News 12:00

BULLETIN 4 March 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Solidarity says the high treason allegations are ridiculous and baseless
# Disabled People South Africa wants to be part of influencing the G20 agenda
# And Dolly Parton’s husband dies after a marriage of almost 59 years

# Solidarity says the investigation of high treason by the Hawks is nothing more than a cheap publicity stunt. The Hawks yesterday revealed that four dockets of high treason have been opened, understood to be against AfriForum and Solidarity. This is over the alleged spreading of misleading information in the US about some of South Africa’s policies, including the Expropriation Act. Solidarity’s CEO, Dirk Hermann, says this is a low point for democracy:

# Disabled People South Africa says the country’s G20 presidency has yet to take any tangible steps to ensure that persons with disabilities have equitable access to information, participation, or the ability to influence the G20 agenda. According to Statistics South Africa, around 7.5-percent of citizens have a disability. The organisation’s national chairperson, Patrick Mahlakoane, says it is imperative that disability-owned businesses benefit from the economic opportunities created by the G20.

# The Public Servants Association is alarmed by the hazardous and deteriorating conditions of the Government Printing Works building on Bosman Street in Pretoria. The association represents the majority of employees at the GPW. PSA’s Claude Naiker says employees are subjected to unbearable and unsafe working conditions, endangering their health and safety. He adds the building, which has extensive structural defects, must be closed:

# Rugby: Scotland’s head coach, Gregor Townsend, has included Matt Currie, Nathan McBeth and Ben Muncaster in his squad for the weekend’s Six Nations match against Wales at Murrayfield. Currie and Muncaster, from Edinburgh, and Glasgow prop McBeth, are rewarded for their good showing for their clubs this past weekend. This follows after Luke Crosbie and Jack Mann had to withdraw through injury. Scotland is currently fourth on the log behind defending champion Ireland, France and England after one victory in their previous three matches.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-61-cents and the euro at 19-rand-53-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-64-cents and Bitcoin trades at 83-thousand-393-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-908-dollars-38-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 70-dollars-54-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Country music icon Dolly Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, has passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 82. The couple met outside a laundromat the day Parton moved to Nashville at 18. They were married in a small ceremony in Ringhold, Georgia, two years later, in 1966. Dean, who was a businessman, having owned an asphalt-paving business, was rarely seen in public with the singer. In a statement, Parton says words can’t do justice to the love they shared for over 60 years.

Stay tuned for more news………….