News 18:00

BULLETIN 20 June 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa calls for urgent dialogue to end the Israeli-Iranian conflict
# Minister Nkabane demands an immediate review of Walter Sisulu University’s security protocols following a fatal shooting
# And cricket: The injured Temba Bavuma will miss the two Tests against Zimbabwe

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says urgent global diplomatic efforts are needed to end the conflict between Israel and Iran. The president warned that the ongoing violence is costing lives and harming the global economy. Speaking on the sidelines of the Constitutional Court’s 30th anniversary in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, he urged all parties to avoid further airstrikes and seek a peaceful solution immediately:

# Higher Education and Training minister Nobuhle Nkabane says rising violence at universities is alarming and campuses must be safe for learning and growth. This comes after Walter Sisulu University’s deputy vice-chancellor, Sinethemba Mpambane, was shot and killed at the Mthatha campus in the Eastern Cape yesterday. It follows the recent killing of student Sisonke Mbolekwa during a protest. Ministry spokesperson Camagwini Mavovana says Nkabane has demanded an immediate review of security protocols:

# Political analyst Michael Atkins says while more public funding requires stronger regulation, private donations often weaken internal party democracy. Giving an overview of the Electoral Commission’s political party funding symposium in Durban this week, Atkins said parties in local government should also receive public funding, as they are currently excluded. He calls for an independent inspector-general to investigate funding breaches, instead of relying solely on the IEC:

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# Cricket: Captain Temba Bavuma will miss the Proteas’ Test series against Zimbabwe due to the hamstring strain he sustained during the final of the World Test Championship against Australia. He contributed a feisty 66 in the second innings nonetheless to lead his team to victory. Spinner Keshav Maharaj will captain South Africa in the two Tests against the neighbouring country, both taking place in Bulawayo. The players will depart on Tuesday, with the first encounter starting next Saturday and the second on the sixth of next month.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-99-cents and the euro at 20-rand-70-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-24-cents and Bitcoin trades at 105-thousand-676-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-367-dollars-16-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-26-cents a barrel.

# And finally: South Africa has been ranked among the 40 least peaceful countries in the world, placing 124th out of 163 nations on the 2025 Global Peace Index. According to TimesLive, the latest report by the Institute for Economics and Peace shows rising violence, political instability, and conflict have caused the biggest drop in global peace since 2007. South Africa moved up slightly from last year but is still considered a medium-risk country. Last year, the global cost of violence reached nearly 370-trillion-rand.

Stay tuned for more news………….