News 13:00

BULLETIN 20 June 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA suspends Renaldo Gouws over a shocking video
# Cosatu expects the new cabinet to start work to grow an inclusive economy 
# And, Olympic Games: More South African athletes are announced for Paris

 # The DA has suspended its member Renaldo Gouws from party activities with immediate effect while he faces disciplinary charges before the party’s federal legal commission. Gouws is a former Nelson Mandela Bay ward councillor. The DA’s federal council chairperson, Helen Zille, says they have established a video, in which Gouws uses execrable and racist language, is in fact genuine and not fake as initially suspected:

# Cosatu says once announced, it expects cabinet to roll up its sleeves and start working to grow an inclusive economy, create decent jobs, and tackle poverty and inequality. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks says despite the inclusion of the right-wing the DA in the government of national unity, the federation expects government to be biased towards the working class, anchored in the ANC manifesto:

# Ecuador was hit with a nationwide blackout yesterday that left the nation’s 17-million people without power and subsequently no running water either. The blackout lasted for hours and affected hospitals, homes and a major subway system. Public Infrastructure minister Roberto Luque blames a lack of investment in maintenance, new electrical transmission, and the protection of the electrical transmission infrastructure. Luque says the blackout could have been avoided had Ecuador implemented an investment plan to safeguard the infrastructure after a similar power outage in 2004.

# Olympic Games: The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee gave Team South Africa’s representation for the Paris Olympics a considerable boost when additional names and sporting codes were revealed. Sascoc says the expansion has increased South Africa’s representation to 114 athletes in 15 codes. Significant names added to Team SA include Johanita Scholtz, a double African Games gold medallist in badminton, Henri Schoeman, a triathlete, and John Smith, a rower. The Games start on 26 July.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-11-cents and the euro at 19-rand-43-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-3-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-603-dollars-1-cent. Gold sells at two-thousand-322-dollars-81-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-21-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Two beluga whales are settling into their new homes in Spain after being rescued from their aquarium in war-torn Ukraine. Bombs had been dropped within a few hundred meters of the NEMO Dolphinarium in Kharkiv. An international team of specialists says it was among the most complex marine mammal rescues ever and included a dangerous 12-hour drive across Ukraine. The belugas, 15-year-old Plombir and 14-year-old Miranda, arrived safely in Valencia this week.

Stay tuned for more news………….