News 14:00

BULLETIN 15 May 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cabinet rejects US refugee status for Afrikaners and calls the narrative misleading
# US agencies are reportedly barred from the G20 summit in South Africa
# And rugby: Ireland men’s sevens team will be cut at the end of the season

# Cabinet has slammed the decision by the US to grant refugee status to some Afrikaners, calling claims of persecution unfounded and misleading. According to the cabinet, the decision undermines South Africa’s constitutional democracy and misrepresents the country’s human rights record. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni told the media government will engage diplomatic channels to challenge the US decision:

Meanwhile, 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.

# South Africa’s trade conditions showed resilience in March and April 2025, despite economic pressures. South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s latest survey notes a slight dip in April, with 49-percent of respondents reporting positive trade, down from 55-percent in March. Seasonal adjustments suggest a five-percent decline, but 69-percent expect improvement over six months. Meanwhile, inflation eased, boosting confidence, vehicle and retail sales rose while exports and tourism declined. Employment remained stable, with more hiring expected.

# The SABC requires 7.5-billion-rand to fund its public mandate, warning that its current model is unsustainable. Updating Parliament’s standing committee on Public Accounts, CEO Nomsa Chabeli confirmed a 700-million-rand loss for 2023/24. She stressed the broadcaster is self-funding and urged finalisation of the SABC Bill. Chabeli emphasized the need for government support to ensure the broadcaster’s viability and fulfill its public service obligations:

# Rugby: The Irish Rugby Football Union has decided to cease the operation of the men’s sevens team at the conclusion of the 2024/25 season. It says this is part of a broader strategic effort to ensure long-term financial sustainability. High-performance director, David Humphreys, says its internal review also concluded that the men’s sevens programme does not serve as a meaningful development pathway for the 15-a-side game. The team played their last tournament in Los Angeles earlier this month, finishing eleventh.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-20-cents and the euro at 20-rand-39-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-19-cents and Bitcoin trades at 101-thousand-931-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-176-dollars-41-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 63-dollars-58-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….