News 11:00

BULLETIN 31 March 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Tau says the investment conference will showcase the impact of the country’s reform agenda
# Business Leadership South Africa says the NPA needs to be appropriately resourced to build and prosecute cases
# And rugby: The Springbok coach says the Nations Championship Tests against England, Scotland and Wales will be a challenge

# Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, says the sixth South African investment conference will showcase a national landscape defined by structural renewal and new economic trajectories. The conference is taking place in Johannesburg today. The government has set a goal of mobilising two-trillion-rand of new investments by 2028. Tau says South Africa’s national strategic landscape, underpinned by the Growth and Inclusion Strategy and the ongoing reform agenda, is a compelling framework for investors:

# Business Leadership South Africa says reform of the National Prosecuting Authority needs to continue, with fundamental changes to entrench its independence. The organisation has been involved in supporting the NPA within clear guardrails that protect its independence, particularly supporting a fund that provides top-level private sector forensic skills to help build cases. CEO Busisiwe Mavuso says the NPA needs financial and operational independence from the Department of Justice. She adds the NPA depends on a functioning and effective police force to investigate, build cases, and undertake arrests. 

# The Gauteng government says the DA’s claims that premier Panyaza Lesufi has failed to coordinate efforts to combat the foot-and-mouth-disease outbreak are unfounded and misleading. The party has criticised the provincial government for allocating 63-million-rand, saying it’s insufficient to protect farmers and the agricultural economy. Spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga says efforts to combat the outbreak are ongoing with the support of the national government:

Moving abroad:

# The White House says talks with Iran are progressing, and president Donald Trump wants to reach a deal with Tehran before coming Monday. This is the deadline Trump set last week after extending an earlier deadline for Iran to open the largely blocked Strait of Hormuz oil route. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has defended Trump’s threat of obliterating Iran’s energy plants and oil wells if it did not open the strait:

# Rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says the inaugural Nations Championship Tests will be a thrilling challenge. The Boks start their campaign against England in Johannesburg on 4 July before facing Scotland in Pretoria a week later and Wales in Durban on 18 July. Erasmus says all three teams will draw inspiration from the fact that they come off a highly competitive Six Nations competition, while the Boks will only begin their season. He adds they will need to hit the ground running to be as competitive as possible.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-11-cents and the euro at 19-rand-62-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-59-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-426-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-560-dollars-13-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 106-dollars-12-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….