News 09:00

BULLETIN 26 March 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says South Africa’s economy is showing strong signs of recovery
# Meta and YouTube are found liable for a woman’s social media addiction
# And athletics: The London Marathon organisers are considering holding the event over two days in 2027

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the economic progress South Africa has made signals to the world that the country is not only open for business but firmly on the path to recovery. He addressed the official opening of the Ninety One South Africa headquarters in Cape Town yesterday evening. Ramaphosa says the country has experienced four consecutive quarters of gross domestic product growth, national debt has stabilised, and it has generated a primary budget surplus for three consecutive years:

# The Human Sciences Research Council says South Africa faces its toughest pre-election climate in three decades ahead of the 2026 local polls. Its latest survey shows rising frustration, disengagement and declining trust in political leaders. The report also highlights a growing perception that politicians are not listening to citizens’ needs. Research director Ben Roberts warns this could lower voter turnout, with nearly half of eligible voters not registered:

# The ANC in the Ekurhuleni Region has welcomed the State of the City Address delivered by the mayor, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, saying it reflects a clear and honest assessment of the challenges facing the metro. In his address, he highlighted key priorities, including improving basic services, rebuilding Ekurhuleni’s finances, repairing infrastructure, and partnering with the private sector. The ANC says it is encouraged by the mayor’s leadership and decisiveness in confronting complex and longstanding challenges, including matters arising from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

# A California jury has found Meta and YouTube liable for a woman’s social media addiction and for harming her mental health. Jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google, owner of YouTube, intentionally built addictive social media platforms that harmed the 20-year old’s mental health. The woman, known as Kaley, has been awarded just over 100-million-rand in damages. Both Meta and Google plan to appeal the landmark verdict. Kaley’s lawyer, Mark Lanier, says both companies acted negligently:

# Athletics: Organisers of the London Marathon are considering holding the event over two days instead of one from next year. This comes after a record 1.1 million people applied to participate in this year’s edition, a 36-percent increase from the previous year. Organisers say holding the event over two days would allow the elite men’s and women’s races to happen on separate days. It would also allow a world-record 100-thousand amateur runners to take part over the weekend. No formal approval has been granted yet.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-97-cents and the euro at 19-rand-63-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-68-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-842-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-514-dollars-65-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 98-dollars-42-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….