News 07:00

BULLETIN 18 June 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# South Africa and Rwanda have agreed to reset relations
# Organised Labour says migrants are not to blame for South Africa’s economic crisis
# And cricket: The Proteas Women beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup

# South Africa and Rwanda have agreed to reset relations, restoring a decade of strained diplomatic ties. This follows high-level bilateral talks between minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola and Rwanda’s minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, in Pretoria yesterday. Relations between the two countries deteriorated in 2014, when restrictions were imposed that effectively halted travel for Rwandans to South Africa amid worsening political tensions. Lamola says there is a lot that binds the two nations together:

# Organised Labour says migrants should not be blamed for South Africa’s economic problems. They believe unemployment and poverty are caused by economic failure, corruption and weak governance. The union federations warn that rising anti-migrant sentiment is dividing workers and must not lead to violence or vigilantism. Union federation Saftu’s General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, has rejected the planned 30 June protest against undocumented immigrants, urging workers to report for duty:

# Build One South Africa deputy leader, Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster, has been picked as the party’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate, ahead of the local government elections in November. BOSA says she will lead the party’s campaign to provide Johannesburg residents with principled and capable leadership focused on building a metro that works. Hlazo-Webster says she is making six pledges to residents, which include building a skills-led city government, igniting economic growth through township enterprise, and building a safe Johannesburg.

# The Western Cape government has invested more than 15-million-rand in support interventions for Knysna Municipality, aimed at improving service delivery. Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell says the funding is being used to strengthen key services, including water supply, waste management and road infrastructure. According to Bredell, challenges in municipal leadership and administration have slowed overall improvements. He added water supply is currently stable, while work continues to fix infrastructure problems and reduce service delivery backlogs.

# The man who pleaded guilty to the so-called Gilgo Beach murders has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sixty-two-year-old Rex Heuermann confessed to killing eight women over the course of nearly two decades on New York’s Long Island. Many of the victims were dismembered and dumped in remote stretches of brush and marshland along Ocean Parkway near Gilgo Beach on Long Island’s South Shore. While handing down the sentence, Judge Timothy Mazzei called Heuermann a coward:

# Cricket: South Africa defeated Pakistan by two wickets to register their first win of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Edgbaston, England. Captain Fatima Sana scored an unbeaten 55 as she dragged Pakistan up to 126 for nine in their 20 overs. Marizanne Kapp took three wickets. In reply, all-rounder Annerie Dercksen’s 52 off 35 balls and Nadine de Klerk’s 37 pushed the Proteas to victory with three overs to spare. Having lost their opening game against Australia, South Africa have recovered to third place in Group A.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-33-cents and the euro at 18-rand-81-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-73-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-506-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-323-dollars-3-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-21-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….