News 18:00

BULLETIN 14 May 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Eskom says the power system remains constrained despite a slight improvement
# AfriForum blames president Cyril Ramaphosa for the Afrikaner exodus
# And rugby: The Stormers welcome back tighthead prop Neethling Fouché for the URC clash against Cardiff

# Eskom says while there’s been a slight improvement in unplanned outages, the power system remains under pressure. Stage two load-shedding will continue during evening peak hours from 4 pm to 10 pm today and tomorrow. Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena says the measure is necessary to manage demand and maintain grid stability:

# AfriForum says president Cyril Ramaphosa must take responsibility for the growing emigration of Afrikaners, instead of insulting them by calling them cowards. The organisation’s CEO, Kallie Kriel, says Ramaphosa’s refusal to condemn the ‘Kill the Boer’ chant, his support for the Basic Education Laws Amendment and Expropriation Acts, and the use of what AfriForum calls discriminatory racial laws, are driving Afrikaners away:

# Transport minister Barbara Creecy has confirmed that a request for information on passenger rail will be released in the coming weeks. Speaking at the Africa Rail 2025 conference in Sandton, Johannesburg, she reaffirmed the state’s ownership of rail infrastructure to maintain pricing control. Creecy also announced a forthcoming rail masterplan, guiding freight and passenger rail development to 2050. She says these reforms aim to attract private sector investment:

# The National Consumer Commission has announced urgent vehicle recalls affecting top brands across South Africa. Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler 300C models from 2014 to 2016 face dangerous Takata airbag defects. Citroën 2009 to 2016, Mercedes-Benz 2020 and 2023, Audi from October 2021, Volkswagen since April 2025 and Volvo models 2020 to 2022 are impacted by brake, battery, and seatbelt faults. The commission says these pose serious risks, including brake failure. Affected vehicle owners are urged to visit authorised dealerships immediately for inspection and critical repairs.

# Rugby: Stormers’ tighthead prop Neethling Fouché is back in the team after serving a three-week ban after receiving a red card for head contact in their match against Ulster. His initial ban of four weeks was reduced to three because he completed a World Rugby coaching intervention programme. Fouché is now available for the Stormers’ final United Rugby Championship round-robin game against Cardiff at the Cape Town Stadium on Friday. His return is a big boost for John Dobson’s team, who is currently fifth on the log.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-25-cents and the euro at 20-rand-45-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-27-cents and Bitcoin trades at 103-thousand-192-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-182-dollars-94-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-10-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….