News 15:00

BULLETIN 26 February 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The IEC is to publish the provisional voters roll today for inspection 
# Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is confident in curbing unit failures for reliable power supply 
# And Rugby: The Blitzboks coach is frustrated by the lack of consistency

# Gearing up for the general elections, the Independent Electoral Commission has released the provisional voters’ roll for inspection. This marks a crucial step in the electoral process, allowing for objections to be lodged until 4 March. The IEC has also called for nominations from political parties and independent candidates, with a deadline set for 8 March. Briefing the media on the state of readiness for the elections, Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo says the final lists will be published on 10 April:

# Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says load-shedding has seen a notable reduction of about 600 hours. The comparison spans between December 2022 and February last year to the same period between 2023 and 2024, marking a substantial reduction from one-thousand-801 hours to one-thousand-217 hours. Ramokgopa said at a news conference this achievement was a positive indicator of improved energy stability, highlighting a decrease in the intensity and frequency of load-shedding. He affirms government’s ongoing commitment to sustaining energy reliability:

# The Department of Public Service and Administration has unveiled Volume-one of the Directive on Human Resources Management and Development for Public Service Professionalisation. Director-General Yoliswa Makhasi hails this as a significant milestone toward enhancing the efficacy, integrity, and accountability of the public service. Makhasi highlights that the directive offers guidance on implementing the Professionalisation Framework, aiming to boost productivity and efficiency. The directive is slated to take effect on 1 April.

# The mystery continues over the whereabouts of a young West Coast girl who disappeared a week ago. Six-year-old girl, Joslin Smith’s mother, Kelly, left her at home with her boyfriend in their Middelpos, Saldanha Bay, home because the girl was feeling unwell. She was nowhere to be found when Smith returned. Rewards for information have increased to 120-thousand-rand, while the community and members of the local Naval Base have joined in the search. Police have meanwhile asked people to refrain from sharing fake news about the situation.

# Rugby: Springbok Sevens coach, Sandile Ngcobo, says consistency has been lacking in their performances in the World Sevens Series so far this year. The Blitzboks defeated Australia 24-7 to finish a disappointing ninth place in the Canada Sevens in Vancouver. South Africa has now dropped to sixth in the overall standing after four tournaments. Ngcobo says the positive finish in the last two games, beating Canada and Australia, showed what can be done:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-27-cents and the euro at 20-rand-91-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-47-cents and Bitcoin trades at 51-thousand-138-dollars-75-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-32-dollars-8-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-26-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….