News 13:00

BULLETIN 27 February 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa is steadfast in maintaining South Africa’s policy of active non-alignment
# The Solidarity Movement says tensions between the US and South Africa may cost jobs
# And Queen Latifah, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Raye will perform at the Oscars

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to the policy of active non-alignment. He participated in a dialogue at the Goldman Sachs Conference in Johannesburg. The dialogue focused on issues such as economic growth, structural reforms, and international relations. Ramaphosa says South Africa won’t be drawn into taking sides in conflicts around the world, including the Russian-Ukrainian war, especially by global powers:

# The Solidarity Movement says US frustration over South Africa’s foreign policy could have severe economic consequences. Head of International Relations, Jaco Kleynhans, warns that diplomatic tensions may threaten thousands of South African jobs, particularly through the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which supports 500-thousand workers. Kleynhans says a proposed US bill aims to reassess bilateral relations, citing South Africa’s ties with Hamas, China, Iran, and Russia. He says they urge targeted sanctions instead of punishing ordinary South Africans.

# The Department of Social Development and the South African Social Security Agency are warning applicants of the social relief of distress grant about fraudulent websites. These fake sites are used to collect personal information for fraudulent purposes. The department’s Bathembu Futshane says SASSA has an action plan to improve security, including better encryption and software updates, and plans to shut down the fake sites within 18 months:

# Rugby: The Springbok Sevens Women play Hong Kong China and Czechia in their group matches of the World Rugby Challenger tournament in Cape Town this weekend. This follows after they lost their place in the World Series to China last season. Team member Shiniqwa Lamprecht says dropping out of the circuit was a shock, but the journey to return to the summit starts in Athlone on Saturday. She promised the home crowd can expect some real urgency from the team.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-46-cents and the euro at 19-rand-35-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-40-cents and Bitcoin trades at 85-thousand-904-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-886-dollars-47-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 72-dollars-42-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Nominees Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who star in the blockbuster Wicked, are set to perform at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday. The movie has ten nominations, including best picture, and original score. Queen Latifah will be part of a tribute performance to the legendary Quincy Jones, who passed away in November last year. Doja Cat, Lisa of Blackpink, and Grammy-nominated artist Raye will also perform. The Oscars’ executive producer, Raj Kapoor, says performers will celebrate the filmmaking community and some of its legends.

Stay tuned for more news………….