News 08:00

BULLETIN 5 July 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# GIWUSA demands an immediate probe into Jacob Zuma’s visit to India
# Johannesburg welcomes Moody’s Ratings confirmation and positive outlook
# And rugby: The Boks kick off their Nations Championship campaign by outclassing England

# The General Industries Workers Union of South Africa is demanding an immediate investigation into the purpose and funding of former president Jacob Zuma’s visit to India. GIWUSA president, Mametlwe Sebei, says the investigation needs to include whether the trip involved fundraising for the MK Party and whether any state resources or diplomatic channels were improperly used. He says the reunion between Zuma and fugitive Ajay Gupta is a direct assault on the ongoing efforts to disentangle state institutions from the devastating web of corruption:

# As the anti-migrant protests continue every Thursday, the African Unite Borders Bus Trucks Association is demanding accountability from authorities over illegal operators facilitating undocumented migration within Southern African Development Community regions. Association Chairperson, Mukhwathi Phumudzo, is accusing the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency’s head of law enforcement, Simon Ditshego, of failing to prevent illegal bus operators from leading the country into the migration crisis:

# The City of Johannesburg has welcomed the decision by Moody’s Ratings to affirm the City’s long-term issuer rating at Ba3 while revising the outlook to Positive. The city’s spokesperson, Nthantisi Modingoane, says it represents an important vote of confidence in the City’s financial resilience, its ability to meet its debt obligations, and the strength of Johannesburg’s economic fundamentals despite a challenging operating environment:

# The Parliament Portfolio Committee on Tourism has welcomed Emirates’ launch of a third daily flight to Cape Town, and calls it a strong vote of confidence in South Africa as a leading global tourism and business destination. This additional daily service will increase seat capacity and improve connectivity to over 140 Emirates destinations. Committee chairperson, Ronalda Nalumango, says the new flight will support South Africa’s recovery efforts, open new markets across the Middle East and Asia, and strengthen trade and cargo links that benefit agriculture, manufacturing, and small businesses.

# And rugby: The world champions opened their Nations Championship campaign with an emphatic 45-21 win over England at a joyous Ellis Park on Saturday. It was England’s fifth consecutive loss, with the Springboks keeping them winless at the venue since 1973. The Boks lost the services of Eben Etzebeth and captain Siya Kolisi through late withdrawals. This necessitated Pieter-Steph du Toit moving to lock with Cameron Hanekom getting his first Test start, and Paul de Villiers made his debut at the openside flank. The hosts rammed in seven tries by Thomas du Toit, Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Grant Williams, Jesse Kriel, Malcolm Marx, and Ben-Jason Dixon, with Kolbe converting five.

In yesterday’s other Nations Championship matches, Scotland beat Argentina 47-38, Wales finished off Fiji 39-24, while Ireland got the better of Australia in Sydney with a narrow 33-31 victory. The Japanese beat Italy 27-10 while the New Zealand men had to work hard for their 34-32 victory over France.

Stay tuned for more news………….