Good News

BULLETIN 20 June

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# Economist Dawie Roodt believes the positive performance of the South African rand is a result of the markets relief about the outcomes of recent elections. The rand has surged to its highest level in nearly a year, trading below 18-rand to the dollar. Roodt asserts the rise aligns with progress towards a Government of National Unity. He adds recent political developments signal greater economic optimism:

# Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink, will be welcoming a new cohort of 114 learners into the city’s artisan programme at Tshwane House Council Chamber in Pretoria today. The long-established artisan programme is offered by the Tshwane Leadership and Management Academy and is fully accredited. The artisan programme is a strategic investment by the city to expand the training capacity for plumbing- and water-related skills and to ensure that critical vacancies are filled, so that the city maintains proper internal capacity to address service delivery issues.

# The City of Cape Town plans to acquire 30 electric buses for the MyCiTi programme and explore electrifying its vehicle fleet, including waste trucks. This is part of the objective to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The tender for the buses was issued by the Cape Town Urban Mobility Directorate last month and will close in mid-July. According to Mayoral Committee Member Rob Quintas the expansion aims to connect Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain with Claremont and Wynberg. Electric buses are also planned for Tshwane and eThekwini by 2025.

# Rhodes University has announced a series of performances and exhibits as part of the official National Art Festival in Makhanda which marks its 50th anniversary this year. Rhodes’ Fine Art Department has a special exhibition celebrating four decades of artwork by current and former staff. Vice-chancellor Sizwe Mabizela, says as part of celebrate 50 years of the National Arts Festival, 30 years of democracy, and 120 years since Rhodes University was established, they reflect on the rich history and the transformative power of the arts in shaping the society. The festival starts today and will run until Sunday.

# And finally, the United Rugby Championship final at Loftus Versfeld this Saturday will be a show of unity like never before as 30 children from the Jakaranda-kinderhuis in Pretoria have been selected to hand over the medals to the players after the match. CEO of the Jakaranda-kinderhuis, Charlene Grobler, was overwhelmed when told their children had been asked to take centre stage in front of 50-thousand fans at the first ever URC final at Loftus. They will also be treated to a suite experience on match day.

Stay tuned for more news………….