News 07:00

BULLETIN 24 June 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The haggling over Cabinet positions threatens to derail the government of national unity
# The Student Forum 4 Service Delivery does not want Blade Nzimande or Angie Motshekga in the new Cabinet
# And the winner of the ‘World’s Ugliest Dog’ contest is announced

# Negotiations over Cabinet portfolios between the ANC and DA are at risk of derailing the government of national unity. According to News24, the ANC offered the DA only three out of 31 Cabinet posts, far fewer than expected. The DA, initially aiming for ten posts, reduced its demand to seven but insisted on fair representation proportional to its electoral support. Tensions remain high, with the DA threatening to withdraw from provincial governments in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng amidst fears of marginalisation within the coalition.

Meanwhile, the Progressive Caucus has fractured with the UDM joining the government of national unity. Initially formed to challenge ANC dominance, the caucus included opposition parties like the EFF, PAC, Al Jama-ah, and ATM. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa cited fruitful discussions with the ANC and dissatisfaction with caucus dynamics as reasons for the shift. Al Jama-ah is the latest party to join the government of national unity, with ten of 18 parties in the National Assembly signing the statement of intent.

The Student Forum 4 Service Delivery calls for the exclusion of the sixth administration Higher Education, Science and Innovation minister Blade Nzimande and Basic Education Angie Motshekga from the government of national unity cabinet, citing their failures. They propose integrating education ministries and appointing non-political experts to ensure free, quality, decolonised education. The forum’s Nhongo Solo says competent ministers are needed to address dropout rates, unemployment, and educational resource issues:

And finally on the government of national unity: The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Coalition South Africa has called on the incoming government to support their legal team at the International Court of Justice. They also urged the government to take measures to prevent complicity in Israel’s actions against Palestinians. The coalition’s Roshan Dadoo warns that failure to act will harm South Africa’s international reputation and mobilise public opposition against the government of national unity:

# And now for sports news – Tennis: Tommy Paul defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 7-6 to win the Queen’s Club tennis final in London on Sunday. This was the fifth-seeded American third ATP tour title but his first on grass. Queen’s is one of the leading warm-up events for Wimbledon. And in Germany, the world number one, Jannik Sinner, also won his first title on grass at the Halle Open when he beat his Polish double partner Hubert Hurkacz 7-6, 7-6. Sinner is preparing for Wimbledon, where he reached the semifinals last year.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-1-cents and the euro at 19-rand-26-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-52-dollars-4-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-324-dollars-91-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-23-cents a barrel.

# And lastly, an eight-year-old Pekingese called Wild Thang won the 2024 World’s Ugliest Dog contest in California. The animal has competed in the contest five times, coming second three times before finally taking the top prize this year. Wild Thang contracted the viral disease canine distemper as a puppy. He survived, but not without permanent physical damage. He and his owner Ann Lewis took home a cheque for 90-thousand-rand. The World’s Ugliest Dog competition has been held for nearly 50 years and celebrates the imperfections that make all dogs special and unique.

Stay tuned for more news………….