News 16:00
BULLETIN 12 March 4 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# An ActionSA Team FixSA candidate opens a criminal case against gang threats
# Government departments face criticism for delayed payments to suppliers
# And rugby: Rassie Erasmus considers replacing Siya Kolisi as Springbok captain
# ActionSA’s candidate for Team FixSA, Dereleen James, is opening a criminal case at Eldorado Park police station in Johannesburg following threats by a prominent gang, Fast Guns, operating in the area. James was appointed as part of Team FixSA yesterday to focus on drug abuse. The party says the threats, posted on Fast Guns’ Facebook group, accuse James of assisting police in locating unlicensed firearms. This follows the recent death of activist Ashwin McCabe in Westbury.
# Over 60-percent of government departments face criticism for delayed payments to suppliers. According to the Public Service Commission, only 17 out of 40 national departments met timely payment requirements in the second quarter of 2023/24, a slight improvement from the first. The commission’s Anele Gxoyiya says some reasons cited for delays include budget constraints, invoice disputes, internal capacity issues, and late authorisation:
# Eskom has announced stage 3 load-shedding will be implemented from four o’clock this afternoon until tomorrow morning at five. Thereafter stage 2 will take effect until four tomorrow afternoon.
# Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah says it launched over 100 rockets at Israeli military positions today in retaliation for yesterday’s strike on the country’s east that killed one person. Hamas ally Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily cross-border fire since the Gaza war erupted in October. Several Israeli strikes have recently hit Hezbollah positions further north, raising fears of a full-blown conflict. Hezbollay says in a statement it launched more than 100 rockets at two military bases in the occupied Golan Heights.
# Rugby: The Springboks may get a new captain. Head coach Rassie Erasmus says although Siya Kolisi is playing excellent rugby for Racing 92 in France and will be considered for this year’s Tests, he will phase out some of the older players in the built-up to the next World Cup. Eighteen of the Boks who won last year’s Wold Cup in France are over 30, with Kolisi now 32. Erasmus says he prefers to have his captain playing in South Africa to allow for more interaction.
# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-62-cents and the euro at 20-rand-34-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-80-cents and Bitcoin trades at 72-thousand-26-dollars-46-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-173-dollars-76-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-22-cents a barrel.
# And finally: The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs warns the public in northern regions of level six disruptive rain tomorrow. This poses a high risk of flooding due to anticipated rainfall exceeding 100 millimetres. The South African Weather Service predicts potential flooding on roads, bridges, and settlements, causing major disruptions to traffic flow and essential services. The department’s spokesperson, Siboniso Mngadi, says disaster teams are on high alert. He advises communities to seek shelter in designated places:
Stay tuned for more news………….