News 18:00

BULLETIN 5 March 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A Home Affairs corruption probe unveils official implications and systemic irregularities
# The PSA demands stringent measures after a Braamfontein student’s killing
# And motorsport: Sergio Pérez wants more Red Bull success in Saudi Arabia this weekend

# Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has intensified corruption investigations into visa and permit issuance, prompting the Hawks’ involvement. The Special Investigating Unit will also probe corruption spanning from 2004 to present. Progress from the task team has unveiled evidence implicating officials in fraudulent approvals. Anomalies with the issuing of retirement permits, issued to retirees intending to live in South Africa only for limited or seasonal periods, have also been identified. Investigations have further uncovered irregular processing times and discrepancies in documents. 

# The Public Servants Association is urgently calling for the deployment of more trained and visible police members in response to the recent shooting in Braamfontein, Gauteng. The PSA expressed sorrow as armed suspects, in broad daylight, took the lives of two men in a car, while a student in a bus was fatally wounded and another hospitalised. The association’s Olivia Mashigo says despite assurances of drone cameras, criminal activities persist. Mashigo urges the provincial government to swiftly safeguard public spaces frequented by students and workers:

# Human rights groups say Iran executed a total of at least 834 people last year, the highest number since 2015, as capital punishment surged in the Islamic republic. The number of executions, which are carried out by hanging, was up some 43-percent on 2022. It marked only the second time in two decades that over 800 executions were recorded in a year, after 972 executions in 2015.

# Motorsport: Formula One moves on from Bahrain to Jeddah for this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. It was Max Verstappen who once again dominated at the opening race, to continue where he left off last season. His Red Bull teammate, Sergio Pérez, was second. The Mexican hopes to improve further at this weekend’s race in Jeddah:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-94-cents and the euro at 20-rand-55-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-5-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-544-dollars-70-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-132-dollars-34-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-40-cents a barrel.

# And finally: South Africa’s civil aviation sector has shown excellent results following audit outcomes from international safety and security organisations. This includes the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration. Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga says ICAO rated the country’s safety oversight system at 91.11-percent, placing it at number one in Africa and number 18 globally. She says South Africa still holds the European Union’s recognition for the States cargo security system:

Stay tuned for more news………….