News 06:00

BULLETIN 20 May 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says the government has advanced policies of restitution
# Julius Malema believes the budget speech will be devoid of concrete plans
# And South Africans are urged to adopt a dog on World Rescue Dog Day

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says dealing with the memory of past atrocities is one of the most difficult and delicate tasks a nation can undertake. In his weekly newsletter, he says South Africa has had to contend with the past in the interests of social cohesion and nation-building. He notes the brutality suffered by liberation activists like former ANC secretary general, advocate Duma Nokwe. Ramaphosa says the government has advanced policies of restitution and redress to both acknowledge and correct the historical injustice of apartheid. 

# EFF leader Julius Malema believes Finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget speech will be devoid of plans for job creation, economic growth, or support for state-owned enterprises. Following a two-month-long budget impasse, the minister withdrew his proposal for a value-added tax hike last month. He will table budget 3.0 on Wednesday. Malema says Godongwana must avoid tabling proposals that will financially burden the majority of citizens:

# The Gauteng Department of Education condemns a violent assault involving seven girl learners from four schools on a fellow learner from Bedfordview High School. The attack, which took place in Yeoville last week, was captured on a video that went viral on social media. The department’s Steve Mabona says the learners involved have been suspended and appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on assault charges:

# South Africa and the Netherlands signed a joint commission agreement in The Hague during their Fourth Joint Commission of Cooperation meeting. International Relations minister Ronald Lamola met with Dutch Foreign Affairs minister Caspar Veldkamp to strengthen bilateral relations. The nations discussed Ukraine, Palestine, South Africa’s G20 Presidency, and climate initiatives. Key outcomes include a one-billion-rand contribution to South Africa’s Green Hydrogen Fund and continued collaboration on agriculture, trade, water management, and science. Both countries affirmed their commitment to multilateral cooperation and addressing global challenges.

# Rugby: A combined Australian and New Zealand team will face the British and Irish Lions for the first time since 1989 this year. The team will be coached by Les Kiss, who takes over from Joe Schmidt at the Wallabies next year. The game will be played in Adelaide, Australia, on the 12th of July. The Lions’ tour of Australia starts on the 28th of June and will conclude on the second of August after three Tests against the Wallabies and another six matches.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-7-cents and the euro at 20-rand-30-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-15-cents and Bitcoin trades at 105-thousand-607-dollar-10-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-221-dollars-77-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-59-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Animal welfare groups are encouraging South Africans to adopt rescue dogs instead of buying pets ahead of World Rescue Dog Day today. FOUR PAWS’ Fiona Miles says over four-million animals are homeless, however adoption offers them safe havens to call home. Miles says every adoption eases shelter pressure and changes lives. She emphasised that rescue dogs are not broken, they’re simply waiting for a second chance.

Stay tuned for more news………….