News 16:00

BULLETIN 21 June 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# IEC commissioner appears in court on fraud charges
# A study finds South African consumers are optimistic about their finances
# And Cricket: The Proteas face England in a Super Eight match at the T20 World Cup

# The fraud and corruption trial of Electoral Commission commissioner Nomsa Masuku has been scheduled for 4 September. Masuku, accused of fraud amounting to 1.2-million-rand during her tenure at Standard Bank, allegedly misappropriated funds intended for scholarships by awarding them to friends and family. Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale says Masuku appeared in the Palm Ridge Commercial Crimes Court earlier today and was granted bail of 20-thousand-rand:

# South African consumers are optimistic about their finances, with 72-percent expecting income increases over the next year. According to TransUnion’s Consumer Pulse Study, inflation remains a top concern for 77-percent of participants, alongside interest rates at 55-percent and job security at 52-percent. While 71-percent are optimistic about household finances, 37-percent anticipate difficulties in servicing debt. Financial strain affects discretionary spending, with 38-percent planning to allocate more funds to bills and loans. The study highlights a cautious optimism amid ongoing economic challenges.

# The high court in Windhoek, Namibia has struck down the country’s colonial-era laws criminalising same-sex relationships, in a verdict hailed as “historic” by rights groups. The court declared the crimes of “sodomy” and “unnatural sexual offences” as “unconstitutional and invalid” in its ruling on the case brought by a local LGBTQ activist. The judgement overturns rarely enforced laws dating back to 1927, which Namibia inherited from the colonial era but maintained after gaining independence from South Africa in 1990.

# Stellenbosch University has introduced the Mariner 4.0 app, a revolutionary system designed to help seafarers combat seasickness. The system monitors motion sickness in real time, reducing the incidence and severity of symptoms. The university’s researcher Nicole Taylor says the app was used aboard the SA Agulhas two, collects data on individual experiences, providing valuable insights for voyage planning and ship design:

# Cricket: The Proteas face England in St Lucia this afternoon in the second of their Super Eight matches at the T20 World Cup. After four nervy wins, the South African fans can surely look forward to more drama. Matches in St Lucia typically have high scores. England successfully pursued a target of 181 against the West Indies, Australia chased 181 against Scotland, and both Sri Lanka and West Indies scored over 200 against the Netherlands and Afghanistan, respectively. The match starts at 4:30.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-90-cents and the euro at 19-rand-14-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-64-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-678-dollars-70-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-364-dollars-61-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-66-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….