News 13:00
BULLETIN 12 March 1 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# Action is being taken to address the illegal occupation at the Castle of Good Hope
# Minister Pravin Gordhan’s departure raises hopes for Mango’s sale
# And soccer: Hugo Broos is building squad depth for Bafana Bafana
# Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says action is being taken against those living illegally at the Castle of Good Hope. Last month, about 50 tent structures erected at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic near the Castle were demolished. Hill-Lewis says the national Departments of Defence and of Public Works are taking steps to address the issue of tented encampments around the Castle. He says Cape Town is advancing a path-breaking approach to help people off the streets and restore public places for public use.
# As Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan exits politics, Mango’s business rescue practitioner, Sipho Sono, sees a chance for progress. He says Gordhan’s opposition to the sale of the subsidiary of South African Airways may dissipate, potentially aiding the troubled airline’s revival. Legal hurdles linger, with an urgent court application pending. Despite delays, Sono believes Mango’s sale remains crucial to its rescue plan, offering hope to sidelined employees awaiting potential job reinstatements.
# Metalworkers union Numsa says it plans to shut down all Road Accident Fund offices on Thursday. The union, which will protest outside the National Department of Transport’s offices in Pretoria, is demanding the removal of the fund’s CEO, Collins Letsoalo. Numsa’s spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, says Letsoalo is single-handedly destroying the fund, and he believes no-one will hold him accountable for his shocking behaviour:
# Soccer: Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has opted for a young 23-man squad for the FIFA Series starting in Algeria next week. He left out ten of the 23 players who clinched bronze at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast last month. Bafana will play a first-ever game against Andorra next Thursday, and five days later, they will lock horns with host Algeria. Broos says it is a good opportunity to build squad depth:
# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-60-cents and the euro at 20-rand-32-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-78-cents and Bitcoin trades at 72-thousand-9-dollars-19-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-177-dollars-86-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-55-cents a barrel.
# And finally: Israel has revised its entry for the Eurovision song contest after the original one was deemed to have political overtones. Eden Goland will sing the new version named Hurricane that was adapted from the original song, October Rain, which was thought to have referred to the 7 October attacks. BBC News reports the lyrics now tells the story of a woman who experiences a personal crisis. Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, was forced to reconsider the lyrics to ensure the country’s participation. The competition takes place in May.
Stay tuned for more news………….