News 11:00

BULLETIN 19 March 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC maintains the registering process of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party was unlawful
# Minister Lamola approves the extradition request for the Ndimande brothers linked to AKA’s murder
# And, Commonwealth Games: Malaysia may host a downsized event in 2026

# The Electoral Court in Bloemfontein will today hear the ANC’s application challenging the registration of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party. In papers submitted to the Electoral Court, the ANC argues there were procedural flaws in the way MK was registered by Deputy Chief Electoral Official Mawethu Mosery. The MK Party, backed by former president Jacob Zuma, has submitted in papers that its registration is lawful. The ANC says the court’s decision will go a long way to preserving the electoral system.

# Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, has approved and transmitted a request for the extradition of Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande from Eswatini to South Africa. The brothers are linked to the murders of rapper Kiernan AKA Forbes and his friend Tebello Motsoane in Durban last year. A total of seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the murders. The department’s spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, says South Africa is ready to cooperate with Eswatini on this matter:

# Johannesburg mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda, says an investigation is underway to determine the source of the Eikenhof pump station’s power failure and its impact yesterday evening. A lighting strike is suspected to be the cause of the trip. Two weeks ago, a lightning strike, which affected the Orlando substation, started a series of water outages in the city. Gwamanda says a few water supply systems have been affected and are empty, but a comprehensive assessment will be made. Systems affected include the Waterval Tower and the Orlando East Reservoir.

# Commonwealth Games: Malaysia’s government will decide this week if it will host a downsized Games in 2026 while the Commonwealth Games Federation is struggling to get a new host. The Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year due to spiralling costs. It later agreed to pay a 4.5-billion-rand settlement offer. The federation offered Malaysia 2.4-billion-rand to organise the event it last hosted in 1998. Cost-cutting measures will include smaller opening and closing ceremonies, using standard hotels and accommodation for athletes, and only ten sports instead of 15.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-99-cents and the euro at 20-rand-63-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-13-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-211-dollars-31-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-155-dollars-73-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 86-dollars-72-cents a barrel.

# And finally, Social Development minister, Lindiwe Zulu, says government appreciates the significant role social workers play in the country and in communities. Today is World Social Work Day, commemorated under the theme, Shared Future for Transformative Change. The department’s spokesperson, Lumka Oliphant, says this day emphasises the need for social workers to adopt innovative, people-centred, and community-led interventions, that are grounded in indigenous wisdom and harmonious co-existence:

Stay tuned for more news………….