News 06:00

BULLETIN 18 March 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa welcomes an EU investment package
# RISE Mzansi says South Africa may struggle to replace Ebrahim Rasool
# And at least 40 people were killed in tornadoes and violent storms in the USA

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the 8th South Africa-European Union Summit, held in Cape Town last week, marked a pivotal moment for trade and investment relations. In his weekly newsletter, he highlighted the over 90-billion-rand investment package aimed at boosting key sectors like vaccine production, energy transition, and infrastructure. According to Ramaphosa, the summit also reaffirmed commitments to multilateralism and global cooperation, with the EU expressing support for South Africa’s G20 Presidency.

# RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi says South Africa may struggle to replace former US ambassador Ebrahim Rasool. Rasool, who served from 2010 to 2015 and was reappointed in 2024, was expelled after comparing Donald Trump’s leadership to a supremacist movement. Given 72 hours to leave, he is expected back in South Africa this week. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Zibi called the US decision regrettable:

# South African Social Security Agency acting CEO, Themba Matlou, says they have started a review process in their offices nationwide to combat fraud. This follows the arrest of four Sassa officials in Johannesburg last week for their role in an alleged 260-million-rand fraud scheme. Matlou says there are also plans to implement biometric verification for all social relief of distress grant beneficiaries in the new financial year, to combat fraud within the system:

# The Inwoners Baagi Civic Movement and various organisations have vowed to shut down Tshwane today, over ongoing service delivery issues. The protestors will gather at Marabastad before marching to Tshwane House to submit a memorandum of demands, on issues like high electricity rates, fraudulent billing, poor waste management, and a lack of water and electricity. The movement’s David Ratladi calls on the municipality to be held accountable for the ongoing service delivery failures.

# The death toll from tornadoes and violent storms that ravaged the central and southern United States over the weekend has risen to at least 40 people, with dozens more injured. Local news channels across the affected region showed video of roofs torn off homes, trees felled, and trucks overturned by high winds. Eight people died in Kansas in a crash involving more than 50 vehicles, caused by low visibility during a severe dust storm. In Oklahoma, four people were killed as wildfires and strong winds swept across the state.

# Golf: Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy cruised to a St. Patrick’s Day victory at the Players Championship yesterday, defeating J.J. Spaun in a playoff at TPC Sawgrass in Florida. The four-time major champion completed the three-hole shoot-out in one over par, while Spaun’s challenge wilted after a disastrous triple-bogey on the second playoff hole. McIlroy says this is the third time he’s won on St. Patrick’s Day. This is his second Players Championship win of his career and 28th PGA Tour title.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-7-cents and the euro at 19-rand-72-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-48-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-932-dollar-20-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-2-dollars-18-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-87-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….