News 14:00

BULLETIN 7 March 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Western Cape MEC of Health and Wellness confirms the custody of Joslin Smith’s siblings 
# BOSA confirms it will contest the 2024 elections
# And rugby: Brok Harris will captain the Stormers in a UK friendly 

# Western Cape MEC of Health and Wellness, Nomafrench Mbombo, has confirmed that Joslin Smith’s siblings are safe with family as minors. This follows Joslin’s mother, Kelly, and her boyfriend, Jacquin “Boeta” Appollis, being among four accused in her disappearance. Mbombo says they appeared in the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court this morning on trafficking and kidnapping charges:

# Build One South Africa says it has successfully secured a spot on all ballots for the 29 May elections, gathering over 140-thousand signatures of support. With 120 candidates selected nationwide, the party aims to introduce fresh faces to Parliament and provincial legislatures, and boasts over one-thousand volunteers campaigning daily. Briefing the media outside the Independent Electoral Commission’s offices in Tshwane, party leader Mmusi Maimane says premier candidates will be announced soon:

# The Azanian People’s Organisation says if South Africa is to deliver a serious blow to crime in the country, all guns should be removed from society. This means only the country’s security forces will be allowed to carry guns. More than 20-thousand people are murdered annually, with only ten-percent of these solved. AZAPO’s spokesperson, Jabu Rakwena, says there is overwhelming evidence that the reason for the violence in the country is the ease with which ordinary people can access lethal weapons:

# Rugby: Experienced prop Brok Harris will lead the Stormers in a friendly encounter with Northampton Saints in England on Saturday. The Stormers will face the Premiership log-leaders for the first time in a groundbreaking match, which kicks off at 4:30 pm South African time. There are seven more forwards on an extended bench, with rolling substitutions set to see all 26 players get gametime. Dan du Plessis and Wandisile Simelane form an exciting midfield partnership in the starting team. Jurie Matthee will start at flyhalf with Stefan Ungerer at scrumhalf.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-79-cents and the euro at 20-rand-47-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-96-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-934-dollars-98-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-156-dollars-77-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-34-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The South African Human Rights Commission has found that school uniform policies in certain schools infringe on learners’ dignity, particularly affecting gender non-conforming learners. The reports indicate overregulation of appearances and discriminatory practices. The commission advocates for gender-neutral uniform policies and opposes regulations on hair length and colour. Other recommendations include auditing school codes, assessing uniform costs, and amending guidelines to align with the commission’s findings. The Department of Basic Education is given six months to address these concerns.

Stay tuned for more news………….