News 11:00

BULLETIN 13 March 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# AfriForum labels the VAT increase as outrageous
# The Gauteng Health Department is grappling to replace USAID funds
# And the UN says children make up almost four in ten victims of trafficking globally

# AfriForum says government’s refusal to introduce cuts, despite widespread opposition to the increase in value-added tax, will now put serious pressure on all South Africans. Finance minister Enoch Godongwana has hiked VAT by 0.5-percentage points for this year and the same increase for next year. AfriForum’s Louis Boshoff says proposals made for cutting expenses, including downsizing the cabinet and the privatisation of state-owned enterprises, have been simply ignored by government:

Meanwhile, public interest law centre SECTION27 says the budget is unconvincing despite welcoming increased investments in education, health, and social protection. Spokesperson Matshidiso Lencoasa emphasises the importance of ensuring constitutional rights, especially for marginalised communities. However, she raises concerns about the planned VAT increases, warning it could negatively impact vulnerable South Africans:

# The Gauteng Department of Health is grappling to replace the 1.4-billion-rand lost from the United States Agency for International Development funding. President Donald Trump’s administration has cancelled 83-percent of USAID programmes globally, saying it does not align with its “America First” agenda. Health MEC, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, says there is no budget or alternative funding sources or partnerships to mitigate the loss of US assistance so far. She adds that divisions that have been negatively affected include HIV testing and counselling and human resources.

# The United Nations says trafficking in children remains a low-cost and low-risk, yet high-profit crime, generating billions annually. According to the latest Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, children account for 38-percent of victims detected worldwide, with a significant increase among girls. Special representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Najat Maalla M’jid, says criminal ringleaders now use artificial intelligence to lower their overheads and reduce the likelihood of detection:

# Tennis: Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is through to the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Masters for the fourth consecutive year. The Spaniard eased past Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov to set up a clash with Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina, who beat Australia’s Alex de Minaur. Alcaraz is aiming to win the tournament for the third time. Twenty-two-year-old American Ben Shelton defeated countryman Brandon Nakashima to become the youngest local quarterfinalist in 21 years. Russia’s Daniil Medvedev and Britain’s Jack Draper are also through to the last eight.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-36-cents and the euro at 19-rand-98-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-78-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-199-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-935-dollars-13-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-63-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….