News 08:00

BULLETIN 31 March 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA is calling for an urgent parliamentary debate on the fuel price hikes
# The parliamentary ad hoc committee is likely to request another deadline extension
# And rugby: Tuks, Eagles, Maties, and UJ are through to the Varsity Cup semifinals

# The DA has written to National Assembly speaker, Thoko Didiza, requesting an urgent sitting to discuss the imminent fuel price hike. Current estimates from the Central Energy Fund note that petrol is expected to jump by about six-rand a litre and diesel by roughly ten-rand from tomorrow. Finance minister Enoch Godongwana has established a Cabinet committee to look into the impact of the Middle East conflict as a whole, including the oil price surge. The DA’s Mark Burke says this is a matter of national importance:

Meanwhile, the Motor Industry Staff Association urges the government to urgently reduce fuel levies as South Africans from Wednesday face their sharpest petrol and diesel price increases yet. The surge, driven by global oil shocks, comes as electricity tariffs also rise, leaving households under severe financial strain. MISA’s Phakamile Hlubi-Majola warns that workers are being squeezed, families must make tough choices, and jobs in the motor industry are at risk:

# Parliament’s ad hoc committee, investigating allegations of corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system, is set to meet today to discuss whether to request another extension. In February, the National Assembly granted the committee its third extension until March 31st to finalise its report. Since its establishment in July last year, the committee has heard from nearly 30 witnesses and has also received close to 300 documentary submissions. The committee’s draft report is reportedly being worked on.

# Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the US-Israeli war on Iran has achieved more than half its aims, but refuses to give a timeline on when it would end. The Israeli Defence Force has struck 170 targets belonging to the Iranian regime over the past 24 hours, including sites it said were linked to weapons research and production. Netanyahu told US TV company Newsmax that the Gulf Arab states are privately urging America to accelerate its military campaign against Iran and hit harder:

# Rugby: The University of Pretoria-Tuks remained top of the Varsity Cup log with a dominant 51-22 victory over the University of Johannesburg, who have made the semifinals. North West University-Eagles secured a home semifinal and denied University of Cape Town-Ikeys a chance to defend their title after recording a narrow 56-53 victory. University of Stellenbosch-Maties booked their place in the semifinals with a 45-23 victory over Central University of Technology Ixias. This result confirmed Ixias’ automatic relegation. Debutants, the Emeris thrashed the University of the Free State-Shimlas 41-19.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-13-cents and the euro at 19-rand-66-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-63-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-792-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-562-dollars-57-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 105-dollars-37-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….