismantle corrupt networks within the department. Chairperson Jan de Villiers says the Minister has requested that the Special Investigating Unit conduct lifestyle audits in the department, focusing on senior officials and officials working in high-risk areas, which are often used as entry points for corrupt activity. He says a capable, ethical and professional public service is the cornerstone of a developmental state.
# The DA has welcomed the positive progress made in the Parliament Portfolio Committee meeting, where a clear pathway has emerged for the South African Post Office to exit Business Rescue in the near future. Communications and Digital Technologies minister Solly Malatsi announced that the National Treasury has authorised the entity to draw from part of the 700-million-rand allocated in the Special Appropriations Bill to the department. Tsholofelo Bodlani of the DA says the party is looking forward to further reforms that will restore stability at SAPO:
# Eskom has recorded a significant and continued reduction in diesel usage for its open cycle gas turbine plants since May 2025, following a peak in usage in April 2025. The power utility spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena says Eskom generated over one-thousand-77-gigawatt-hour from diesel, compared to two-thousand-608-gigawattt-hour during the same period in the previous year, representing a 58.69-percent decrease in energy generated from the plants at a diesel cost of 6.9-billion.-rand:
# And now on to internationa news: Israeli forces killed three Lebanese journalists in their car in southern Lebanon yesterday in an airstrike that Israel’s military said had targeted one of the reporters. A second strike killed rescue workers sent to assist them. Lebanese journalists Al Mayadeen, reporter Fatima Ftouni and cameraman Mohammed Ftouni, and Al Manar reporter Ali Shaib were killed. Israel’s military said in a statement it had killed Shaib, whom it called a “terrorist”, accusing him of being part of a Hezbollah intelligence unit, and said he had reported on locations of Israeli soldiers in Lebanon.
# Cricket: Virat Kohli stole the show as the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru crushed Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in the 2026 Indian Premier League opening game. Chasing 202 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, Kohli smashed an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, featuring five sixes. Alongside Devdutt Padikkal’s rapid 61, Kohli powered RCB to victory with 26 balls to spare. Earlier, Jacob Duffy’s 3 for 22 restricted the Sunrisers despite Ishan Kishan’s 80. Kohli’s masterclass makes him the first player to surpass four-thousand runs in IPL chases.
Stay tuned for more news………….