News 14:00

BULLETIN 18 February 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The unemployment rate drops to 31.9-percent in the fourth quarter of 2024
# The Human Rights Commission urges the public to stop sharing violent videos of the Zanzou nightclub
# And cricket: The Proteas face Australia, England and Afghanistan in Group B in the Champions Trophy

# Statistics South Africa’s quarterly labour force survey for the fourth quarter of 2024 shows a slight drop in the unemployment rate to 31.9-percent, down from 32.1-percent in the previous quarter. Employment increased by 132-thousand, bringing the total to 17.1 million. However, discouraged job seekers grew by 111-thousand, and youth unemployment remains high at 44.6-percent. Statistician-general Risenga Maluleke told the media the finance sector saw the biggest growth, adding 232-thousand jobs:

# The South African Human Rights Commission has urged the public to stop sharing videos of the attacks at Zanzou night club in Pretoria. The commission’s provincial manager, Zamantungwa Mbeki, told SABC News the graphic footage shows clear human rights violations. Mbeki warns that sharing these videos could lead to further victimisation. She stresses the importance of protecting the dignity and rights of those affected:

# The High Court in Pretoria has suspended operations for today due to a power outage affecting the city’s central business district. The court says its generator is also out of service. Affected parties will be contacted for alternative arrangements regarding scheduled cases. Authorities apologise for the inconvenience and urge patience as the issue is being addressed.

# Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has warned spaza shop owners and food businesses they will face legal action if not registered by 28 February. The sector has eleven days left to register with municipalities. This follows deadly foodborne illness outbreaks last year, with nearly 30 deaths. Hlabisa calls on business owners to register, and warns that non-compliance won’t be tolerated:

# Cricket: South Africa faces Australia, England and Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, starting in Pakistan tomorrow. Group A consists of the hosts, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh. Each team plays every other country in its group once, earning two points for a victory and one when no result is possible. The top two teams in each group then qualify for the semifinals. The Proteas’ first match is against Afghanistan on Friday, and the final takes place on the ninth of next month.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-38-cents and the euro at 19-rand-23-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-16-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-702-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-911-dollars-66-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-37-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….