News 18:00

BULLETIN 2 April 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The cabinet approves the overhaul of the immigration and citizenship laws
# The transport minister says unsafe driving and vehicle defects will not be tolerated
# And, the insurance industry surpasses the R5-trillion milestone of assets under management for the first time

# Cabinet has approved the revised White Paper on citizenship, immigration and refugee protection for implementation. Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, says it merges existing laws into one framework to remove contradictions. The policy strengthens visa reforms, digital systems and national security, while introducing the first safe country principle. She added that it also allows designation of jobs for citizens, balancing this with asylum seekers’ right to work legally:

# Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy has warned that unsafe driving and vehicle defects will not be tolerated during the Easter travel period. Launching the Easter road safety campaign on the N1 in Limpopo, Creecy said speeding, drunk driving, failure to wear seatbelts and driving defective vehicles are major contributors to accidents. She has urged motorists to obey traffic laws, ensure vehicles are roadworthy, and prioritise safety throughout the holiday period:

# South Africa’s long-term insurance industry has surpassed five-trillion-rand in assets under management for the first time, reaching 5.2-trillion-rand. The growth was driven by strong market performance in 2025. Insurers remain financially resilient, holding reserves well above regulatory requirements. The sector paid out 626-billion-rand in claims, supporting policyholders. However, concerns are rising over increasing policy lapses, with millions losing cover.

# The United Kingdom is hosting a virtual summit with approximately 35 nations to discuss diplomatic and political strategies for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting, chaired by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, follows Iran’s effective closure of the waterway in late February in retaliation to the U.S.-Israeli attacks. Notable attendees include France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, and Nigeria. The closure has caused a massive disruption to global energy markets, as approximately 20-percent of the world’s oil and gas normally passes through this corridor.

# Olympics: Ukraine has asked the International Olympics Committee for a probe into the neutral status of Russian athletes, accusing some of them of having links to the military. A limited number of Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to participate in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris and this year’s Winter Games in Northern Italy on condition of them not being linked to the military or supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine says it has evidence some of the athletes didn’t adhere to those rules.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-93-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-53-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-38-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-336-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-646-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 105-dollars-65-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….