News 13:00

BULLETIN 17 June 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# John Steenhuisen is sacked as minister of Agriculture
# Malawi launches a drive to repatriate ten-thousand citizens from South Africa
# And rugby: Erasmus explains Quan Horn’s surprise selection at flyhalf for the Barbarians clash

# DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has removed John Steenhuisen as minister of Agriculture following an assessment of the party’s team in the government of national unity. Steenhuisen will replace Alexandra Abrahams as deputy minister of Trade, Industry and Competition. The current minister for Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, would succeed Steenhuisen, while David Maynier will replace Aucamp. Yusuf Cassim is now deputy minister of Higher Education, and Jack Bloom is deputy minister of Water and Sanitation. Hill-Lewis says these changes were necessary:

# The Malawian government has appealed for financial donations and humanitarian assistance to help repatriate an estimated ten-thousand citizens from South Africa. Malawian nationals have gathered at the Sherwood Hall grounds in Durban, desperate to return home after a wave of anti-immigrant protests plaguing the country. The repatriation programme is being coordinated by Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Malawian high commission in Pretoria, and humanitarian organisations. Authorities have described the repatriation exercise as a national humanitarian mission.

# An Indonesian seafarer is recovering in a Cape Town hospital after being evacuated from a container vessel off the Cape South Coast. The National Sea Rescue Institute’s Hermanus crews and ER24 paramedics responded to reports of a serious medical emergency near Walker Bay. NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon says they found the patient in a serious condition, but paramedics were able to stabilise him before transferring him from the ship:

# The South African Weather Service says a cut-off low-pressure system will bring windy, cooler, and unsettled weather to parts of the country until Saturday. The system is expected to affect the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, the Free State, North West, and Gauteng. The service urges motorists to be cautious on the roads due to potentially dangerous driving conditions caused by strong winds. It warns fresh to strong winds could elevate the risk of veld fires.

# Rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says player management was a major factor in his decision to select Lions fullback, Quan Horn, at flyhalf for Saturday’s match against the Barbarians in Gqeberha. This is a result of Manie Libbok’s heavy workload in Japan, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s injury layoff, and Handré Pollard’s involvement in the Bulls’ United Rugby Championship final on Friday. Erasmus says Horn’s versatility could prove valuable in the long term:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-21-cents and the euro at 18-rand-81-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-75-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-972-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-325-dollars-91-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-58-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….