News 16:00

BULLETIN 13 June 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# BOSA is open to issue-by-issue cooperation if a government of national unity is not agreed upon 
# President Cyril Ramaphosa enables e-hailing services to obtain operating licenses 
# And rugby: Chasing the Sun 2 is available for all DStv subscribers this long weekend 

# Build One South Africa has expressed openness to collaborating with other parties on an issue-by-issue basis if a government of national unity cannot be agreed upon. According to the party, their focus is on building structures for future elections, indicating a long-term commitment to South Africa’s political landscape. BOSA spokesperson Roger Solomons says this approach aligns with their commitment to principles such as non-racialism, constitutionalism, justice, and ethical leadership.

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the amended National Land Transport Act into law, allowing e-hailing service operators to apply for operating licenses like other public transport operators. Transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga welcomed this milestone, ending a 13-year wait for legislation to accommodate e-hailing services. Department spokesperson Collen Msibi says the new regulations will soon be finalised and implemented, moving e-hailing services away from interim charter permits to official operating licenses:

# Mercedes-Benz South Africa plans to cut 700 jobs, about a quarter of its workforce, at the East London manufacturing plant in the Eastern Cape, due to the port crisis. According to News24, the carmaker, which produces C-Class sedans for global export, attributes the decision to deteriorating economic conditions, logistical hurdles, and weakened consumer sentiment. The company has initiated consultations to restructure operations and may reduce shifts from three to two. It aims to ensure long-term sustainability and is considering measures like early retirement and voluntary severance.

# The South African Canegrowers refutes recent research findings on sugar tax job losses, citing discrepancies with industry data. They argue that the study, conducted by the South African Medical Research Council, misrepresents the impact of the sugar tax on employment figures by using broader agricultural sector data. Chairperson Higgins Mdluli expressed concern over the sugar industry’s future viability and its impact on livelihoods, citing independent studies indicating job losses, particularly among small-scale sugarcane farmers:

# Rugby: DStv has announced its riveting series about the Springboks’ second successive World Cup triumph will be available to all subscrivers over the long weekend. The five-part series, Chasing the Sun Two – A Story for South Africa, will be broadcast on SuperSport Variety and Mzansi Wethu from Saturday until Monday. One of the executive producers, SuperSport CEO Rendani Ramovha, says sharing the story with a wider audience is part of the essence of making the series truly feel like a story for South Africa.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-38-cents and the euro at 19-rand-84-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-48-cents and Bitcoin trades at 67-thousand-722-dollars-55-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-307-dollars-67-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-4-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….