News 14:00

BULLETIN 8 March 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Water supply is restored to affected health facilities in Gauteng
# Transnet refuses to release the accident report on the Ulundi derailment
# And rugby: Fiji dismisses its sevens head coach for not meeting the desired standards 

# The Gauteng Department of Health has announced the restoration of water supply to several affected health facilities, including Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Helen Joseph Hospital and Zola Community Health Centre. Gauteng Health spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba, says the restoration comes after recent challenges experienced by water utilities:

# Transnet Freight Rail has refused to release the accident report on the Ulundi derailment 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 DA has today served court papers on Electricity minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa in relation to the Section 34 determination to procure two-thousand-500-megawatts of new nuclear power generation. The party contend that the determination was procedurally unfair, and failed to permit public comment on the submissions on which it was based. The DA’s Kevin Mileham says they will therefore be seeking to have it set aside:

# Rugby: Fiji’s governing body has dismissed the head coach of the sevens team, just four months before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris. Ben Gollings has been replaced by Osea Kolinisau, who was captain when Fiji won gold at the 2016 Games in Rio. The country also won the competition at the Tokyo Games. The union says Gollings didn’t meet the desired standards. Fiji is currently third in the sevens world series standings after not being able to win a single tournament this season.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-63-cents and the euro at 20-rand-37-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-90-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-279-dollars-21-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-169-dollars-7-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-2-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Shout-It-Now, in the wake of International Women’s Day, emphasises the need for transparent conversations to address gender stereotypes. CEO Ntombifikile Mtshali highlights the impact of gender stereotypes on both men and women, emphasising that these stereotypes begin at a young age, influencing behaviour and contributing to gender-based violence. She emphasises the lack of safe emotional spaces for men and unequal workplace expectations for women compared to men:

Stay tuned for more news………….