News 07:00

BULLETIN 7 June 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# John Steenhuisen reiterates the importance of economic growth
# Shamila Batohi confirms plans to reapply for the extradition of the Guptas
# And the Netherlands will hold snap elections on 29 October after the government collapsed

# The DA leader and Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen says economic growth must be the top priority for the Government of National Unity, nearly a year after its formation. Speaking at the Black Business Council, Steenhuisen criticised the current 0.3-percent growth rate, calling it unacceptable. He urged all ministries to cut red tape, boost performance, and focus on reforms to tackle low growth, high debt, and soaring unemployment:

# The National Prosecuting Authority says it is preparing a new application to extradite the Gupta brothers from the United Arab Emirates. This comes as the NPA faces criticism after the High Court in the Free State ruled the extradition of Ace Magashule’s former personal assistant, Moroadi Cholota, in the asbestos case, was unlawful. NPA head Shamila Batohi told Newzroom Afrika, renewed efforts are being made to bring the Guptas to justice:

# The South African Weather Service has warned of a cold front expected to bring icy conditions, rain, and snow to parts of South Africa from tomorrow night into Monday. The Western Cape will be hit first today, with strong winds and scattered showers. Snow is forecast over high-lying areas in the Western and Eastern Cape, Lesotho, and the Drakensberg. The SAWS warns that temperatures will plummet across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Mpumalanga, and North West. Residents are urged to brace for cold and wet conditions.

# The Netherlands will hold snap elections on 29 October, after far-right leader Geert Wilders pulled out of the ruling coalition, bringing down the government and sparking political chaos. The vote in the European Union’s fifth-largest economy and major global exporter will be closely watched in Europe, where far-right parties have made significant electoral gains. Polls suggest Wilders’ Freedom Party is running neck-and-neck with the Left/Green group of former European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans.

# And finally sports news:

# Tennis: South Africa’s wheelchair tennis star Kgothatso Montjane is a Grand Slam champion for a fourth time. The 39-year-old won a second wheelchair doubles French Open with Japan’s Yui Kamiji. Montjane and Kamiji beat Xiaohui Li and Ziying Wang from China 4-6, 7-5. However, the second South African in the wheelchair draw, Donald Ramphadi, had to settle for the runner-up spot with his Turkish partner Ahmet Kaplan. The pair reached the final of the quad wheelchair doubles but were beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Guy Sasson from Israel and Niels Vink from the Netherlands.

# And rugby: There will be no love lost when the Bulls host the Sharks in their all-South African United Rugby Championship semi-final in Pretoria today. A place in the Grand Final of the cross-hemisphere showpiece will be up for grabs. Kick-off at Loftus is 6:15 pm. In the other semifinal, Leinster is at home in Dublin to take on the Glasgow Warriors. Kick-off is at 3:45 pm. Should the Warriors beat top-of-the-log Leinster, the final will take place in South Africa.

Stay tuned for more news………….