News 17:00

BULLETIN 13 February 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Green Connection says SONA raises concerns
# Donald Trump plans to roll back some tariffs on steel and aluminium goods
# And netball: Netball SA announces Adam Brooke as the new CEO

# The Green Connection Community Outreach Coordinator, Neville van Rooy, says president Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address leaves more questions than answers. He highlights concerns about the clarity and feasibility of government commitments, stressing that communities need tangible action rather than broad promises. Van Rooy calls for follow-through to ensure SONA pledges translate into meaningful environmental and social impact:

# Independent Police Investigative Directorate assistant director, Thulani Magagula, has told the Madlanga Commission that the directorate does not decide whether cases proceed or not. Testifying on police corruption in the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department, he said the prosecuting authority alone determines charges, even if IPID objects. Magagula cited cases, including police corruption, where investigations were complete but charges were withdrawn due to untraceable witnesses:

# Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Blade Nzimande hosted learners from Fezeka High and Siyabulela Primary at the National Research Foundation–South African Astronomical Observatory in Cape Town. The visit, part of the Science Outreach Programme, promoted Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. He says learners toured the McClean Telescope and received maths and science toolkits to enhance learning and inspire young scientists:

# US president Donald Trump plans to scale back some tariffs on steel and aluminium goods, with officials believing the tariffs are hurting consumers. Voters are worried about prices, and cost-of-living concerns are expected to be a major factor before November’s midterm elections. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 59-percent of Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of the rising cost of living. He hit steel and aluminium imports with tariffs of up to 50-percent last year and has repeatedly used levies as a negotiating tool with several trading partners.

# Netball: Netball South Africa has announced the appointment of Adam Brooke as new CEO from March 1. President Mami Diale says the appointment is part of the federation’s rebuilding and strengthening process. She is pleased with the outcome of a rigorous and transparent recruitment process and confident the right candidate was selected. Brooke brings more than 20 years of experience on all levels of sports management. He has been involved in several major global sporting events, including the Tour de France, the Olympic Games, and the Rugby World Cup.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 15-rand-97-cents and the euro at 18-rand-97-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-338-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-984-dollars-10-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-27-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….