News 07:00

BULLETIN 28 February 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Treatment Action Campaign is calling for urgent government intervention
# An explosion kills 11 people at an M23 rally in the DRC
# And rugby: There is good news for the Sharks with the return of Kolisi and Koch

# The Treatment Action Campaign has criticised the US government for cutting funding to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS-funded HIV organisations in South Africa, which receive their funds through the United States Agency for International Development. Pepfar was launched in 2003 to help countries with high HIV infection rates, such as South Africa. The country has received around 145-billion-rand in funding, of which about 8.1-billion-rand was for the current US financial year. Treatment Action Campaign says the government must act swiftly and come up with a plan to save lives.

Meanwhile, the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce has expressed deep concern over the recent cuts to USAID funding, which will significantly impact HIV prevention and treatment programmes in South Africa. The organisation urges the government to act quickly, increase funding, and support local solutions to protect marginalised communities’ rights and health. Director Kholi Buthelezi told the media the cuts are devastating for vulnerable communities, particularly sex workers, and have set back years of progress in combating HIV:

# Build One South Africa has criticised corporate Public Relations campaigns that do little to fix South Africa’s education crisis. Leader Mmusi Maimane called on businesses to invest in long-term solutions like Early Childhood Development centres instead of branded donations. With over three-million learners lacking desks and 81-percent of children unable to read for meaning by age 10, BOSA’s Roger Solomons demands sustainable corporate investment in education:

# The DA in Tshwane says it strongly rejects the approved 2024/2025 adjustments budget, as the ANC coalition wants residents to pay for more water tankers and security companies. The 50.6-billion-rand budget was approved by 116 members of the council, with 88 voting against it. The DA caucus leader and former mayor, Cilliers Brink, says as it stands Tshwane is 334-million-rand behind on the metro’s budget funding plan, which the mayor seems to have abandoned:

# At least eleven people have been killed and around 60 wounded in a blast that ripped through a rally held by the M23 rebels in Bukavu eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. This was the first rally that the Rwanda-backed rebels were holding in the city since capturing it from government forces earlier this month. The rebels have accused the Congolese authorities of orchestrating the attack, saying this cowardly and barbaric act will not be without consequences. DRC president, Felix Tshisekedi, called the attack a heinous terrorist act.

# Rugby: Sharks coach John Plumtree has welcomed back Springbok scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse, who replaces Grant Williams. Williams moves to the bench for the United Rugby Championship match against the Lions in Johannesburg. In the other two changes to the starting team, the injured Trevor Nyakane is replaced by Ruan Dreyer while Deon Slabbert comes in for Corné Rahl at lock, with Vincent Tshituka continuing his role as captain. Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, and Eduan Keyter are back and will start on the bench.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-46-cents and the euro at 19-rand-18-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-26-cents and Bitcoin trades at 82-thousand-664-dollar-10-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-880-dollars-4-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-27-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….