News 11:00

BULLETIN 14 March 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A criminal expert says Shibiri’s testimony at the Madlanga Commission was contradictory
# The Road Freight Association says global oil pressures are driving local fuel price hikes
# And Eskom celebrates 300 days without load-shedding

# Criminologist Kholofelo Rakubu says suspended SAPS Organised Crime head Richard Shibiri’s testimony before the Madlanga Commission has portrayed him as an unreliable witness. Rakubu told SABC News that Shibiri’s evasiveness and contradictory statements weakened his credibility, a compromised insider and a reluctant co-operator. This includes claims of fear of criminal syndicates as questionable, given evidence suggesting possible links. She highlighted concerns about divisions within the SAPS leadership:

# Road Freight Association CEO Gavin Kelly says global market pressures and a weaker rand are key drivers of rising fuel prices in South Africa. Kelly says international oil supply concerns and geopolitical instability, including the Middle East conflict, have increased crude prices, affecting local fuel pump costs. Kelly warns higher fuel prices will raise transport and logistics costs across the economy. He calls for expansion of alternative energy, synthetic fuel production, and infrastructure to reduce dependence on imported petroleum.

# South Africa has reached 300 consecutive days without load-shedding, marking a major milestone for Eskom’s Generation Recovery Plan. Sustained plant performance has seen the Energy Availability Factor at 65.85-percent, unplanned outages drop 53-percent year-on-year, while diesel costs are down 57-percent. Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokoena says five-thousand-861 megawatts remain in cold reserve while the power utility continues to stabilise the grid, bringing three-thousand-330 megawatts online ahead of peak demand:

Meanwhile, Eskom says introducing a flat electricity tariff is not feasible after Diepkloof residents in Soweto called for a 350-rand monthly rate. Residents marched to Eskom’s Soweto offices opposing the installation of smart prepaid meters. Eskom spokesperson Amanda Qithi says billing must remain based on consumption because households use different amounts of electricity. She adds tariffs are approved by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa.

# President Donald Trump said on Friday the United States obliterated every military target on Iran’s Kharg Island, a critical crude export hub. He also threatened to attack the island’s oil infrastructure if Iran continues blocking ships from traversing the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said any attack on its energy infrastructure will lead to retaliatory strikes on regional facilities linked to America. Iranian state media reported more than 15 explosions but said no oil infrastructure was damaged. Kharg Island is an eight-kilometre stretch of land off the Iranian coast that handles roughly 90-percent of the country’s crude exports.

# And motorsport: George Russell won the Chinese Grand Prix sprint race for Mercedes earlier this morning to stretch his Formula One championship lead. The Briton started on pole position at the Shanghai International Circuit and finished ahead of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton after a late safety car period in the 19-lap race. It’s the first career sprint win for the 28-year-old Russell, who won the Australian Grand Prix last weekend and finished fourth in the 2025 driver standings. The sprint race kicked off the day’s racing ahead of qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix race.

Stay tuned for more news………….