News 06:00

BULLETIN 26 June 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Presidency asserts no party in the government of national unity will change policies
# The Corruption-accused Zizi Kodwa returns to Parliament, despite the step-aside rule
# And South Africa records three more positive cases of Mpox and one death

# Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya has emphasised that no single party in the government of national unity will unilaterally change policies based on their manifestos. With ten parties joining the GNU, president Cyril Ramaphosa is yet to announce his Cabinet. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Magwenya insisted on policy clarity with the Statement of Intent, aligned with the Constitution and collective decision-making on policy, legislation, and regulations:

Meanwhile, ActionSA has communicated its commitment to being a constructive opposition to the ANC. In a cordial meeting, both parties discussed South Africa’s governance following the 2024 elections. ActionSA acknowledged the ANC’s position as the largest party and the importance of stability but decided against joining the government of national unity. ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba says the party plans to support meritorious proposals and maintain accountability as an uncompromised opposition party, ensuring the best interests of South Africans are served.

# Former Sports, Art, and Culture minister Zizi Kodwa, who resigned after being charged with corruption, maintains his innocence as he returns to Parliament as an MP. He was among several MPs sworn in yesterday after missing the first swearing-in session earlier this month. Kodwa was arrested and appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court earlier in connection with allegations that he received 1.6-million-rand in bribes. Cosatu spokesperson, Matthew Parks, said it was an ill-considered decision by the ANC and undermines its progressive step-aside resolution for public representatives.

# The new Mpox strain Clade 1b which appears to spread more easily from person to person, has potentially more severe symptoms and has a higher mortality rate. Researchers in the Democratic Republic of Congo are warning it could spread internationally. The strain first emerged in September among sex workers in the DRC mining town of Kamituga, around 273 kilometres from the border with Rwanda. There have now been around one-thousand confirmed cases in the country’s South Kivu province.  The World Health Organisation and other global health bodies are planning an emergency vaccination campaign in South Kivu.

The Department of Health has meanwhile confirmed that the country has recorded three more positive cases of Mpox and one death. The department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale says the latest cases include a 40-year-old male from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal who presented with mpox-like symptoms. Mohale says the man died at home and test results came back positive for Mpox on Sunday:

# Tennis: Emma Raducanu brushed aside Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-0 to advance to the second round of the Eastbourne International on Tuesday in a battle of former US Open champions. Raducanu, who won the US Open as a qualifier in 2021, has slipped to 168th in the world after an injury-plagued 2023 season. The 21-year-old missed the French Open but returned to competition at the Nottingham Open grass-court tournament earlier this month, where she reached the semifinals. Raducanu has been given a wild card for Wimbledon, which starts on 1 July.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-24-cents and the euro at 19-rand-55-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 61-thousand-882-dollars-96-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-320-dollars-15-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-17-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….