News 11:00

BULLETIN 8 February 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Trump orders the US to prioritise refugee resettlement of South Africans of European descent
# Pandor calls for proper address of misconceptions amid US-SA tension
# And hockey: Historic South Africa secure first Indoor World Cup semifinal

# President Donald Trump has directed government officials to prioritise the resettlement of South Africans of European descent through the US refugee programme. Trump adviser and South African-born billionaire Elon Musk earlier said the country’s Land Expropriation Act allows racially motivated seizures of land owned by white South Africans. In his order, Trump instructed secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem to prioritise humanitarian relief, including admission and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Programme, for Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination.

In reaction, former International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor has voiced disappointment over Trump and Rubio’s criticism of South Africa. Trump claims that the land expropriation laws mistreat certain groups, while Rubio threatened to boycott the G20 Summit. Pandor called for proper communication and heightened diplomatic efforts, stressing South Africa’s strong ties with the US:

# Eskom has confirmed the suspension of load-shedding, citing a stable power system and replenished emergency reserves. Eskom confirmed that Kusile Unit 3 is back online after repairs, with Units 2 and 1 set for completion by June. Spokesperson Daphne Mokoena says year-on-year diesel savings reached 16.54-billion-rand, a 59.7-percent reduction. She lauded the significant improvement of unplanned outages and energy availability with continuous electricity supply:

# Hockey: The South African Indoor Hockey Men created history in Croatia on Friday as they produced a perfect performance to defeat World number 2 Iran 6-0 and secure a historic first semifinal in any International Field Hockey World Cup. South Africa started the game with the news that their most experienced player Justin Domleo was out for the remainder of the tournament with an injury. The team were almost spurred on to make sure they won the game for their man. South Africa will now face Germany in the semifinals.

# And a river in a suburb of Buenos Aires in Argentina has turned red, sparking concern among residents. According to local media reports it is not the first time the river has changed colour, with residents raising fears of contamination. One resident told La Nacion the river regularly changes colour and sometimes has a thick yellow layer with an acidic smell. The region’s environment ministry said samples of the water would be analysed to find out what is causing the discolouration.

Stay tuned for more news………….