News 13:00

BULLETIN 19 June 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA says the government of national unity has no choice but to work together 
# The ANC Veterans’ League is to hold the government of national unity accountable
# And cricket: The Proteas’ Aiden Markram warns the USA is not a small team anymore 

# DA leader John Steenhuisen has emphasised the government of national unity must collaborate for the benefit of South Africans. Speaking on the sidelines of president Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration, Steenhuisen stated the formation of this government confirms democracy is functioning. He says voters have clearly mandated parties to work together to form a stable government and enhance the economy:

Meanwhile, the ANC Veterans’ League has welcomed the Government of National Unity agreement. This includes the ANC, DA, IFP, Patriotic Alliance, and GOOD party. The league has also made it clear that it will hold the coalition to account. According to the league, the agreement will steer the ship on the right path as the agreement outlines priorities for economic growth, job creation, and service delivery. The Veterans’ League emphasised the need for a unified programme to advance the nation.

In another development, the Public Servants Association has cautiously welcomed Limpopo’s first female premier Phophi Ramathuba. Despite her proactive approach to service delivery, concerns linger over her handling of workers’ rights during her tenure as Health MEC. Issues like demotivated staff and dysfunctional health facilities persist, exacerbated by controversies over union dismissals and arbitration reviews. The PSA’s John Teffo urges Ramathuba to prioritise eradicating corruption, boosting rural economies, and safeguarding employee rights:

# Cricket: South Africa captain Aiden Markram warned his side against under-estimating the United States ahead of their T20 World Cup showdown, claiming the Americans are not a small team anymore. Co-hosts USA stunned the sport by beating former champions and Asian powerhouse Pakistan in the first-round group stage. South Africa finished their opening group campaign with a perfect four wins in four games but they rode their luck to maintain a 100-percent record. The two teams meet at 4.30 this afternoon.

# Annual consumer price inflation was 5.2-percent in May, unchanged from April. Higher rates were recorded for transport, alcoholic beverages and tobacco, and recreation and culture. After five consecutive months of decline, food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation remained steady at 4.7-percent in May. Bread and cereals continued to trend downward to its lowest annual inflation rate since February 2022. Inflation for instant coffee, ground coffee or coffee beans and black tea stands above 10-percent. The average price for 250 gram instant coffee was 82-percent higher in May 2024 than in January 2017.

And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-99-cents and the euro at 19-rand-33-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-91-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-157-dollars-37-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-330-dollars-17-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-10-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….