News 13:00

BULLETIN 8 March 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Transnet refuses to release the accident report on the Ulundi derailment 
# The FF Plus requests more oversight over the allocation of contracts in Tshwane 
# And cycling: Several roads will be closed for the Cape Town Cycle tour 

# Transnet Freight Rail has refused to release the accident report on the derailment near Ulundi in KwaZulu-Natal in November 2022, citing confidentiality. An insider has disclosed however that the train was allegedly traveling at three times the speed limit. This resulted in the derailment of 97 out of the 100 wagons, leaving only the front three and the locomotives on the track. The accident caused 14 days of disruption, with estimated losses between 1.9-million and 2.8-million tonnes of output. Transnet Freight Rail reportedly lost 55-million-rand daily in revenue.

# The Freedom Front Plus in Tshwane says it has requested that a task team be appointed to exercise more oversight over contracts concluded between the metro and service providers. This follows a Public Accounts Committee report which was recently tabled in council. FF Plus’s Mari Joubert says according to the report, many question marks are hanging over the Line2B project, which includes roadworks to Lynnwood and Atterbury Road:

# Research reveals alarming statistics on child trafficking, with nearly half of cases involving family or friends. A21 country manager Katie Modrau says in 2023, 16.7-percent of trafficking cases were by family members and 14.3-percent by friends. Commenting on the disappearance of Joslin Smith, Modrau noted the involvement of her mother, Kelly, and her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, as suspects, citing the concerning trend:

# Cycling: The 46th Cape Town Cycle Tour will take place this weekend and motorists are being warned of several road closures. Routes along the Cape Town CBD including Darling, Strand, Adderley and Riebeek streets will be affected. In Green Point, Helen Suzman Boulevard from Beach Road to the traffic circle will also be affected.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-66-cents and the euro at 20-rand-40-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-92-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-267-dollars-26-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-167-dollars-30-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-71-cents a barrel.

# And finally: A new gender report commissioned by Open Doors International reveals a shocking increase in gender-specific religious persecution faced by Christian women and girls. This report comes as the world commemorates International Women’s Day. It highlights that women and girls experience more complex and multifaceted persecution compared to men and boys. Specific forms of persecution include sexual violence, forced marriages, and psychological and physical violence. The report emphasises the urgent need for awareness and action to address these alarming trends.

Stay tuned for more news………….