News 14:00

BULLETIN 8 October 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Exporters Western Cape calls for state intervention as exports to America drop
# Home Affairs operations are strengthened following the Constitutional Court’s asylum ruling
# And motorsport: Bottas cycles 350 kilometres to the Singapore Grand Prix

# Exporters Western Cape has called for urgent high-level intervention to stabilise South Africa’s relations with the United States, warning further deterioration could put established export business at risk. Chairperson Terry Gale says escalating public exchanges between the Department of International Relations and Co-operation and US ambassador Leo Brent Bozell are adding to uncertainty for exporters. The warning comes against a backdrop of declining Western Cape exports to the US. Gale says exports fell from approximately 17.31-billion-rand in 2024 to 14.51-billion-rand last year, a decline of 16.2-percent.

Meanwhile, the South African Canegrowers’ Association is calling on minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana to scrap the sugar tax in the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement on October 21st. The association says the levy is threatening the sugar value chain, while sugarcane deliveries have fallen 18-percent this season. It says growers are also facing foreign sugar imports and uncertainty at sugar giant Tongaat Hulett. The association argues removing the levy would provide policy certainty and support industry investment.

# Inter-ministerial committee chairperson Mmamoloko Kubayi says government is reforming operational directives following the Constitutional Court’s asylum ruling. She says refugee reception offices must accept applications from people intending to seek asylum, regardless of certain procedural requirements. Government plans to strengthen capacity, improve biometric screening, speed up asylum decisions and tackle fraud. Kubayi announced the Special Investigating Unit will also be roped in:

# Former GOOD Party councillor in Tshwane, Sarah Mabotsa, has condemned the continued use of her name and photographs for RISE Mzansi’s election campaign. She was removed as councillor over allegations of breaching GOOD’s constitution. The party’s co-operation agreement with RISE Mzansi means they have withdrawn Mabotsa as their mayoral candidate. Mabotsa says the continued use of her image could mislead voters into believing she remains a Rise Mzansi candidate:

# Motorsport: Cadillac Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas is cycling from Malaysia to Singapore ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix. The 37-year-old Finn chose to ride the 350-kilometre journey instead of flying or driving, after retiring early from Sunday’s race at the Sepang circuit. Bottas, an avid cyclist, expects the trip to take three days and has been documenting it online, including riding through the night. He is due in Singapore for media duties today, with practice for the race starting tomorrow.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-68-cents and the euro at 18-rand-65-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 82-thousand-779-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-116-dollars-73-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 107-dollars-99-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….