News 15:00

BULLETIN 25 June 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A kidnapped Gqeberha woman is safely reunited with her family
# Freedom Charter heritage sites in the Eastern Cape are falling into neglect
# And rugby: The City of Cape Town expects over 40-thousand spectators for the Boks-Barbarians match

# A Gqeberha woman has been rescued and reunited with her family in the early hours of this morning after being abducted on Saturday morning from the Markman fresh produce market in Nelson Mandela Bay. During the incident, Lindsay Knowlden’s husband was assaulted with a pistol, leaving him with a laceration to his eye. She was located in Kwanoxolo near Bethelsdorp, where she was dropped off unharmed following an 89-hour ordeal. Investigations continue, and authorities urge anyone with information to come forward.

# As South Africa marks 70 years since the Freedom Charter was adopted, important heritage sites linked to the event are falling apart. Zack Matthews’ old house and Chief Tyali’s gravesite in Alice in the Eastern Cape, have reportedly remained badly neglected. Matthews played a key role in shaping the charter, which outlined a vision for a free and democratic South Africa. Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane says restoring these sites is part of plans to boost tourism, but the process requires government approvals.

# Namibia’s ministry of Agriculture has lifted the temporary ban on importing and transporting maize seeds from South Africa. The ban was imposed after the detection of Goss’s wilt, caused by a bacterial pathogen, in previous imports. The ministry’s spokesperson, Simon Nghipandulwa, says new phytosanitary guidelines have been introduced to prevent plant diseases. Importers must now follow strict regulations. He urges vigilance to protect Namibia’s crop health and agricultural sustainability:

# Rugby: The City of Cape Town is expecting a massive turnaround for the historic clash between the Springboks and the Barbarians at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. The match marks the first encounter between the two sides since 2016, and the first on South African soil. Mayoral committee member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says they are anticipating more than 40-thousand spectators, which will affect traffic:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-78-cents and the euro at 20-rand-64-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-20-cents and Bitcoin trades at 106-thousand-991-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-326-dollars-61-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-48-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The eThekwini Municipality says Africa’s greatest horse racing and fashion event, the Durban July, will this year inject around 690-million-rand into the metro’s economy. The event at the Greyville Racecourse next weekend will feature a star-studded lineup including multi-award-winning Afro-pop duo Mafikizolo, the band Sunset Sweatshop, and songstress Lira. The metro’s spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, says sectors including fashion and textiles, transportation, restaurants, hair and beauty, and businesses selling fast food, will benefit from this event:

Stay tuned for more news………….