News 17:00
BULLETIN 23 March 5 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# AfriForum wins the court battle for access to Eskom’s coal contracts
# The former EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi urges the protection of Mkhwanazi amid the political clash
# And tennis: Carlos Alcaraz eyes the clay court season after an early Miami exit
# AfriForum has secured a final legal victory compelling Eskom to disclose its coal, diesel and electricity supply contracts. The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein dismissed Eskom’s bid to overturn a 2024 ruling, with costs. Eskom must now provide the requested records. AfriForum’s Morné Mostert says the decision will enable scrutiny of procurement processes and promote transparency in how public funds are spent:
# Political commentator and former EFF Member of Parliament, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, has called on South Africans to protect KwaZulu-Natal Police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, warning that failing to defend whistleblowers could turn the country into a mafia state. His remarks follow criticism by EFF leader Julius Malema over the weekend, who denied corruption claims and described Mkhwanazi as a coward. Ndlozi says the focus should remain on exposing alleged criminal networks within police and political structures.
# Environmentalists suffered a setback today when Germany’s top appeals court threw out their cases seeking to ban Mercedes-Benz and BMW from selling new combustion-engine cars from November 2030. The federal court in Karlsruhe upheld lower court rulings against the lawsuits, brought by three managing directors from an environmental and consumer protection association. The body based its case on a “carbon budget” calculated for each of the two automakers. But the court ruled that no such budget had been allocated to individual companies. Both Mercedes-Benz and BMW welcomed the ruling while stressing their commitment to sustainability.
# Tennis: World number one Carlos Alcaraz remains confident his game is improving despite losing to Sebastian Korda at the Miami Open. Alcaraz said after a few days to reset he will be turning his attention to the clay court season. His 2026 Australian Open title made the 22-year-old the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. Alcaraz says every lower-ranked player comes out swinging freely against him, and he tries not to let that pile pressure on him. He says he is confident that he is still on the right track.
# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-82-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-50-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-56-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-684-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-438-dollars-41-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 97-dollars-32-cents a barrel.
# And finally: The Department of Health urges South Africans to prioritise regular eye tests to prevent vision loss. The call comes as the department marks World Optometry Day, highlighting the importance of early detection of eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma. The department’s Foster Mohale says unhealthy lifestyles and uncontrolled diabetes increase the risk of eye disease, and is encouraging the public to adopt healthier habits:
Stay tuned for more news………….