News 14:00

BULLETIN 19 May 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus receives the National Order of Ikhamanga
# FOSA calls for full transparency on the constitutional risks associated with the National Health Act
# And the Trump administration is proposing increasing the refugee admissions for white Afrikaners

# We start with good news: President Cyril Ramaphosa has awarded Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus the Order of Ikhamanga during an investiture ceremony in Pretoria. The award is South Africa’s highest honour in sport, arts and culture. Erasmus, a two-time World Cup-winning coach, was praised for using rugby to unite South Africans across divides. This follows his honorory doctorate from the North-West University. NWU has described him as an inspiration whose leadership continues to shape national pride and social cohesion.

# The Forum for South Africa is calling for full transparency on the constitutional risks associated with the National Health Act. The Constitutional Court declared Sections 36 to 40 unconstitutional. The disputed sections sought to grant the state power to dictate where healthcare providers could operate, who they could employ and what training they could provide. FOSA leader, Tebogo Mashilompane, says this ruling is a clear and necessary rebuke of legislative overreach:

# Pick n Pay announced it would sell down a further 11.5-percent of its subsidiary Boxer chain worth up to 4.7-billion-rand to shore up its balance sheet and ensure the turnaround under Sean Summers is seen to fruition. The announcement would see the chain end up with about 54-percent of Boxer, from the current more than 65-percent. The group adds it is committed to retaining a controlling stake in Boxer as it continues to be a key engine of value creation for the group and its investors.

# The Cape Winelands District Municipality says the fire at Bainskloof has been largely contained following intensive overnight efforts by firefighters. No damage to property or loss of livelihood has been reported. The municipality’s Jo-Anne Otto says there are still a few smouldering spots which require attention, but there are no flames:

# US president Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly planning to increase the refugee admissions ceiling for white Afrikaner South Africans to 17-thousand-500 for the fiscal year 2026. Trump has repeatedly justified allowing more Afrikaners to obtain refugee status by claiming a genocide is happening in South Africa. He also alleged that white farmers are being brutally killed and their land confiscated. Government has vehemently denied these claims. The US admitted about four-thousand-500 South Africans as refugees during the first six months of the fiscal year.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-62-cents and the euro at 19-rand-32-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-29-cents and Bitcoin trades at 76-thousand-786-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-538-dollars-87-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 106-dollars-81-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….