News 14:00

BULLETIN 3 July 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile has been officially sworn in
# Tshwane implements various interventions to control water levels
# And tennis: The two men’s favourites are in action in Wimbledon’s second round today

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile has been officially sworn in, marking the commencement of his duties in the seventh administration. This follows president Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of ministers and deputies who are also taking their oaths at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo presides over the ceremony. Mashatile promised to devote himself to the well-being of the republic:

Meanwhile, Future Forex CEO, Harry Scherzer, says the markets have shown their sensitivity to political instability in South Africa, and any signs of conflict or inefficiency within the government of national unity could quickly reverse the rand’s gains. Scherzer says the new cabinet must leverage this momentum to push forward with critical economic reforms and maintain stable economic development for both local and international investments:

# The City of Tshwane has implemented various interventions to manage and control water levels according to system requirements. Rand Water is currently conducting extensive maintenance of its infrastructure across Gauteng municipalities. The metro says reservoirs supplied by Rand Water’s Palmiet system will be affected on Friday and the 29th of this month. Mayoral committee member for Utilities, Themba Fosi, says in preparation for the shutdown, several proactive measures have been taken, including reservoirs being filled to over 80-percent capacity.

# Sierra Leone president Julius Maada has officially signed a bill that outlaws child marriage, a practice that remains widespread in West and Central Africa. Advocates hope the new legislation will better protect girls in Sierra Leone, around a third of whom are married before they turn 18, increasing the maternal death rate due to the physical risks they face from pregnancy. Under the law, any man who marries a girl under the age of 18 could face at least 15 years in prison and a fine of around 75-thousand-rand.

# Tennis: The two favourites in Wimbledon’s men’s draw take to the court in the second round today. World number one Jannik Sinner of Italy faces his unseeded compatriot, Matteo Berrettini, for a place in the third round. The defending champion, third-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, plays Aleksandar Vukic of Australia. From a South African point of view, there will be interest in Lloyd Harris’s match against 14th-seeded American Ben Shelton. Second-seeded Coco Gauff will play Romanian Anca Todoni in the women’s draw.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-48-cents and the euro at 19-rand-88-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-47-cents and Bitcoin trades at 60-thousand-102-dollars-15-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-345-dollars-96-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 86-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….