News 18:00
BULLETIN 28 March 6 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# Parliament’s Ethics Committee gives deputy president Mashatile seven days to respond to corruption allegations
# The scrapping of Gauteng’s e-tolls is published in the Government Gazette
# And rugby: Three Boks anchor the Sharks’ scrum against Edinburgh
# Parliament’s Ethics Committee has given deputy president Paul Mashatile seven days to respond to corruption allegations levelled against him. The DA lodged a complaint after reports surfaced about Mashatile’s use of luxury homes owned by relatives and friends, as well as allegations of benefiting from state tenders. News24 reported his son-in-law, Nceba Nonkwelo, purchased a 28.9-million-rand home in Constantia, Cape Town, through his company last year. Responding to questions in the National Assembly, Mashatile pledged to address the accusations within the given timeframe.
# Gauteng’s e-tolls will officially be scrapped from 12 April. Transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga published the notice in the Government Gazette today. It states the toll declaration of sections of the N1, N3, N4, N12 and R21 will be withdrawn as from that date. The notice does not give any detail of refunds or what will happen to motorists’ debt.
# President Ferdinand Marcos says the Philippines will not be cowed into silence by China after confrontations in the South China Sea that injured Filipino troops and damaged vessels. He says the Philippines would respond with a countermeasure package that is proportionate, deliberate, and reasonable in the face of the open, unabating, and illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous attacks. Marcos’s remarks followed the latest clashes in the disputed waterway, during which the China Coast Guard fired water cannons at a Philippine vessel carrying supplies for troops garrisoned on a remote reef.
# Rugby: Springboks Ox Nché, Vincent Koch and Bongi Mbonambi will anchor the Sharks’ scrum in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship match against Edinburgh in Durban. Head coach John Plumtree replaced Ntuthuko Mchunu with Kock, while Hanru Jacobs make way for Nché. This is some of several changes to the team that beat Ulster last weekend. Koch warned his teammates the Scottish team will be way different than the one that lost to the Stormers in Cape Town when a number of their Test players were rested.
# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-99-cents and the euro at 20-rand-52-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand and Bitcoin trades at 71-thousand-6-dollars-43-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-207-dollars-7-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 86-dollars-31-cents a barrel.
# And finally: President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended Easter wishes to South Africa’s Christian denominations and urges a peaceful and safe holiday. He stressed the importance of prayers, family connections, and community support. Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya highlights Ramaphosa’s call for responsible behavior to prevent tragedies, especially on roads and in public gatherings:
Stay tuned for more news………….