News 07:00

BULLETIN 7 March 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa praises Microsoft’s commitment to South Africa
# Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukrainians want peace, but not at the cost of giving up their country
# And Golf: China’s Wenyi Ding and England’s Jordan Smith lead the Joburg Open

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says artificial intelligence’s transformative potential cannot be understated, and the global community is rushing to harness the opportunities it presents. The president gave the keynote address at Microsoft’s investment and AI skilling initiative announcement in Johannesburg on Thursday. The company will be expanding AI infrastructure and skills development in the country. Ramaphosa says Microsoft’s commitment to South Africa and Africa has been solid, dependable and impressive:

Microsoft president and vice chair, Brad Smith, says meanwhile South Africa’s government should be at the forefront of using artificial intelligence in its applications, which can accelerate the growth of the technology industry. The company is investing more in the country, with a key focus on AI infrastructure investment. Smith says Microsoft will be investing a further 5.4-billion-rand in South Africa, adding to the 20.4-billion-rand that the company has already invested:

# The DA is calling for the swift prosecution of six-thousand government employees who allegedly defrauded the temporary employment relief scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic. This after the Special Investigating Unit revealed that these officials unlawfully received relief funds while still earning their government salaries, costing the country 350-million-rand. The DA’s Leah Potgieter also wants an inquiry into whether officials at the Unemployment Insurance Fund played a role in the fraud.

# The City of Joburg’s Section 79 Finance Committee has adopted a policy to welcome public submissions, enhancing transparency and accountability. The committee’s chair, Mpumi Edward, says key priorities include ICT transformation, fair revenue collection, and accountable financial governance. The committee urges residents and businesses to submit concerns, ensuring financial decisions align with community needs. She reaffirmed the commitment to holding the executive accountable while improving services, infrastructure, and quality of life for all Johannesburg residents.

# Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Russia to agree to a deal on releasing prisoners to establish basic trust for future peace negotiations. He met with European leaders in Brussels on Thursday. In a post on X, Zelenskyy says any truce or trust-building measures can only serve as a prologue to a full and fair settlement, a comprehensive agreement on security guarantees, and the war’s end. He adds that Ukrainians truly want peace, but not at the cost of giving up their country.

# Golf: China’s Wenyi Ding and England’s Jordan Smith opened with rounds of seven-under-par 63 to share the lead of the Joburg Open at the Houghton Golf Club. They lead by one over South Africa’s Malcolm Mitchell and Jayden Schaper, Englishmen Marco Penge and Callum Tarren, and Germany’s Nicolai Von Dellingshausen. Smith, who has not played in weeks due to injuries, says he is pleased with his start:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-14-cents and the euro at 19-rand-57-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-37-cents and Bitcoin trades at 87-thousand-499-dollar-90-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-903-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-56-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….