News 07:00

BULLETIN 11 March 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fikile Mbalula says the ANC supports Enoch Godongwana
# AfriForum slams NHI draft regulations
# And Ukraine is now the world’s largest arms importer

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the party fully supports minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana as he prepares to deliver the budget speech on Wednesday. The budget was sent back to the drawing board last month when parties in the government of national unity rejected a proposed two-percent value-added tax increase. Mbalula says he is optimistic that the minister will be able to table the budget in Parliament:

# AfriForum has criticised the newly published draft regulations for the National Health Insurance Act, calling them unclear and poorly written. AfriForum campaign officer Louis Boshoff argues that the regulations fail to provide clarity on how the system will function, raising concerns about government’s ability to manage it. He says that the regulations are vague and contradictory, reinforcing calls for the NHI Act to be scrapped rather than implemented:

# Law firm Webber Wentzel has been appointed to investigate the awarding of two 18-billion-rand contracts by senior officials at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. The contracts for the installation of train signalling equipment in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape were awarded to companies that did not meet the requirements. Transport minister Barbara Creecy says Webber Wentzel’s terms of reference include investigating the alleged procurement irregularities, fraudulent payments, non-compliance with bid bonds, and awarding of unlawful contracts and non-payments to subcontractors.

# The case against six men accused of murdering 18 people in Lusikisiki has been transferred to the High Court in Mthatha. National Prosecuting Authority’s Luxolo Tyali says the case relates to a deadly attack in Ngobozana Village and the killing of politician Mncedi Gijana in KwaBhaca last year. He confirmed that the accused, face charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and 18 charges of murder:

# Ukraine has become the world’s largest arms importer, accounting for 8.8-percent of arms imports between 2020-to-2024. This is according to data collected by the Swedish think tank, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The US, the world’s largest arms exporter, supplied almost half of the weapons sent to Ukraine, followed by Germany and Poland. Russia has fallen to third behind France in the think tank’s list of arms exporters, accounting for 7.8-percent of global exports. China and Germany are fourth and fifth on the list.

# Rugby: Wales have suffered a double blow as wings Josh Adams and Tom Rogers have been ruled out of the Six Nations finale against England in Cardiff on Saturday. Adams has been suffering from a hamstring injury, while Rogers suffered a fractured thumb during the 35-29 loss to Scotland and will require surgery. Wales, who have lost their previous 16 internationals, will face an England side that has won their past three games and have a slim chance of winning the Six Nations.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-33-cents and the euro at 19-rand-84-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-59-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-549-dollar-44-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-888-dollars-64-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-19-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….