News 14:00

BULLETIN 12 March 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A former Absa executive intends to plead not guilty to murdering his wife
# Motorsport: Cadillac is spoilt for choice with drivers for 2026
# And calls mount for South Africa beverages to carry warning labels amid a diabetes crisis

# A former Absa executive charged with murdering his wife must return to the Somerset West Magistrate’s Court in Cape Town on 13 May. Fifty-four-year-old Jacques Pretorius was arrested on Monday after his wife of six months, Sherri-Ann Jacobs, was found dead in their house in the Strand in 2021. Her death was initially regarded as suicide, but a medical investigation found she was strangled. Pretorius intends to plead not guilty to charges of premeditated murder and defeating the ends of justice. He was granted five-thousand-rand’s bail.

# The Institute of Security Studies says South Africa’s Department of Defence and Military Veterans needs urgent restructuring. With the Defence budget under scrutiny ahead of minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget speech today, ISS founder Jakkie Cilliers warns that years of underfunding have weakened military readiness. He calls for a focus on peacekeeping, police support, and emergency response rather than territorial defence. Cilliers also criticises high personnel costs, urging a younger, more capable force structure.

# The National Council of SPCAs has confirmed severe cost-containment measures implemented by the Department of Correctional Services. This directly affects the feeding of animals kept at the country’s 21 agricultural correctional centres. SPCAs spokesperson, Jacques Peacock, says these animals, including pigs, dairy cattle, poultry, equine used in mounted units, and dogs in the department’s canine units, are now facing critical food shortages:

# Motorsport: Cadillac has at least six drivers to choose from when it makes its return to Formula One next season. It will be the sport’s eleventh team after receiving final approval last week. Team principal Graeme Lowdon says the two drivers decided on will be chosen on merit, as all the potential candidates offer extremely good credentials. The president of F1 governing body the F-I-A, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, says the expansion to 11 teams is an important milestone and Cadillac’s presence will inspire future competitors and fans.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-37-cents and the euro at 20-rand-5-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 82-thousand-450-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-913-dollars-49-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-99-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Research from Wits University shows that over half of South African beverages will soon require warning labels for high sugar and/or artificial sweeteners as the country battles rising diabetes cases. According to the research, 21.4-percent of drinks exceed sugar limits, while 49.8-percent contain artificial sweeteners. The university’s researcher, Siphiwe Dlamini, urges government to include natural sugar levels in regulations to ensure consumers make informed choices:

Stay tuned for more news………….