News 18:00

BULLETIN 19 February 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The minister of Agriculture announces the largest foot-and-mouth disease vaccine import in history
# Cosatu is encouraged by the decline in inflation to 3.5-percent
# And, PwC forecasts gradual growth ahead of the 2026 Budget speech

# The minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen says South Africa will receive up to five-million foot-and-mouth disease vaccines monthly as part of a mass vaccination campaign. According to News24, the first shipment of one million doses from Argentina arrives this weekend, with more following next week and monthly supplies rising by next month. Vaccinations will focus on the worst-hit areas, including KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, North West, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga. Steenhuisen confirmed vaccines will be affordable for farmers.

# The union federation Cosatu says it is encouraged by the inflation rate easing slightly in January. Headline consumer inflation slowed to 3.5-percent year on year in January, down from 3.6-percent in December last year. Main contributors to January’s inflation rate were housing and utilities, food and non-alcoholic beverages, and insurance and financial services. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks says this is a welcome relief for workers:

# Audit firm PwC South Africa expects Finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s 2026 Budget to address geopolitical risks, fiscal consolidation and structural reforms. The Gross Domestic Product growth is forecast at 1.2-percent this year, rising to 1.5-percent by 2028. Debt stands at nearly 78-percent of GDP, with the Treasury expected to outline a path toward stabilisation. PwC anticipates no major value added tax or corporate tax hikes, but inflation-linked fuel and excise duty increases remain likely.

# Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s son, Bellarmine Mugabe, has been arrested in Johannesburg after allegedly shooting and wounding a gardener at a Hyde Park residence. Another person was also arrested. Police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi says the circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear. Nevhuhulwi added Bellermine reportedly locked himself in a room before surrendering, and police are searching for the gun used in the incident:

# Motorsport: The world’s fastest motorbikes will roar through Australia’s Phillip Island for the last time this year after the organisers of MotoGP announced it will be replaced with a street race in Adelaide from next year. This will bring an end to the island race after almost three decades when its contract expires at the end of the season. South Australia secured the race for Adelaide for the next six years, marking the first MotoGP race in a city-centre location.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-20-cents and the euro at 19-rand-4-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-962-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-980-dollars-90-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 71-dollars-2-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….