News 13:00

BULLETIN 28 March 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Presidency releases an 18-month progress report on the Energy Action Plan 
# The DA urges minister Thoko Didiza to provide drought relief assistance to farmers 
# And rugby: The Wallabies veteran Michael Hooper turns to sevens

# The Presidency has released a detailed update on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan, showing significant progress in ending load-shedding. Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says the plan aims to reduce the severity of load-shedding and achieve energy security in the long term through fast-tracking the procurement of new generation capacity from renewables, gas and battery storage:

# The DA calls on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development minister, Thoko Didiza, to urgently provide drought relief assistance to farmers affected by the El Niño effect. The party states with maize harvest estimates down and trade hurdles exacerbating challenges, farmers face financial ruin. They demand relief packages and incentives for farmers, ensuring preparation for the next season. The DA’s Noko Masipa says government must act swiftly to support farmers and safeguard food security:

# A slow-moving cyclone that unexpectedly turned toward Madagascar has killed eleven people in the island nation as high winds ripped down trees and torrents of water rushed through villages, washing away houses. Cyclone Gamane was projected to skim the island that sits in the Indian Ocean east of southern Africa, but changed course and made landfall in the north yesterday. Six people have drowned and five others were killed by collapsing houses or falling trees.

# Rugby: Wallabies veteran Michael Hooper is switching to sevens in a bid to represent Australia at the Olympic Games in Paris. The loose forward played 125 Tests, but wasn’t picked for last year’s World Cup where the country failed to reach the play-offs for the first time in history. The 32-year-old has been included in a group of 13 players for the Hong Kong Sevens, taking place next weekend. Coach John Manetti says they are excited to have the experienced Hooper in their group.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-7-cents and the euro at 20-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-1-cent and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-640-dollars-2-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-195-dollars-40-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-64-cents a barrel.

# And finally: One of South Africa’s greatest jazz icons, Abdullah Ibrahim, will launch his M7 Foundation in Johannesburg next month. The Germany-based musician returns home to South Africa after a five-year absence, to perform in Cape Town and Pretoria on the 12th and 14th of next month, respectively. This is part of his world tour, which kicked off last week Sunday in Bergamo, Italy. Ibrahim says the foundation is testament to his commitment to nurturing young talent and preserving the rich legacy of South African jazz.

Stay tuned for more news………….