News 06:00

BULLETIN 18 February 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# John Steenhuisen says the DA’s participation in the government of national unity has been for the good
# BOSA says the jobs crisis deepens as 12.4-million South Africans remain without work
# And, tributes pour in for the US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson

# DA leader and Agriculture minister, John Steenhuisen, says under the government of national unity, real, tangible progress has been achieved, which he credits to his party’s push for reform. He was speaking during the debate on president Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Tuesday. Steenhuisen says the DA has injected competence, fiscal discipline, and pro-growth policies into a system long weighed down by mismanagement and cadre deployment:

# Acting Police minister Firoz Cachalia says the government is stepping up its fight against gang violence, organised crime, and gender-based violence. During the state of the nation debate, Cachalia confirmed that the police and the South African National Defence Force will begin joint deployments, including in the Eastern Cape. He added that senior police managers will face vetting, and reforms from the Madlanga commission will be implemented to restore public trust:

# Build One South Africa says South Africa is facing a deepening jobs crisis, with 12.4-million people unable to find work. The latest survey from Statistics South Africa shows eight-million are officially unemployed, and another five-million classified as potential job seekers. The party urged the government of national unity to grow the economy and create jobs, especially for youth. BOSA’s Roger Solomons says weak education and economic stagnation worsen the problem.

# The GOOD Party in the Western Cape demands an independent investigation from Stellenbosch Municipal manager Geraldine Mettler following alarming reports by The Cape Independent about a possible water crisis and governance failures. The party’s Marius van Stade calls for an external audit of dam levels, infrastructure, expenditures, and engineering capacity since 2019. He says water security affects all residents and demands transparency, accountability, and public disclosure of all findings:

# US president Donald Trump has paid tribute to civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson, describing him as a force of nature with lots of personality, grit, and street smarts. The 84-year-old, who worked with doctor Martin Luther King Junior and twice ran for president of the US in the 1980s, passed away on Tuesday. Former US president Joe Biden says Jackson was unafraid of the work to redeem the soul of the nation, while former vice president Kamala Harris described the civil rights leader as one of America’s greatest patriots.

# Olympics: Los Angeles’ mayor Karen Bass has urged the chairperson of the organising committee for the 2028 Games, Casey Wasserman, to step down. This follows revelations of his interactions with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who was previously the girlfriend of late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Wasserman denies a personal or business relationship with Epstein, and the organising committee decided last week he would stay on after a review, but Bass says the board’s decision is unfortunate.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-1-cents and the euro at 18-rand-97-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-71-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-633-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-878-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-84-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….