News 17:00
BULLETIN 13 February 5 pm
Good afternoon. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirms his commitment to land reform and protection against forced removals
# Hamas says it will release Israeli hostages as planned
# And rugby: A Bok stalwart will play his 150th match for the Stormers on Saturday
# President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed his commitment to land reform and the protection of South Africans from forced removals. During his response to the state of the nation debate, he called the 1913 Native Land Act the original sin that caused lasting harm and plunged millions into poverty. Ramaphosa says forced removals, like those in District Six in Cape Town, will never happen again as the Constitution protects property rights:
# AgriSA marks 30-years of supporting South African agriculture, focusing on food security, farmer resilience, and economic growth. The organisation says it has worked to support commercial and emerging farmers through policy advocacy, innovation, and sustainability initiatives. It reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the agricultural industry amid challenges such as climate change, rising input costs, and global market shifts. AgriSA CEO Johann Kotzé urges continued cooperation between the government, the private sector, and farmers to ensure a thriving agricultural future.
# Police minister Senzo Mchunu says immigration challenges are driving kidnappings in South Africa. This follows the arrest of a Pakistani, Zimbabwean, and Mozambican national, who were linked to the kidnapping of nine-year-old Emaan Fatima Ghumman in the Eastern Cape. She was released yesterday. Mchunu adds these cases often involve foreign syndicates and corrupt officials. He says authorities are intensifying efforts to combat such crimes:
# Hamas says it will release Israeli hostages as planned and will implement the Gaza ceasefire deal. It had previously threatened to delay the next release of hostages after accusing Israel of failing to meet its obligations to allow tents and shelters in the area. In response Israel, with the backing of US president Donald Trump, had threatened to renew its offensive if hostages were not freed. So far Hamas has released 21 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli custody.
# Rugby: Springbok stalwart Frans Malherbe is set to become the most capped Stormers player when they take on the Lions in a United Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park this weekend. The 33-year-old prop will run out for the Cape Town team for the 150th time after making his debut in 2011. He is also one of very few players who had played for the same team from school level. The two-time World Cup winning Springbok also played 76 Tests for South Africa.
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-51-cents and the euro at 19-rand-23-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-7-cents and Bitcoin trades at 95-thousand-903-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-915-dollars-73-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 74-dollars-13-cents a barrel.
Stay tuned for more news………….