News 14:00

BULLETIN 17 March 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A policing union calls for exit vetting after a former Special Task Force member’s arrest in Witness D’s murder
# Soil of Africa is calling for the establishment of a special task force dedicated to probing mass shootings
# And cricket: New Zealand squares the T20 series against the Proteas with a 68-run victory in Hamilton

# The Independent Policing Union of South Africa is calling for stricter exit vetting of police members following the arrest of a former Special Task Force member in the murder of Madlanga commission witness Marius van der Merwe. Matipandile Sotheni faces a total of six charges after Van der Merwe was killed in Brakpan in December. The union’s spokesperson, Mpho Kwinika, warns Special Task Force members risk recruitment by crime syndicates, and urges ongoing monitoring after service.

Meanwhile, the commission has heard conflicting testimony about relations between suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Sergeant Fannie Nkosi told the inquiry the pair had periods of both cooperation and tension. He says Sibiya once asked him to help mend relations, suggesting efforts to resolve differences despite ongoing disagreements:

# The Soil of Africa Movement is calling on police to establish a special national task force dedicated to investigating mass shootings and organised violent attacks. This follows the shooting at Eldorado Park in Gauteng over the weekend, where two people were shot dead and six others wounded. The movement’s chairperson, Bongani Ramontja, says law enforcement must deploy increased tactical patrols and high visibility policing in high-risk communities across the country:

# Cricket: New Zealand defeated South Africa’s men by 68 runs in the second T20 in Hamilton to square the five-match series. The hosts posted 175 for six, spearheaded by opener Devon Conway’s 60 and a blistering final over off Proteas captain Keshav Maharaj’s bowling that yielded 25 runs. The Proteas started losing wickets early and the final one fell in the 16th over with just 107 runs on the board. George Linde top-scored with 33. The third T20 will be played in Auckland on Friday.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-72-cents and the euro at 19-rand-24-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-28-cents and Bitcoin trades at 73-thousand-645-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-and-4-dollars-84-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 100-dollars-51-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Police members and paramedics are often the first on the scene when tragedy strikes. According to research from the University of the Western Cape, the higher the levels of stress and psychological distress, the more likely they are to turn to harmful drinking as a way of coping. Professor Anita Padmanabhanunni says a culture of bravado may be the reason why first responders are reluctant to seek help:

Stay tuned for more news………….