News 15:00

BULLETIN 23 June 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Three people are sentenced to life imprisonment for a farm murder in Limpopo
# Russia condemns the US strikes on Iran
# And sports news: Minister McKenzie doubles down on his promises

# The High Court in Polokwane, Limpopo, has sentenced Malesela Mangena, Velly Segwale, and Lesiba Segwale to life imprisonment following a violent 2022 farm robbery that led to the murder of Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg. They were also sentenced to 42-years in jail for related offences and declared unfit to own firearms. The National Prosecuting Authority’s Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi says they remain committed to get justice for victims of violent crime:

# Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, has called for unified efforts to reform South Africa’s struggling local governments. Speaking in Midrand at the 1998 White Paper review, Hlabisa stressed the need for inclusive, tailored reforms to address service delivery failures and poor financial management. He warned underperforming municipalities that failing to spend allocated funds is unacceptable, and urged a shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to context-specific governance solutions:

# The International Finance Corporation says the progress in power generation across Africa has been encouraging. A total of 26-gigawatts of renewables-based generation capacity has been added on the continent in the last ten-years. The corporation is supporting South Africa’s reforms to open the energy sector to more investment. IFC regional industry director Sarvesh Suri says they are working with the National Treasury, the Electricity and Energy Department, and the National Transmission Company to support the launch of the country’s first independent transmission project, with procurement planned for next year.

# Russia says it condemns and regrets US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, as Russian president Vladimir Putin was set to meet Iranian Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow. Meanwhile, Israel is carrying out unprecedented strikes on Iran’s capital of Tehran, targeting what it calls agencies of government repression. The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, also warned it would be extremely dangerous should Iran shut down the crucial Strait of Hormuz trading route over the strikes. Around 20-percent of the world’s oil passes through this waterway.

# On to sports news: Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, insists that all four of the promises he has made since taking office will be fulfilled. He promised that Formula One will return to South Africa, video assistant referees will be introduced in soccer, Bloemfontein Celtic Soccer will return, as well as funding for the entertainment sector:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-14-cents and the euro at 20-rand-80-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-27-cents and Bitcoin trades at 101-thousand-284-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-377-dollars-88-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 76-dollars-55-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….