News 11:00

BULLETIN 6 June 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Solidarity files an urgent UN complaint over its race law settlement
# The US imposes sanctions against judges of the International Criminal Court
# And cricket: Rob Walter has been appointed as New Zealand’s new coach

# Trade union Solidarity has laid a complaint with a United Nations agency, accusing the government of breaching a race law settlement. The deal was signed in 2023 with the help of the International Labour Organisation. The union has set up a seven-million-rand legal fund to fight what it calls unfair race-based policies. Solidarity’s Anton van der Bijl says new job equity rules, published in April by Labour minister Nomakhosazana Meth, go against the agreement:

# National Director of Public Prosecutions advocate Shamila Batohi has refuted claims that the National Prosecuting Authority is in crisis and is failing. Her tenure has been marked by high-profile missteps, ranging from the bungled prosecutions of the Gupta brothers, Matshela Koko and Timothy Omotoso to the handling of allegations against Moroadi Cholota. Batohi told Newzroom Afrika that in a country where the crime rate is very high, people are looking for someone to blame, and the NPA is an easy target:

# Parliament’s portfolio committee on Police is demanding answers on what it says seems to be impunity and a lack of accountability within the police service. A police constable currently stationed in Kuilsriver, Cape Town, is out on bail for rape but remains in service, while a warrant officer in Lentegeur, previously suspended and at a later stage charged with drunk driving, has returned to duty. Committee chairperson, Ian Cameron, says SAPS is facing a serious trust deficit that will be exacerbated by the continued retention of criminals within the service. He says accountability must not be optional.

# US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has imposed sanctions on four judges from the International Criminal Court for infringing on US and Israeli sovereignty. The judges, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia, are barred entry into America. The sanctions are in response to the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and its investigation into alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan.

# Cricket: Former South Africa white-ball coach, Rob Walter, has been named as New Zealand’s new men’s coach, across all formats, for the next three years. He led the Proteas to the semifinals of the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, as well as the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. His contract will run through to the conclusion of the T20 World Cup in 2028. Walter says this is an amazing opportunity for him:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-74-cents and the euro at 20-rand-27-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-2-cents and Bitcoin trades at 103-thousand-283-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-357-dollars-28-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-79-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….