News 16:00
BULLETIN 12 May 4 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# Ramaphosa says tourism is a major driver of Africa’s economy
# South Africa’s job crisis deepens as unemployment hits 8.1-million people
# And rugby: Ace kicker Kolbe is the top-scorer in Japan’s League One
# President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged African countries to recognise tourism as a major driver of economic growth and job creation. Speaking at the official opening of the Africa Travel Indaba in Durban, Ramaphosa said tourism is a growing sector that helps shape the continent’s image globally. He highlighted the importance of strong infrastructure and called on African nations to create conditions that allow the industry to thrive:
# South Africa’s unemployment crisis has worsened, with 8.1-million people now jobless. Statistics South Africa reports the unemployment rate increased to 32.7-percent in the first quarter, up from 31.4-percent in the previous quarter. This follows a decrease of 345-thousand in employed persons. Stats SA also noted a rise in discouraged work seekers and those unable to find work, highlighting continued pressure on the labour market and a growing challenge for economic recovery.
# The Constitutional Court has upheld an appeal by the Department of Home Affairs ruling on asylum seekers’ re-application. Justice Jody Kollapen overturned an earlier Supreme Court of Appeal decision stating that asylum seekers whose applications have been finally rejected can submit repeat applications while remaining in the country. He says the ruling is to prevent abuse of the asylum system and restore the rule of law in immigration management:
Moving abroad:
# A Dutch hospital quarantined 12 staff members in a preventive measure after blood and urine from a hantavirus patient were handled without observing strict protocols. Radboud University’s medical centre in Nijmegen says the staff members will be quarantined for six weeks, adding the infection risk was very low and patient care continued uninterrupted. International medical officials are working to contain the outbreak of the virus, which hit a luxury cruise ship which has set off for the Netherlands after discharging its final passengers in Spain’s Canary Islands.
# Rugby: Springbok wing Chester Kolbe has ended as the top-scorer in Japan’s League One competition after a brilliant season. His 185 points included nine tries, but the rest came from the kicking tee. That took his total for his club, Tokyo Sungoliath, to 271 in 30 matches, and he can improve on that tally after they’ve reached the final. Kolbe’s prowess with the boot is said to be good news for the Boks, for whom he can provide kicking back-up during a challenging season.
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-51-cents and the euro at 19-rand-39-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-33-cents and Bitcoin trades at 80-thousand-651-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-693-dollars-42-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 105-dollars-70-cents a barrel.
Stay tuned for more news………….