News 18:00

BULLETIN 28 March 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Motorists will benefit from significant petrol and diesel price cuts next month
# Solidarity demands that the ANC ends the disinformation over the US diplomatic crisis
# And rugby: Australia humiliates the Blitzboks in their second match in Hong Kong

# Motorists can expect a significant drop in fuel prices next week, with petrol decreasing by 64- to 78-cents per litre and diesel by around 90-cents per litre. This comes as month-end data shows a notable over-recovery in fuel prices, driven by stable oil prices and a favorable rand-dollar exchange rate. While the carbon fuel levy will rise by three-cents, it won’t fully offset the price cuts. Official price changes will be announced by the Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources next week.

# Trade union Solidarity says the ANC must stop blaming them and AfriForum for the diplomatic crisis with the US caused by its policies. The union denies allegations of spreading misinformation abroad and clarifies that it has never called for sanctions or claimed genocide against white people in South Africa. Solidarity’s Flip Buys says the ANC’s actions are to blame if South Africa is kicked out of the African Growth and Opportunity Act agreement:

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the chant “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer’, while not deemed illegal by the Constitutional Court, is no longer relevant to the party’s goals. He explained during an interview at the meeting of the party’s national executive committee meeting in Boksburg, Gauteng, that the chant, rooted in apartheid-era resistance, was part of the struggle but has no place in a democratic South Africa:

# Rugby: Australia taught South Africa a sevens lesson by beating them 26-7 in their group match in the world series tournament in Hong Kong. The Aussies scored two tries in the first half and another two in the second half before Selvyn Davids put the Blitzboks on the score-sheet. Earlier, South Africa scored seven tries to beat Uruguay 40-7 in their first group match. They take on New Zealand in their final Pool B match tomorrow morning.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-35-cents and the euro at 19-rand-88-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-80-cents and Bitcoin trades at 84-thousand-464-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-and-82-dollars-80-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-74-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Capitec has announced that Group Executive of the Retail Bank division, Graham Lee, is the new CEO. Lee succeeds Group CEO and founding member Gerrie Fourie who will retire at the annual general meeting in July after 25 years in leadership. Under Fourie’s tenure, Capitec grew to South Africa’s leading digital bank with over 24-million clients. Lee joined Capitec in 2003 and held various strategic positions. The board has confirmed that a smooth transition is underway.

Stay tuned for more news………….