News 12:00

BULLETIN 17 February 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The National Assembly will consider a request for the third extension of the lifespan of the ad hoc committee
# The new US ambassador to South Africa officially takes up his duties in Pretoria
# And rugby: Three South African women referees are included in two Women’s Six Nations competitions

# The National Assembly will today consider a third extension request by the ad hoc committee, which is investigating allegations of criminal infiltration in the justice system. The committee’s deadline to conclude its work is Friday. It is requesting an extension until 31st March. Parliament spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, says an ad hoc committee ceases to exist if it has not completed its task by the prescribed date, but may be revived by the speaker:

# South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe has stepped down as executive chairperson of African Rainbow Minerals, aligning with new JSE governance rules. The leadership shift follows regulatory reforms requiring a separation between board oversight and executive management. Motsepe will remain on the board as non-executive chairperson of the 43-billion-rand mining company. He says this was done to ensure compliance with the listings requirements, and adds he is looking forward to continuing to contribute to the global competitiveness of the company in his new capacity.

# Brent Bozell has officially taken up his duties as the new United States ambassador to South Africa. He will be based at the US embassy in Pretoria, where he is expected to oversee diplomatic, political, and economic relations between the two nations. The embassy says Bozell’s appointment comes amid ongoing cooperation on trade, security, and regional stability. He is also expected to engage government leaders, business stakeholders, and civil society as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.

Meanwhile, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Donald Trump administration’s handling of Ukraine has been disgraceful, along with its failure to uphold alliances with the West. Trump recently accused Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky of holding up efforts to end the war with Russia. Clinton says Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin’s efforts to profit off the misery and death of the Ukrainian people is a historic error:

# Rugby: World Rugby has confirmed the match officials for the 2026 Women’s Six Nations, Pacific Four Series, and the inaugural Under-21 Women’s Six Nations Series, with three South Africans included. Aimee Barrett-Theron and Zoë Naudé will referee in the Six Nations, while Giana Viljoen will feature in the Under-21 series. Barrett-Theron will become only the second female to referee 50 Tests when she takes charge of the Six Nations opener between France and Italy. SA Rugby president Mark Alexander says the three are being rewarded for their hard work.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-99-cents and the euro at 18-rand-93-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-70-cents and Bitcoin trades at 68-thousand-282-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-926-dollars-55-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-45-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….