News 17:00

BULLETIN 6 March 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa warns of governance failures and infrastructure challenges in Gauteng
# OUTA battles the RTMC over secretive billion-rand transaction fees
# And the Western Cape government mourns the passing of actress Crystal-Donna Roberts

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that governance failures and poor infrastructure in Gauteng threaten progress in the province. Addressing provincial leaders in Johannesburg, he highlighted financial mismanagement, unreliable service delivery, and rising crime. Ramaphosa urged government leaders to work together more effectively to tackle these challenges, boost economic growth, and create jobs, as the province’s success is vital for South Africa’s economy:

# The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse is challenging the Road Traffic Management Corporation over its secretive handling of nearly one-billion-rand in transaction fees. The organisation alleges the RTMC has refused to reveal how it calculates these fees for motorists, despite over two years of requests for the information. OUTA’s Andrea van Heerden argues this lack of transparency undermines public trust, especially since the corporation has accumulated a large surplus:

# Johannesburg council speaker, Nobuhle Mthembu, has raised concerns over the safety of councillors, saying the finalisation of the Councillor Safety Policy is important. This follows the murder of ANC councillor Zakhele Mathe last month. Currently, councillors have no bodyguards but can get protection from the Johannesburg Metro Police when needed. Mthembu says her office remains committed to working with law enforcement to ensure councillors can serve communities without fear.

# On to sports news: The Australian tennis champion and former world number one, Fred Stolle, was hailed for his excellence, dedication and profound love for the game after his death, aged 86. He won 19 Grand Slam titles and then became a legendary commentator. Stolle won the French Open in 1965 and the US Open the next year. His other Grand Slam titles came from doubles, where he won all four men’s Grand Slam tournaments at least twice. Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley describes Stolle as an iconic figure.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-25-cents and the euro at 19-rand-74-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-51-cents and Bitcoin trades at 90-thousand-198-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-900-dollars-98-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-46-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the Western Cape government has expressed its sadness following the death of actress Crystal-Donna Roberts. She died of cancer, aged 41. Roberts was known for her roles on screen and stage, her portrayal of Krotoa in the film with the same name, and Janice in Arendsvlei which earned her accolades, including best actress awards. MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie, praised Roberts’ passion and dedication. He hails her legacy, stating that it will live on in her contributions to South African entertainment.

Stay tuned for more news………….