News 06:00

BULLETIN 28 February 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Ntshavheni says AfriForum and Solidarity must take up Trump’s offer
# The cabinet says it is continuing  budget discussions
# And rugby: Rassie Erasmus says Felix Jones is vital for Springbok success

# Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has hit back at AfriForum and Solidarity, urging them to accept US president Donald Trump’s offer to resettle in America if they are unhappy in South Africa. This follows the groups’ meetings with Trump officials in Washington, where they raised concerns about land expropriation. Ntshavheni accused the organisations of spreading false claims about the Expropriation Act and undermining the country:

# Ntshavheni has confirmed that the cabinet will hold another special meeting on Monday to continue deliberating on the national budget. The cabinet assures citizens the budget will reflect the nation’s priorities once deliberations are complete. Last week the budget was postponed following opposition to a proposed two-percent VAT increase. Ntshavheni told the media while this delay is unusual, it is allowed under the Public Finance Management Act:

# The UDM says the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ decision to establish another commission of inquiry into initiation deaths in the Eastern Cape is a wasteful exercise. UDM deputy president, Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, argues that previous commissions have led to no real action, while families continue to suffer. Kwankwa urges the government to enforce stricter regulations on illegal initiation schools, support traditional leaders’ recommendations, and allocate resources to practical solutions.

# The City of Tshwane council has approved mayor Nasiphi Moya’s adjustment budget for the 2024/2025 financial year. A total of 116 council members voted in favour of the budget, while 88 voted against it, including members from the DA and Freedom Front Plus. The budget remains unchanged from the 50.6-billion-rand tabled in June last year. The mayor’s spokesperson, Zintle Mahlati, says while total expenditure has increased by 704-million-rand, careful financial management has resulted in a budget surplus of 3.7-billion:

# Ukraine’s cabinet gave its green light for the country’s Foreign or Economy minister to sign an accord giving Washington access to Ukrainian natural resources in exchange for US support. Negotiations surrounding the deal had ratcheted up tensions between US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky who refused to sign a first draft. Trump lashed out at Zelensky in response claiming the Ukrainian leader was an illegitimate and corrupt “dictator”. Zelensky is expected in Washington today to oversee the signing of the accord and meet with Trump.

# Rugby: Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus’s success in bringing Felix Jones back as assistant coach is described as a major coup. Erasmus announced yesterday the two-time World Cup winner will rejoin the team this weekend. The Irishman worked with the Boks from 2019 and left for England in 2023, where his stint was described as filled with turmoil. Jones now has intimate knowledge of the English set-up, which will be invaluable for the Boks in the future. Erasmus describes him as a vital cog for Bok success.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-46-cents and the euro at 19-rand-18-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-24-cents and Bitcoin trades at 84-thousand-524-dollar-62-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-875-dollars-85-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-70-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….