News 14:00

BULLETIN 12 February 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Al Jama-ah calls for humane refugee protection in the state of the nation address
# AfriForum warns that name changes could drain public funds and spark community tensions
# And cricket: Sri Lanka scores the highest T20 World Cup total so far against Oman

# Al Jama-ah says it expects president Cyril Ramaphosa to reaffirm South Africa’s constitutional and historical commitments in tonight’s state of the nation address. The party has raised concerns about immigration policy, rejecting heavy-handed enforcement models and calling for humane refugee protection. It also wants clarity on recognising Muslim marriages, stronger action against gender-based violence and gang crime, and urges greater inclusivity within the government of national unity.

Meanwhile, ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe has called for SONA to prioritise healthcare reform. He argues South Africa cannot sustain offering free healthcare to illegal immigrants while citizens face shortages. Meshoe says the party will push to amend the Constitution to prioritise citizens’ access to services. He maintains government must review its strategy to ease pressure on public hospitals and protect limited resources:

# AfriForum says changing 21 place names for short-term political gain risks dividing communities and wasting public funds. The organisation warns that Sport, Arts and Culture minister Gayton McKenzie’s proposed changes in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal could be costly, divisive, and ignore public opinion. AfriForum’s Alana Bailey proposes using neutral municipal names to ensure respect for all communities without unnecessary expense or conflict:

Moving abroad:

# Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv came under attack from Russian missiles early this morning, with various buildings hit. Mayor Vitali Klitschko says both residential and non-residential buildings on both sides of the Dnipro River were hit. Fragments fell near two residential buildings in one district, but no fire broke out, and no casualties were reported. Head of the capital’s military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, says at least one hit had been recorded in an eastern suburb.

# Cricket: Sri Lanka dominated Oman with a 105-run victory in their T20 World Cup Group B clash in Pallekele. The co-hosts posted a massive 225 for five, the tournament’s highest total, powered by Kusal Mendis’s 61 and Pavan Rathnayake’s 60. Captain Dasun Shanaka added a record-breaking 50 from just 20 balls. Oman struggled against Dushmantha Chameera and Maheesh Theekshana, who took two wickets each. Despite Mohammad Nadeem’s unbeaten 53, Oman finished on 120 for nine, sealing a comprehensive victory for the islanders.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-88-cents and the euro at 18-rand-87-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-67-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-501-dollars. Gold sells at five-thousand-and-63-dollars-51-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-60-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….