News 15:00

BULLETIN 26 June 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa calls for stronger regional cooperation through the Southern African Customs Union
# Netball: The Proteas aim for a podium finish in Glasgow
# And a United Nations drug report shows the global trade in cocaine and crystal meth is booming

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says global uncertainty and shifting supply chains make regional cooperation more important than ever. He told the Southern African Customs Union summit in Cape Town no African country can prosper alone in the current economic climate. Rampaphosa described the union as a resilient institution that has endured for 116 years through major global and regional changes. He says it will strengthen regional integration and boost economic resilience:

# The Public Servants Association has expressed concern at reports indicating that real salaries in South Africa have declined to a two-year low, as inflation continues to outstrip wage growth. The latest PayInc Net Salary Index shows take-home pay rose slightly to just over 21-thousand-500-rand in May, but after adjusting for inflation, the average real net salary fell to 20-thousand-262-rand. PSA’s Claude Naicker says the decline in real wages undermines morale, productivity, and service delivery:

# Union federation Cosatu has welcomed Parliament’s portfolio committee on Health’s vote in support of the desirability of the Tobacco and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill. The bill seeks to tighten regulations on smoking and vaping, amongst other things, banning indoor smoking and vaping in public spaces and restricting sales through vending machines. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks says smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer and a major contributor to the spread of tuberculosis:

# Netball: Proteas head coach Jenny van Dyk says they target a podium finish at next month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The squad only features three players who played in the last Games in Birmingham in 2022. They are Elmeré van der Berg, Khanyisa Chawane and Nicola Smith. Veteran defender Karla Pretorius returns after taking a sabbatical following the birth of her first child. Van Dyk says they focus on improving on their sixth place in Birmingham.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-45-cents and the euro at 18-rand-75-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-73-cents and Bitcoin trades at 59-thousand-333-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-51-dollars-87-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-14-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The global trade in illicit drugs is booming, with cocaine production ‌and seizures of crystal meth, known as “tik’ in South Africa, at an all-time high. The United Nations’ annual World Drug Report warns of a surge in new drugs filling a gap left by the collapse in heroin supply. Cocaine production surged to about four-thousand-100 metric tons of pure ​product in 2024 – a fourfold increase within a decade. Crystal meth seizures suggest production is growing at 13-percent a year.

Stay tuned for more news………….