News 08:00

BULLETIN 29 March 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# At least 45 people die in a bus accident near Mokopane
# The IEC refutes claims of removing Arise SA from the ballot 
# And rugby, the Bulls kick of the SA teams’ URC action tonight

# At least 45 people were killed in a bus accident on the R518 in the Waterberg district in Limpopo, with the only survivor an eight-year-old girl. The driver apparently lost control on the Mmamatlakala bridge near Mokopane.  It went over the side of the bridge and caught fire when hitting the cliffs 50 meters below. The bus was travelling from Botswana to Moria for the annual Easter pilgrimage. The minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, meanwhile extended her deepest condolences to the families affected by the tragic accident. The MEC for Transport and Community Safety’s spokesperson, Vongani Chauke:

# The Independent Electoral Commission dismissed claims that it had removed Arise South Africa from the national ballot. Arise SA had marched to the IEC headquarters in Pretoria yesterday, expressing dissatisfaction with their exclusion from the ballot. In a media briefing, the commission’s chairperson Mosotho Moepya addressed technical glitches with provisional lists, attributing some parties’ exclusion to non-compliance. Moepya affirmed the commission’s commitment to transparency and due process:

# The Gauteng Department of Health has put in place measures to ensure continuous healthcare services during the Easter holidays. Travellers are urged to stay vigilant on the roads and avoid driving under the influence of alcohol. Public hospitals and health centres will remain open, with adequate staffing and resources. Gauteng Emergency Medical Services are on high alert with a fleet of one-thousand-358 emergency vehicles deployed. The department’s Motalatale Modiba also urges vigilance regarding cholera and malaria, especially for travellers to endemic areas:

# British insurance market Lloyd’s of London believes Tuesday’s deadly bridge collapse in Baltimore in the US could lead to a multi-billion rand insurance loss. Two people were killed and four remain missing after a Singapore-flagged container ship crashed into a support pylon of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Lloyd’s says the remnants of the bridge are blocking shipping lanes in the Patapsco River and forced the indefinite closure of one of the busiest ports on the US Eastern Seabord. This could lead to huge insurance claims.

# And rugby: The Bulls will be the first South African team in action in the United Rugby Championship this weekend when they take on Leinster in Ireland at 9.30 this evening. Tomorrow, the Sharks will host Scottish team Edinburgh in Durban, while the Lions are away to Ospreys in Wales. Then the Stormers welcome another Irish team, Ulster, to Cape Town. The Bulls are currently second on the log behind Leinster. The Stormers are in fifth position, the Lions in eighth and the Sharks in 14th.

Stay tuned for more news………….