News 14:00

BULLETIN 7 July 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# SAFTU calls on president Ramaphosa to address the nation over Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s allegations
# The Agriculture Department is to allow milk from quarantined farms onto the local market 
# And cricket: Wiaan Mulder makes history in the second Test against Zimbabwe

# Union federation Saftu is calling on president Cyril Ramaphosa to address the nation over allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal’s police commissioner. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused Police minister Senzo Mchunu of directly interfering with investigations into political assassinations and organised crime by disbanding the elite political killings task team. Saftu’s spokesperson, Newton Maseko, says the president cannot afford to remain silent or rely on internal departmental denials, because the trust of the nation is at stake:

Meanwhile, the Forum for South Africa is calling on Ramaphosa to consider replacing national police commissioner, Fannie Masemola, with Mkhwanazi. The forum’s leader, Tebogo Mashilompane, says Mkhwanazi answered many unanswered questions raised by citizens on corruption and crime after he accused Mchunu of directly interfering with investigations. He says they are calling on Ramaphosa to remove or reshuffle Mchunu to a suitable position:

# The Department of Agriculture says with some provinces battling with foot-and-mouth disease cases, it has decided to allow milk from quarantined farms in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape to be released onto the local market. Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen announced the lifting of the disease management areas in both provinces after intensified efforts by Veterinary Services were successful in containing the spread of the disease. The Agricultural Production deputy director general, Dipepeneneng Serage, says all farmers are urged to consistently adhere to all biosecurity measures:

# As global pressure mounts to reduce plastic use, Plastics SA is calling for smarter, evidence-based solutions, not blanket bans. South Africa produces nearly 2.5-million tons of plastic a year. The country also boasts some of the highest mechanical recycling rates in the world for developing countries, with over 28-percent of post-consumer plastics being recycled locally. Plastics SA’s executive director, Anton Hanekom, says citizens must prioritise responsible consumption, collection, sorting and improved recycling systems, and innovation in product design and end-of-life solutions.

# Cricket: Stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder surpassed the best Test score for a South African batter on the second morning of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. He bettered Hashim Amla’s record of an undefeated 311 against England at The Oval in 2012, reaching the milestone off just 297 balls. They are the only Proteas batters to score a triple century. Mulder also became the first cricketer to score a triple hundred in his debut as Test captain. He declared on 626 for five after lunch, being undefeated at 367.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-72-cents and the euro at 20-rand-79-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-11-cents and Bitcoin trades at 108-thousand-904-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-309-dollars-11-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-39-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….