News 06:00

BULLETIN 20 March 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Stage 2 load-shedding was implemented due to the loss of five generation units
# Trump’s envoy says a deal between Russia and Ukraine is imminent
# And cricket: The Indian Premier League carries 3.6-billion-rand prize money this year

# Eskom says it was forced to implement stage two load-shedding yesterday evening, remaining in effect until 5 am today. This is after it lost five generation units before the peak period. Eskom’s spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says they have made notable progress in their generation recovery efforts. She adds that in light of the ongoing system constraints, the public is urged to use electricity sparingly:

# Build One South Africa will today announce legal action to force the government of national unity to provide water to vulnerable communities. Ahead of Human Rights Day tomorrow, the party says ongoing water shortages violate constitutional rights. BOSA spokesperson Roger Solomons says they want the government to guarantee a stable water supply for affected citizens and institutions, calling the crisis a failure of governance that demands urgent intervention:

# The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has urged municipalities to honor agreements with Rand Water amid an over eight-billion-rand debt. Rand Water highlighted issues like illegal connections, infrastructure damage, and non-payment, leading to financial strain. The committee called for improved intergovernmental relations, and partnerships for infrastructure upgrades, to prevent water supply cuts in vulnerable communities. A special-purpose vehicle model was also discussed to ease debt pressures.

# Police in Kwa-Zulu Natal have arrested a 41-year-old Mozambican national linked to multiple vehicle thefts and hijacking in Emanguzi. The suspect, previously convicted in Gauteng and Mpumalanga, was caught on Monday with a stolen truck and trailers. Authorities linked the vehicle to a recent hijacking. Police spokesperson Amanda van Wyk says he was out on bail for similar crimes:

# US envoy Steve Witkoff says technical discussions on a possible deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war will begin Monday in Saudi Arabia, predicting a ceasefire agreement could come as soon as “a couple of weeks.” He expressed confidence in ongoing negotiations following a telephone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Witkoff did not provide details on the upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia, but says it’s time “for the technical teams to dot the I’s and cross the T’s, and everybody is committed to that process.”

# Cricket: Fans of the sport will be entertained big-time for the following two months when the super popular Indian Premier League features ten teams in 74 matches in 13 cities. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will host Saturday’s opening match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, as well as the final on 25 May. Each team will play seven home and seven away games, followed by the three play-off matches and the final. The competition has prize money of 3.6-billion-rand this year.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-11-cents and the euro at 19-rand-75-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-55-cents and Bitcoin trades at 86-thousand-788-dollar-10-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-49-dollars-51-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-89-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….