News 13:00

BULLETIN 28 February 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Vodacom appeals to the Constitutional Court over the Please Call Me judgment 
# The FF Plus requests the Gauteng Health MEC to urgently settle the dispute with Telkom
# And Soccer: Nigeria stands between Banyana Banyana and qualifying for the Olympics

# Vodacom has approached the Constitutional Court after the Supreme Court of Appeal ordered the cellphone giant to make a fresh determination of the compensation owed to the inventor of “Please Call Me”, Nkosana Makate. The former employee rejected the previous offer of 47-million-rand, and the appeal court found he was due between five- and 7.5-percent of the total revenue of the product over a period of 18 years – estimated at 70-billion-rand. Vodacom was ordered to finalise the new offer by next week.

# The Freedom Front Plus in Gauteng is calling on Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko to urgently settle the dispute with Telkom. The telecommunications provider disconnected phone lines, affecting 83 clinics and 32 hospitals, due to outstanding payments by the provincial Health Department. The department has activated alternative numbers for the health facilities. FF Plus’, Amanda de Lange, says an amicable solution must be found so the phone lines can be restored:

# Multinational beer producer Heineken has invested 2.3-billion-rand in its returnable bottle programme in South Africa, as part of its goal to move to 65-percent returnable glass bottles. This is aligned with the company’s global ambition of net-zero carbon by 2040 as per its Brew a Better World strategy. Heineken is also aiming to complete five green zones in Phillipi, Cape Town, Eldorado Park and Lawley, in Johannesburg in the first half of this year. These are a collection of open parks and meadows complemented by food and flower gardens.

# Soccer: Banyana Banyana will face Nigeria in the final qualifying round for the Olympic Games in Paris. This follows after South Africa beat Tanzania 1-nil in last night’s return leg of their qualifier in Mbombela. This gave Banyana an aggregate victory of 4-nil after they beat their opponents 3-nil in last week’s game in Dar-es-Salaam. The qualifiers against Nigeria will take place in April. Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says she is happy with her team’s performance:

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-25-cents and the euro at 20-rand-80-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-33-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-104-dollars-79-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-25-dollars-40-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-86-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Tshwane University of Technology’s Faculty of Arts and Design presents a ground-breaking concert titled Bolly-Jazz Symphonic Encounter, set to take place on the 16th of next month. This is in collaboration with the University of South Africa’s Music Foundation and the Mzansi Philharmonic. T-U-T says the concert aims to bring together different cultures, with the energetic rhythms of Bollywood, the elegance of jazz, and the rich heritage of South African music.

Stay tuned for more news………….