News 17:00

BULLETIN 31 March 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# An education activist demands swift justice for a seven-year-old Eastern Cape girl who was raped at school
# French far-right leader Marine le Pen is banned from running for office for five years
# And golf: Local and international stars converge on Modderfontein for the Joburg Ladies Open

# Education activist Hendrick Makaneta has called for swift action by law enforcement to bring justice for a seven-year-old girl raped at Bergview College in the Eastern Cape, named Cwecwe. Makaneta condemned the safety failures, urging the Department of Justice and Eastern Cape Education officials to prioritise the case. He emphasises the collective responsibility to protect children and create a safer, more just society:

# The minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, has announced the allocation of 1.4-billion-rand in disaster relief funds to assist five provinces affected by recent disasters. The funds will support the repair of infrastructure, restore basic services, and aid local economies in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal. Hlabisa told the media, the money will help repair schools, clinics, and roads, and bolster the recovery of impacted communities:

# The City of Cape Town has officially launched its ambitious place marketing, tourism and investment campaign in India. The city’s trade mission is aimed at securing new business opportunities, boosting tourism, and driving job creation by strengthening ties with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Mayoral committee member for Economic Growth James Vos says this mission is about positioning Cape Town as the ideal African gateway for investment and tourism:

# A French court has banned far-right leader Marine le Pen from running for office for five years, throwing into doubt her bid to stand for president in 2027. She was also sentenced to a four-year prison term, to be served with an electronic tag, drawing criticism from her party and other far-right leaders. Fifty-six-year-old Le Pen and eight other figures from her National Rally party were convicted over a scheme where they took advantage of European Parliament expenses to employ assistants who were actually working for the party.

# Golf: Johannesburg will host local and international stars in the Joburg Ladies Open this week. The tournament, co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Ladies Tour and the Ladies European Tour, will be played at the Modderfontein Club from Thursday. It will feature all of the top-ten players in the local Order of Merit, including number one, Casandra Alexander, as well as seven of the top European Tour players. Defending champion, Chiara Tumburlini of Switzerland, will also return. Prize money this year is 5.9-million-rand.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-37-cents and the euro at 19-rand-87-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-79-cents and Bitcoin trades at 82-thousand-727-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-122-dollars-88-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-71-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….