News 09:00

BULLETIN 23 March 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The MK Party says the capture of the SABC is a threat to democratic accountability
# Two more bodies are retrieved from the Ekapa Mine in Kimberley
# And, ICE agents will be deployed at US airports

# The MK Party warns that the capture of the SABC, whether through intimidation, censorship or strategic appointments, poses a direct threat to democratic accountability and media freedom in South Africa. This follows claims that the public broadcaster was pressured by the Presidency and the ANC to cancel the popular current affairs show Face the Nation. The MK Party’s spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, says objective reporting and the fearless interrogation of those in power cannot be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency:

Meanwhile, the South African Federation of Trade Unions says the SABC is not, and must never become, a communications arm of the ruling party. Saftu’s Asive Dyani says this cancellation is not an isolated incident, but is part of a long and disturbing pattern of political interference, censorship, and manipulation of the SABC:

# The bodies of another two mineworkers, who were trapped underground at the Ekapa Minerals mine in Kimberley, Northern Cape, have been retrieved. Five miners went missing following a mudslide at the mine last month. The first body was recovered last week. The company says the recovery teams have now established visual contact with the fourth mineworker, and efforts are underway to retrieve the remains safely. It adds that teams are also working towards accessing a final section where a fifth miner is believed to be located.

# US president Donald Trump says Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be deployed to airports across the country to assist with crowd management and support the operations of the Transportation Security Administration. This comes as airline passengers have faced hours-long waits at security checkpoints in recent days, due to the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security. More than 400 TSA agents have reportedly left their jobs since the partial government shutdown began. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport by passenger traffic, is the most affected.

# Soccer: Manchester City defeated Premier League leaders Arsenal 2-0 to win the Carabao Cup for the ninth time at Wembley Stadium in London. Twenty-one-year-old Nico O’Reilly scored twice to secure the victory for City, becoming just the third-youngest player to score a brace in a League Cup final. Arsenal, in contrast, missed the chance to win a first trophy since the FA Cup in 2020. City manager Pep Guardiola, who has now won the competition five times, says it was a tough match:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-12-cents and the euro at 19-rand-77-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-80-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-67-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-360-dollars-21-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 108-dollars-63-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….