News 06:00

BULLETIN 24 June 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Firoz Cachalia says June 30 is a normal business day
# The Observer Commission is worried about political violence ahead of the polls
# And rugby: Rassie says Faf is still part of the Boks’ future plans

# Acting minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia, says June 30 must remain a normal business day, with people free to open and operate their businesses without disruption. This is ahead of anticipated protests against illegal immigration. Next Tuesday is the deadline set by anti-illegal immigration groups for illegal foreign nationals to leave South Africa. Cachalia, who received an operational plan for the protests from Western Cape police management yesterday, says what is not negotiable is the safety and security of people and infrastructure:

# The Electoral Code of Conduct Observer Commission has expressed concern about political violence ahead of the local government elections in November. This follows the killing of DA ward candidate Sinovuyo Dyokwe in Du Noon in the Western Cape. The commission, made up of religious and civil society leaders, states peaceful elections are essential to protecting public trust and democracy. Table Bay Anglican Bishop, Joshua Louw, urged all political parties and supporters to avoid violence, intimidation and hate speech.

# Rise Mzansi says the government needs fewer priorities and more private investment to fix struggling public services. Speaking during the Appropriation Bill debate in Parliament, party leader Songezo Zibi said many state services, including hospitals, schools, the military and police, are under severe strain due to underfunding, inefficiency and corruption. Zibi argues while budget allocations are never enough, better spending choices and reduced waste could make a significant difference:

# City of Ekurhuleni mayor, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, has welcomed the approval of the metro’s 2026/2027 budget, describing it as a major step towards improving residents’ lives. The 71-billion-rand budget was passed yesterday after three previous failed attempts. The breakthrough followed negotiations between the ANC and the DA, with the opposition party agreeing to support the budget after several commitments were incorporated into the final framework. Xhakaza says the approval of the budget goes a long way to ensure continued service delivery for residents.

# The International Maritime Organisation says it will begin the implementation of the evacuation plan for over 11-thousand seafarers still stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. This follows the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran last week. Restrictions imposed on the Strait during the war disrupted traffic through the critical passage way and left thousands of crews trapped on ships. Fourteen seafarers were killed in attacks during the conflict. The IMO says it has secured the necessary safety guarantees to support the evacuation operation.

# Rugby: Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk was left out of the Bok group for the Nations Championship Tests, but coach Rassie Erasmus says the 34-year-old is still very much part of the squad’s future plans. He included 30-year-old Herschel Jantjies, who last played for South Africa in 2023. Erasmus says De Klerk spent time with the squad in the build-up to the Barbarians game, and they plan to do the same with Jantjies and reassess the scrumhalf options after the Tests against England, Scotland, and Wales.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-53-cents and the euro at 18-rand-82-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-83-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-482-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-107-dollars-24-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….