News 08:00

BULLETIN 6 March 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Buthelezi will introduce the Whistleblower Protection Bill in Parliament
# President Ramaphosa is undertaking a two-day oversight visit to Gauteng
# And Emmanuel Macron warns that Russian aggression knows no borders

# Public Service and Administration minister Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi has announced plans to introduce a Whistleblower Protection Bill in parliament this year. Speaking at the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group meeting, Buthelezi emphasised safeguarding whistleblowers to strengthen public sector accountability. The minister emphasised that South Africa aims to enhance transparency and ethical governance. He reaffirmed the need for long-term commitment and collaboration in the fight against corruption:

# The DA says it has seen a letter by Trade, Industry, and Competition minister, Parks Tau, informing lotto bidders that he will issue a request for proposal for the appointment of a temporary national lottery operator. Two weeks ago, the minister postponed the awarding of a new national lottery licence to next year. The DA’s, Toby Chance, says minister Tau must answer on what provisions of the Lotteries Act he is empowered to issue a further temporary licence, following the expiry date of the current licence:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to visit Gauteng today and tomorrow, where he will meet with the provincial executive committee and the leadership of the Johannesburg Metro Council. He will also engage with various stakeholders in the City of Johannesburg. The provincial executive will present to Ramaphosa its five-year programme. The presidency says these engagements seek to enhance intergovernmental coordination and improve service delivery. This is in line with the priorities of the seventh administration and the integration and partnership called for by the District Development Model.

# French president Emmanuel Macron has warned that Russian aggression knows no borders and is a direct threat to all of Europe. In a televised address, Macron says Europe must be prepared to defend Ukraine alone without further assistance from the US under Donald Trump’s administration. He reiterated his willingness to commit French troops as a potential peacekeeping force in Kyiv if a ceasefire is reached. In a post on X, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Macron for his clear vision and efforts to achieve peace.

# Cricket: South Africa’s ODI captain Temba Bavuma has expressed disappointment at being knocked out of the Champions Trophy, saying they needed to be more decisive in their run-chase. The Proteas failed in another ICC knockout match, falling by 50 runs to New Zealand in the semifinal in Lahore. Bavuma admitted 363 was always going to be a tough chase, and they needed all of their batters to stand up and string partnerships:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-29-cents and the euro at 19-rand-75-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-58-cents and Bitcoin trades at 91-thousand-763-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-922-dollars-28-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-58-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….