News 11:00

BULLETIN 21 June 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Public Service Association is concerned about the Hawks’ service delivery
# Britain votes to allow assisted dying
# And rugby: The British and Irish Lions lose against Argentina

# The Public Servants Association says it is extremely concerned that a critical staff shortage at the Hawks has reached an unacceptable level, with a negative impact on service delivery. The association’s Claude Naiker says an organogram providing for five-thousand-332 employees, now has only two-thousand-688 posts filled, with only 500 more to be filled in the 2025/2026 financial year. He says the concerning situation demonstrates a lack of willingness by the government to combat serious and organised crime:

# Education activist Hendrick Makaneta is urging all stakeholders to join forces in promoting a culture of peace, respect, and empathy at schools. He says the tragic incident where a Grade 11 learner, Lethabo Matula, lost his life at the hands of a fellow learner at Lesedi Secondary School in Bronkhorstspruit, Pretoria East, has sent shockwaves throughout the country. Makaneta says they will continue to advocate for the safety and well-being of all learners:

# ActionSA will launch a campaign in Alexandra, Johannesburg, on Monday aimed at fixing local government and addressing service delivery failures. The campaign will target municipalities across South Africa, advocating for basic services and accountability. Following the launch, ActionSA president Herman Mashaba and party leaders will conduct door-to-door engagements in Alexandra aimed at listening to residents’ concerns and pushing for urgent action to restore dignity and infrastructure in neglected communities.

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for global peace efforts to calm the escalating tension between Israel and Iran. Israel and Iran continue to exchange missile and drone attacks, injuring and killing scores of people on each side. The president called for immediate action through dialogue to end the conflict. He said the conflict is devastating the economies of the world:

# British lawmakers have narrowly approved a bill to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill people, by 314 votes to 291. Friday’s vote puts Britain firmly on track to join a small club of nations that have legalised the process. It allows people with a terminal condition and less than six months to live to take a substance to end their lives, as long as they can make the decision themselves. Canada, New Zealand, Spain, and most of Australia allow assisted dying in some form, as do several US states.

# And rugby: The British and Irish Lions will set off for Australia today on the back of a 28-24 defeat by Argentina in their warm-up test in Dublin on Friday. New head coach Andy Farrell was not overly concerned by the defeat, stressing how valuable it was for his team to get a competitive game under their belts so soon into the tour. It was the Pumas’ first victory in eight attempts over the Lions, with the Lions losing their tour opener for the first time since 1971. The Lions face Western Force in Perth next weekend.

Stay tuned for more news………….