News 11:00

BULLETIN 3 Julie 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Civil society organisations are against former judge John Hlophe’s nomination to the JSC
# Cosatu in Gauteng criticises the DA over its failed cabinet talks with the ANC
# And tennis: Defending champion Vondrousova admits nerves got the best of her at Wimbledon

# Six civil society organisations have written to National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza expressing deep concern about impeached judge John Hlophe. This comes as the MK Party has nominated Hlophe to become one of Parliament’s representatives on the Judicial Service Commission. The organisations, including Freedom Under Law and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, say designating an individual to the JSC who has been found by the very body in question to have committed gross misconduct would be completely inappropriate.

# Education activist Hendrick Makaneta has urged the Department of Basic Education to reform grade 9 mathematics assessments. He proposes that learners should have the opportunity to write two exam papers, similar to grade 12 learners. Makaneta argues the current single-paper format places undue workload on learners, leading to poor performance and a decline in mathematics uptake for further education:

# Cosatu in Gauteng is disturbed by the government vacuum in the province created by the continuous postponement of the announcement of the new cabinet. The ANC and the DA are at loggerheads over the composition of a government of provincial unity. The deadlock is largely over the allocation of portfolios, which the DA says must reflect the will of the voters. Cosatu’s Amos Monyela says they are irritated by the DA’s arrogance:

# The United Nations’ Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East warns that an estimated 250-thousand people are set to be displaced in Gaza. This comes as the Israeli Defence Force has ordered a mass evacuation of Palestinians from Khan Younis in Gaza’s south. The military is reportedly planning to launch a new ground assault on the territory’s second-largest city. The UN agency says this is another devasting blow to the humanitarian response in Gaza.

# Tennis: Defending Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova says she struggled to shake off her nerves in her first-round exit. World number 83 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain defeated the 25-year-old Czech 6-4, 6-2 for her first Grand Slam victory. This is the first time since 1994, when Steffi Graf lost to Lori McNeil, that the women’s defending champion has lost in the first round at Wimbledon. Vondrousova says she will learn from this experience:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-55-cents and the euro at 19-rand-95-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-55-cents and Bitcoin trades at 60-thousand-918-dollars-78-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-340-dollars-56-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 86-dollars-71-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….