News 09:00

BULLETIN 9 March 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Joburg Crisis Alliance supports Ramaphosa’s stance to restore the city
# Minister Kubayi condemns whistle-blower Pamela Mabini’s murder
# And tennis: Svitolina delivers ‘little wins’ for Ukraine with her Indian Wells victory

# The Joburg Crisis Alliance says it is committed to restoring Johannesburg to its former glory. President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed disappointment over the city’s decline, citing governance failures. Ramaphosa also announced plans to establish a Presidential Working Group to ensure a complete overhaul ahead of the G20 Summit. The lobby group’s Neeshan Balton emphasised that it’s time for accountability to ensure Johannesburg functions properly once again:

# Justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has condemned the murder of community activist and whiste-blower, Pamela Mabini, who supported victims in the Timothy Omotoso case. Mabini was shot outside her Gqeberha home by unknown assailants. The department’s spokesperson Terrence Manase says the minister calls for stronger legal protections for activists and authorities to intensify efforts against gender-based violence while encouraging whistle-blowers to remain courageous:

# The DA in Gauteng has welcomed disaster relief efforts but warns against corruption in state funding. DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga says premier Panyaza Lesufi’s involvement raises concerns, given the province’s history of misusing funds. The DA demands full transparency in all disaster-related expenditures, citing the 431-million-rand wasted on sanitising empty schools during Covid-19. The party vows strict oversight to prevent corruption and ensure relief funds reach affected communities.

# A man who climbed up the tower housing Big Ben in an apparent protest finally came down. The barefoot man spent most of the day on a ledge several metres up the Elizabeth Tower holding a Palestinian flag at the Palace of Westminster in central London. Westminster police say the man was arrested. He shared a number of videos on Instagram during his 16-and-a-half-hours on the tower. All of Westminster Bridge was closed on Saturday morning, while officials negotiated with the man from a cherry picker.

# And tennis: Ukrainian Elina Svitolina thanked the Indian Wells crowd for their support of her game and her country after beating American Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 7-6, 6-3 in the second round. Svitolina was cheered on by the fans despite playing an American and soaked in the applause after converting her ninth match point. In an on-court interview she thanked the crowd for their support and said it was nice to deliver little wins for Ukraine. Svitolina has been outspoken in support of her home country since Russia’s invasion three years ago.

Stay tuned for more news………….