News 17:00

BULLETIN 9 February 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA anticipates a credible and clear path forward in its national manifesto
# Mpumalanga Tourism says FlySafair’s new Cape Town to Kruger route will boost the economy
# And Rugby: A former Wallaby is found not guilty on sexual charges

# The DA says its manifesto is not a set of empty promises, but a data-driven, well-researched document aimed at addressing South Africa’s pressing issues. The party’s manifesto prioritises pragmatic solutions for wasteful spending, the electricity crisis, and economic growth amid unmet promises, rising poverty, and corruption under president Cyril Ramaphosa. The DA’s Federal chairperson Ivan Meyer says thousands of their supporters are set to march from Church Square to the Union Buildings in Pretoria next Saturday, symbolising readiness for upcoming elections:

# Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency CEO, Mduduzi Vilakazi, has welcomed FlySafair’s launch of a direct route between Cape Town International Airport and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport just outside the Kruger National Park. The inaugural flight for this route is planned for the second of April, with tickets starting at one-thousand-851-rands. Vilakazi says this new route will boost the economy of the province and will make travelling between the two tourism hotspots more accessible:

# The Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa has welcomed global liner shipping company Hapag-Lloyd as the new citrus export service from Durban and Gqeberha ports from late May until September. The service comes as a relief amidst recent shipping challenges, including price spikes due to Red Sea vessel attacks and Panama Canal disruptions. The association emphasises the importance of reliable shipping access for the citrus industry to maintain competitiveness and flexibility in the market.

# Nicaragua wants Israel held responsible for its actions in Gaza and has taken an unprecedented step by formally applying to join South Africa’s genocide case against the country at the International Court of Justice. Marking the first-ever country to seek permission to intervene in such a case, the Central American country alleges Israel’s conduct violates its obligations under the Genocide Convention. Other nations, including Germany, have expressed their intent to intervene on Israel’s behalf. The court has called for written observations from South Africa and Israel regarding Nicaragua’s application.

# Rugby: Former Wallabies player Kurtley Beale is expected to be allowed to return to the game after a court in Sydney found him not guilty on sexual charges. Rugby Australia suspended the versatile back player after he was charged in January last year. A woman accused the veteran of 95 Tests of raping her in the bathroom of a pub. SkySports reports a jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning the verdict. Thirty-five-year-old Beale said afterwards the case took a major toll on him and his family.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-1-cent and the euro at 20-rand-48-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-97-cents and Bitcoin trades at 47-thousand-393-dollars-20-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-31-dollars-69-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 81-dollars-40-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….