News 17:00

BULLETIN 17 February 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Government welcomes the modest improvement in unemployment figures
# The forum for South Africa withdraws its direct involvement in the Senzo Meyiwa case
# And tennis: Carlos Alcaraz returns to action in Doha today

# The Government has welcomed the latest Statistics South Africa survey, which shows employment increased by 44-thousand while unemployment fell by 172-thousand. This led to a 0.5-percent drop in the official jobless rate. Government Deputy spokesperson William Baloyi says programmes like the presidential employment stimulus and public-private partnerships are helping create work, particularly for youth and women:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to renowned American civil rights leader Jesse Louis Jackson Senior, who died at 84. Ramaphosa praised Jackson’s steadfast support for South Africa’s liberation struggle and his global fight against injustice. He highlighted Jackson’s anti-apartheid activism and his 2013 award of the National Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo. The President extended condolences to the Jackson family and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, honouring Jackson’s enduring legacy.

# The Forum for South Africa has withdrawn its direct involvement in the Senzo Meyiwa case to allow the head of intelligence, Malesela Teffo, to handle the matter independently. The organisation emphasised that it continues to support Teffo professionally and remains committed to accountability and transparency. FOSA’s Tebogo Mashilompane calls on all stakeholders to respect the judicial process and allow the courts to proceed without undue interference:

# Economic analysts have welcomed China’s decision to remove tariffs on all imports from 53 African nations starting 1 May, 2026, following the 39th African Union Summit. The landmark policy aims to boost African exports, create jobs, and encourage industrialisation while strengthening Africa-China trade ties. Analysts say it offers African economies stable demand and diversification opportunities, enhancing China’s strategic influence. They say success will depend on African nations overcoming non-tariff barriers and moving from raw materials to value-added production.

# Tennis: World number one, Carlos Alcaraz, returns to action in Doha today in his first tournament since completing the career Grand Slam when he won the Australian Open last month. The 22-year-old Spaniard faces Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the round of 32 at the Qatar Open. His fiercest rival, Italian Jannik Sinner, played his first match since Melbourne yesterday when he defeated Czech player Tomas Machac in straight sets. The top-seeded Alcaraz and Sinner are only due to face off in the final should they reach that match.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-8-cents and the euro at 19-rand-2-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-78-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-920-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-924-dollars-23-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-94-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….