News 12:00

BULLETIN 22 March 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# An analyst urges the National Assembly speaker’s resignation amid corruption allegations 
# The Freedom Front Plus vows to fight the Expropriation Bill
# And rugby: An injury in his final Test will leave a Welsh centre on the sideline for months

# Political analyst Ralph Mathekga argues National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s special leave amid corruption allegations isn’t sufficient enough. She is accused of receiving 2.3-million-rand in tender bribes from a contractor to the South African National Defence Force while she was minister of Defence and Military Veterans. Mathekga insists Mapisa-Nqakula’s continued role as speaker compromises Parliament, which is supposed to ensure oversight, and calls for her resignation. Mapisa-Nqakula has handed herself over to police and is expected to appear in a Pretoria court today.

# The Freedom Front Plus says it is abundantly clear that the ANC will do everything in its power and use its numbers to steamroller the Expropriation Bill through before the elections. On Tuesday, the National Council of Provinces approved the bill with additions. Now the legislation has returned to the National Assembly for changes to be approved and then it will be sent to president Cyril Ramaphosa to sign into law. FF Plus leader, Pieter Groenewald, says they strongly oppose any attempts at expropriation without compensation.

# US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, says they will bring a resolution to a vote at the United Nations Security Council today, calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages in Gaza. The US has vetoed three UN ceasefire resolutions. Blinken says the US resolution is an opportunity for the council to speak with one voice to support the diplomacy happening on the ground and put pressure on Hamas to accept the deal:

# Rugby: Welsh centre George North is set for months on the sideline after rupturing an Achilles tendon in his final Test. The 31-year-old will join French club Provence after the current season, and will probably not be able to play for Welsh club Ospreys again. North limped off the field in the dying moments of Saturday’s last-round Six Nations match against Italy which the Azzuri won 24-21, leaving Wales winless this year. He said on social media not everyone gets a fairytale ending. North played 121 Tests for his country.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-99-cents and the euro at 20-rand-54-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-91-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-248-dollars-5-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-166-dollars-58-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-43-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Cycling duo Marinda Pretorius and Ernst Stipp are today setting off to tackle well over one-thousand kilometres from Johannesburg to Blouberg in Limpopo to raise funds for Guild Cottage. It is a haven for 18 young girls who have been rescued from abusive homes and have faced sexual assault. The duo is aiming to cover around 250-kilometres every day and hopes to arrive in Blouberg on the second of next month. Even before they began this enormous challenge, Pretorius and Stipp have already raised over ten-thousand-rand.

Stay tuned for more news………….