News 13:00

BULLETIN NEWS AGENCY 12 July 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The roadworthiness of a Gauteng learner transport vehicle is being probed following Wednesday’s deadly crash
# The Labour minister acknowledges criticism of her budget
# And, cycling: A hat-trick of Tour de France stage wins for Biniam Girmay

# The Gauteng Transport Department says it is investigating the roadworthiness of the learner transport vehicle that was involved in Wednesday’s crash in Carletonville that killed eleven learners, as well as the driver. The learners were from Rocklands Primary School and Laerskool Blyvooruitsig. Transport MEC, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, says they are yet to determine whether the vehicle was licensed:

# Employment and Labour minister Nomakhosazana Meth has acknowledged criticism from political parties after tabling her department’s budget in Parliament. The EFF and MK Party expressed dissatisfaction at government’s continued failure in creating employment. They also called for sections of the department deemed ineffective to be scrapped. The department has been given over 3.8-billion-rand from the National Treasury for 2024/’25. Meth notes the mammoth task that lies ahead of her:

# Save South Africa Civic Movement says it is encouraged by the work the new minister of Sports, Arts And Culture, Gayton McKenzie, is doing. This week the minister put a stop to all free trips by superfans, saying the money the department spends to finance these trips would be used better. He also published the names of athletes and artists who got funding from his department during the Covid-19 pandemic. The movement’s Tebogo Mashilompane says McKenzie is getting things done.

McKenzie has meanwhile paid tribute to former Bafana Bafana coach Stanley Tshabalala, saying his legacy will live on. The 75-year-old died yesterday from injuries he sustained during a robbery at his home earlier this year. McKenzie says Tshabalala, affectionally nicknamed Screamer, fostered many soccer talents and teams over several decades. The ANC says Tshabalala’s death leaves a huge void in the sporting fraternity.

# Cycling: Biniam Girmay of Eritrea sprinted to his third stage victory at this year’s Tour de France with success during stage 12. The 24-year-old won stages three and eight and his third stage victory now extends his lead in the sprint points race. Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia meanwhile retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey and remains one-minute-six-seconds ahead of Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel. Girmay says he wants to focus on sprinting in future:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-97-cents and the euro at 19-rand-57-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-28-cents and Bitcoin trades at 57-thousand-162-dollars-99-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-407-dollars-43-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 86-dollars-74-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….