News 13:00

BULLETIN 15 May 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# US agencies are reportedly barred from the G20 summit in South Africa
# Financial advisors warn against continued early pension withdrawals
# And SA Rugby says former Bok Cornal Hendricks will be remembered for his dedication to the sport

# US president Donald Trump has reportedly barred US agencies from participating in the G20 summit in South Africa. According to Washington Post, the White House’s National Security Council ordered the suspension, citing alleged white genocide and land expropriation laws. Trump and secretary of State Marco Rubio have threatened to boycott the summit, placing pressure on president Cyril Ramaphosa ahead of next week’s visit to Washington. The White House and State Department have not officially confirmed the reported ban.

# Financial advisors are warning against early pension withdrawals as the second wave of the two-pot system kicked off in March. While some are dipping in again or withdrawing for the first time, experts say this could have severe long-term consequences. Speaking to the SABC, National Debt advisor Samantha Moyana urged people to only access their retirement funds in cases of urgent and serious financial need:

# The City of Cape Town’s Energy Directorate says it is carrying out major upgrades to its electricity infrastructure and investing substantially to strengthen the grid. The metro is investing four-billion-rand in electricity upgrades over the next three years. Mayoral committee member for Energy, Xanthea Limberg, says the reliability of the metro’s electricity infrastructure is a result of an extensive maintenance programme:

# SA Rugby’s president, Mark Alexander, has paid tribute to Cornal Hendricks, describing him as a remarkable athlete whose contribution to the sport will always be remembered. The 37-year-old former Springbok winger passed away last night, reportedly from a heart attack. He played 12 Tests for the Boks and represented Boland, the Cheetahs, and the Bulls. Alexander says Hendricks was one of those players who loved the game and worked extremely hard, but always did so with a smile on his face, treating all people with respect.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-21-cents and the euro at 20-rand-41-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-19-cents and Bitcoin trades at 102-thousand-62-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-168-dollars-63-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-27-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town has made the New York Times’ list of the Top 10 gardens in the world. Set against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, the garden showcases South Africa’s unique flora, including the fynbos biome and ancient cycads. The garden is ranked ninth, just behind The High Line in New York City, while Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Cranbrook, England, is the top-rated garden. Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment minister Dion George says Kirstenbosch is a national treasure.

Stay tuned for more news………….