News 09:00

BULLETIN 27 June 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Macpherson welcomes the appointment of a new Independent Development Trust board
# The EFF rejects the appointment of ‘ANC loyalists’ to the Industrial Development Corporation board
# And Zelensky and the Council of Europe establish a tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders

# Public Works and Infrastructure minister, Dean Macpherson, has welcomed Cabinet’s appointment of a new board for the Independent Development Trust. Macpherson says the move ends a period of instability and leadership challenges at the IDT. Macpherson praised the outgoing board’s efforts and expressed confidence in the new board’s ability to restore good governance. He reaffirmed the IDT’s critical role in delivering social infrastructure to communities in need across South Africa:

# The EFF has strongly rejected the appointment of the Industrial Development Corporation board, calling it a clear case of patronage and a sign of ongoing corruption. The party has slammed the appointments of Ayanda Dlodlo, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, and Sydney Mufamadi, saying they demonstrate how the ANC continues to hijack state institutions to reward political loyalty rather than competence. The EFF says the capture of the IDC board is an attempt to maintain ANC control and to continue using public institutions as personal ATMs.

# The Cape Town Council has adopted the City’s Invested in Hope Budget for 2025/2026. It includes various rate relief measures and a South African-record 40-billion-rand infrastructure programme over three years. It also includes a major safety investment for dedicated neighbourhood policing in every ward, and expanded cleaning services for highways and CBDs. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says this is not just a budget but a declaration of intent:

# Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has signed an agreement with the Council of Europe to create a special tribunal. The tribunal aims to target senior Russian leaders for the crime of aggression, which underpins the countless war crimes Ukraine accuses Russian forces of committing since the start of the war in February 2022. Zelensky says they will continue working to ensure justice for all victims, emphasising that criminals must face trial at the International Criminal Court:

# Tennis: Defending champion Taylor Fritz is through to the semifinals as he bids for a fourth Eastbourne title. The American defeated countryman Marcos Giron, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, to book a last-four clash with Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina today. France’s Ugo Humbert and American Jenson Brooksby put an end to British hopes by defeating Billy Harris and Daniel Evans, respectively, and setting a semifinal meeting. In the women’s draw, Australian teenager Maya Joint and Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova are through to the semifinals.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-85-cents and the euro at 20-rand-87-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-51-cents and Bitcoin trades at 107-thousand-475-dollars-XX-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-294-dollars-46-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….