News 13:00

BULLETIN 23 July 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Ramaphosa signs the Climate Change Bill into law
# The MK Party Youth League criticises AfriForum’s ConCourt application against Hlophe
# And, rugby: Kolisi will lead a strong Springbok Rugby Championship squad

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the Climate Change Bill into law. The law provides for the development of an effective climate change response, and a long-term just transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy and society. It stipulates the role provinces and municipalities will play in climate mitigation efforts. Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says the act enhances South Africa’s ability and capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while reducing the risk of job losses:

# The MK Party Youth League says AfriForum’s application against its chief whip in Parliament, John Hlophe, is baseless, vexatious, and irrational. AfriForum has appealed to the Constitutional Court to intervene by declaring the former judge’s designation to the Judicial Service Commission irrational, unlawful and unconstitutional. The league’s spokesperson, Nkateko Mkhabela, says the application is an abuse of court process:

# Union federation Saftu has applauded the enactment of the two-pot retirement system. This allows pension fund members early access to a portion of their retirement savings while preserving the majority for retirement. Spokesperson Trevor Shaku says the system offers financial flexibility, enabling workers to address immediate needs without jeopardising long-term security:

# Rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a strong 33-man squad led by double World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi for the Rugby Championship, which kicks off against the Wallabies in Brisbane on the tenth of next month. Twenty-two of the players are World Cup winners, while five players who made their debuts this year are included – Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ben-Jason Dixon and Morné van den Berg. There is also a return for lock Ruan Nortjé, who made his Springbok debut against Wales in 2022.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-36-cents and the euro at 19-rand-94-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-72-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-836-dollars-63-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-406-dollars-66-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-69-cents a barrel.

 # And finally: Wildlife crime, particularly succulent plant theft, is on the rise in the Western Cape. The province, which is home to over 52-percent of South Africa’s flora species, is a prime target for illegal succulent trade, mainly to East Asia. According to the 2023 State of Biodiversity Report, 38-percent of the total number of cases related to succulents in 2022/23. Cape Nature says it has implemented a project as part of an integrated response to address illegal trade in succulent flora and serious wildlife crime.

Stay tuned for more news………….