News 07:00

BULLETIN 12 February 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa suggests SONA will balance sober reflection with cautious hope
# The ministry of Justice condemns the threats against the Special Investigation Unit spokesperson
# And, the US Attorney General defends the handling of the Epstein files

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has signalled that economic pressures and fiscal constraints will feature prominently in his State of the Nation Address this evening. He is expected to outline interventions for the coming financial year, deliberating on South Africa’s domestic priorities, as well as the country’s continental and international relations. Ramaphosa has suggested that his address will balance sober reflection with cautious hope, acknowledging progress while confronting persistent structural challenges:

Meanwhile, the IFP says it expects Ramaphosa to deliver a comprehensive and action-oriented State of the Nation Address this evening. It says the president must outline the government’s plans to advance good governance, strengthen service delivery, and drive inclusive economic development. The IFP says in the speech, Ramaphosa must present concrete measures to reduce youth unemployment, alleviate poverty, address rural water scarcity, and strengthen safety and security. It adds that the address must demonstrate measurable progress on last year’s commitments.

# The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development says threats against Special Investigating Unit spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago will not be tolerated. The threats followed Kganyago’s clarification on a ruling involving Omar’s Motor Den, a dealership under investigation for the Tembisa Hospital tenders. Ministry spokesperson Terrence Manase says public officials must carry out their duties without fear, intimidation, or harassment. Manase added that any direct or implied threats are unacceptable and undermine the rule of law:

# The Bakwena Platinum Corridor toll road company is advancing a 276-million-rand rehabilitation of the N1 between the Proefplaas interchange and Pumulani main line toll plaza in Pretoria. The project, which began in August last year and runs until November this year, includes resurfacing lanes, upgrading interchanges, repairing drainage, and replacing road signage. The upgrades aim to improve road safety, traffic flow, and support local jobs and trade. Strict traffic management measures are in place to minimise delays and maintain safe travel for all road users.

# US Attorney General Pam Bondi has defended president Donald Trump’s administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The Justice Department has been criticised both for its resistance to produce every document that was part of the investigation into the late convicted sex offender, and mistakes in redactions when those documents were ultimately released. Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, Bondi stated that officials are doing their best in the time frame allotted in the legislation to protect the victims of Epstein:

# Golf: Four-time major winner Ernie Els headlines a strong South African field for the NTT Data Pro-Am, which gets underway today at the Fancourt Estate in George, Western Cape. The 56-year-old will be joined by defending champion Wilco Nienaber, who joined an exclusive club of only four players to have won this title twice in its 31-year history, and rising star Casey Jarvis. The field also includes Spain’s Pablo Ereno and DP World Tour winners Eddie Pepperell and Matthew Baldwin from England.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-85-cents and the euro at 18-rand-84-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-62-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-916-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-59-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-17-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….