News 16:00

BULLETIN 17 March 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi secures a second term
# The DA says a Gauteng data breach exposes the failure of premier Lesufi’s administration
# And rugby: Eddie Jones says it would be a mistake to fire Borthwick before the World Cup

# KwaZulu‑Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has been granted a second five‑year term, with premier Thami Ntuli formally endorsing the extension following consultations with national commissioner Fannie Masemola. Mkhwanazi, in office since 2021, is recognised for tackling organised crime and corruption. Ntuli says the renewal signals confidence in his leadership as the province continues efforts to reduce high levels of violent and organised crime.

Masemola has meanwhile told Parliament’s ad hoc committee he questioned the rationale behind a directive to disband the political killings task team during a high-level meeting. He says minister of Police Senzo Mchunu failed to provide clear reasons, despite concerns raised by senior officials. Masemola adds disagreements emerged over whether the unit was truly being dissolved or simply restructured, with members possibly reassigned:

# The DA in Gauteng says premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government has failed to prioritise the upgrading of its digital infrastructure. It says a data breach which affects government systems raises serious questions about the province’s ability to protect sensitive information and critical digital infrastructure used by provincial departments. The DA’s Michael Waters says the breach occurred despite repeated warnings about the deteriorating state of the digital infrastructure:

# Business Leadership South Africa says municipalities like Johannesburg in Gauteng and eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal are losing up to half of their water to leaks due to mismanagement, putting businesses and services at risk. In her weekly newsletter, the organisation’s CEO, Busisiwe Mavuso, says election-year politics is making the problem worse, with officials prioritising short-term gains over maintenance. She calls for urgent vigilance from government, media, citizens, and business to prevent further deterioration, ensure reliable services, and safeguard the economy.

# Rugby: Former England coach Eddie Jones says it would be a huge mistake to fire Steve Borthwick before next year’s World Cup in Australia. Borthwick led the team to 12 consecutive victories at the start of the Six Nations, but that was followed by four losses in a row. Borthwick was Jones’s assistant until he took over from him shortly before the 2023 World Cup. Jones says he did a few things wrong during the Six Nations, but his union should support him rather than sacking him.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-69-cents and the euro at 19-rand-22-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-24-cents and Bitcoin trades at 74-thousand-71-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-and-15-dollars-48-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 99-dollars-61-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….