News 06:00

BULLETIN 7 March 6 AM

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Motsoaledi says South Africa will stand strong regardless of Trump’s actions
# The Cape Town mayor invites president Ramaphosa to relocate the G20 summit to the Mother City
# And Hamas says Trump’s threats complicate the ceasefire agreement

# Health minister and the ANC’s Aaron Motsoaledi says South Africa will continue its fight against HIV/AIDS despite the US decision to cut the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief funding. Debating the US government’s decision to halt aid, Motsoaledi said 150 non-governmental organisations depend on PEPFAR, but South Africa will manage without it:

# ActionSA has welcomed the Public Protector’s progress in investigating Human Settlement minister Thembi Simelane’s alleged 575-thousand-rand loan from VBS-linked Gundo Wealth Solutions. ActionSA’s Athol Trollip says the party condemns his December reshuffle, moving Simelane from Justice to the Human Settlements Department, as an attempt to shield her. He has called for accountability as the party introduces its Zero-Tolerance Corruption Bill which seeks to impose sentences of a minimum of 15-years for corruption.

# Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has invited president Cyril Ramaphosa to move the November G20 summit to the Mother City. This was after Ramaphosa criticised Johannesburg’s condition during G20 meetings, where he expressed disappointment with the environment. Hill-Lewis assured the president that Cape Town is ready to host the summit:

# The EFF in Gauteng has condemned the Emfuleni Local Municipality for returning over 636-million-rand in unspent Municipal Infrastructure Grant funds to the National Treasury. The party blames ANC-led mismanagement, corruption, and incompetence for failing to utilise funds meant for roads, water, and sanitation. The EFF’s Nkululeko Dunga says residents continue to suffer from crumbling infrastructure, water shortages, and sewage spills. He demands better service delivery:

# Hamas says US president Donald Trump’s threats and his overall rejection of a truce deal complicate the situation. Trump issued what he called a last warning to the militant group to release the hostages being held in Gaza. Hamas says the best path to free the remaining hostages was for Israel to enter the second phase of negotiations of the ceasefire deal and be obligated to abide by the agreement. Fifty-nine hostages are still in Gaza, though Israeli intelligence believes that only 22 are still alive.

# Rugby: Ireland’s captain, Caelan Doris, is back from injury and will lead the team in tomorrow’s Six Nations clash between the two teams on top of the log. Winger Mack Hansen will miss the encounter because of injury, and Jamie Osborne switches to the right wing from fullback. Hooker Rob Herring is set to play his first Test of the year from the bench. Interim head coach Simon Easterby says the team has worked hard this week for the expected huge test against the French.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-13-cents and the euro at 19-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-36-cents and Bitcoin trades at 90-thousand-490-dollar-50-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-911-dollars-45-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-44-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….