News 16:00

BULLETIN 10 March 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Electoral Commission says an early election date announcement is vital to ensure readiness for the polls
# The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association warns a grid bottleneck threatens solar expansion
# And rugby: The winger Tom Roebuck insists there isn’t acrimony in the English camp

# The Electoral Commission expects the proclamation of this year’s local government election date once voter registration processes are completed. IEC chief electoral official Sy Mamabolo says voters will have until midnight on proclamation day to register. He says an early announcement is vital, as it triggers the election timetable, including voter roll certification, objections, and candidate nominations, ensuring readiness for the polls:

# The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association has warned grid constraints are now the biggest obstacle to renewable energy growth. South Africa has over ten-gigawatts of installed solar capacity and a pipeline of 220-gigawatts of projects. Technical and policy manager Sim Khuluse says investment and technology are available, but limited grid connections are delaying projects, especially in the Northern and Eastern Cape. He says expanding and modernising transmission infrastructure is now critical to unlock the country’s renewable energy potential. 

# Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi says the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital should approach the High Court to save the life of a 15-year-old boy who needs a liver transplant. The Mpumalanga teenager’s family refuses to allow a blood transfusion during the surgery on religious grounds. The family are Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian-based global religious movement. Motsoaledi says while everyone has the right to religion, the right to life supersedes any other rights. He adds there is no way a liver transplant will ever be done without a blood transfusion.

# Rugby: English winger Tom Roebuck has denied the squad was fracturing under pressure following three successive Six Nations losses. Their 12 victories in a row came to a stuttering halt when they lost to Scotland and Ireland, and for the first time to Italy. An argument also ensued between captain Maro Itojé and flyhalf Fin Smith over whether to kick for goal or to the corner during the Italy match. But Roebuck insists the group remains united before Saturday’s final-round match against defending champion France in Paris.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-32-cents and the euro at 18-rand-98-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-93-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-488-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-179-dollars-53-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 91-dollars-15-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The Santa Shoebox Project has welcomed a 200-thousand-rand donation from the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. CEO Deb Zelezniak says part of the money was raised through the Waterfront’s December festive gift-wrapping initiative:

Stay tuned for more news………….