News 17:00

BULLETIN 21 May 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa calls for stronger ties in agriculture, mining and renewable energy between South Africa and Botswana
# The Western Cape government urges patience as recovery operations continue after the severe storms
# And rugby: The Griquas and the Pumas are all set for their third consecutive SA Cup final

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa’s agricultural sector is ready to partner with Botswana to strengthen food security and grow its farming industry. Speaking at the South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission Summit, Ramaphosa urged ministers to resolve agricultural import restrictions by December 2026. Ramaphosa highlighted opportunities in mining, energy and infrastructure, including the Mmamabula-Lephalale Rail Link Project. He says stronger cooperation in renewable energy, and industrialisation will drive regional economic integration:

# The Western Cape government says recovery operations are continuing after recent severe storms caused widespread damage across the province. Eskom reports about 70-percent of the nine-thousand reported electricity faults have been repaired, but challenges remain in flood-hit and remote mountain areas. More than half of the 400 damaged roads have also been restored. The MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, says humanitarian relief efforts are also ongoing, urging residents to remain patient as work continues.

# The National Consumer Commission has referred FlySafair to the National Consumer Tribunal over alleged violations of the Consumer Protection Act. The investigation follows complaints that the airline overbooked or oversold flight tickets, leaving some passengers without seats despite holding valid bookings. FlySafair has publicly acknowledged that overbooking forms part of its business practices. NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba says the matter gained attention after several consumers reported similar experiences:

# The CEO for Cassava Technologies in South Africa and Botswana, Ziaad Suleman, says Africa cannot fall behind in technological development and digital infrastructure. Speaking at a Bowmans seminar, Suleman called for more data centres across Africa, as Africa remains reliant on foreign infrastructure. Suleman said Africa’s data centre market could grow from 57.9-billion-rand in 2024 to nearly 115-billion-rand by 2030. He stressed the need for supportive regulations to unlock digital economy potential:

# Rugby: Defending champions the Pumas have their work cut out when they take on their arch rivals, Griquas, in the final of the SA Cup in Kimberley on Saturday. Based on results of previous campaigns, there is very little to separate the teams, but playing at their Northern Cape home gives Griquas a narrow edge. Pumas beat Griquas from Kimberley 39-35 in Mpumalanga during the round-robin phase, ending Griquas’ unbeaten run and moving to the top of the standings at the time. Kick-off is at 6.30 pm.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-53-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-17-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-264-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-503-dollars-84-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 104-dollars-52-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….