News 18:00

BULLETIN 7 June 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# NotInMyName calls for the immediate suspension of the national dialogue amid explosive claims against the Police minister
# The South African Institute of Taxation reiterates SARS’ warning on a rise in tax season scams
# And soccer: Banyana is mentally locked in ahead of tonight’s WAFCON title defence

# The civil society movement NotInMyName has called on government to immediately suspend the national dialogue, citing it’s a waste of money while crime and corruption are out of control. The movement’s Siyabulela Jentile says the recent murder of Ekurhuleni auditor Mpho Mafole, allegedly linked to a two-billion-rand scandal, and explosive claims of political interference by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, show the country is in crisis:

# The South African Institute of Taxation has echoed Revenue Service commissioner Edward Kieswetter’s call for vigilance amid rising scams this tax season. Acting deputy CEO Keitumetse Sesana told Newzroom Afrika scammers mimic official SARS emails, making it difficult for laypersons to detect fraud. She calls on citizens to verify all tax-related communication directly with SARS or consult registered tax practitioners, as falling victim doesn’t exempt one from tax liabilities:

# The Gauteng Department of Health says the telephone lines at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital have been successfully restored. This follows recent issues caused by damaged optical fibre cables. The department’s spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba, says the technical team has managed to restore the lines at both health facilities:

# Soccer: Banyana Banyana is shutting out distractions as they start the defend of their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title against Ghana in Morocco tonight. The players say they are mentally aware of the tough encounter against the Black Queens after a confident build-up, winning all preparatory matches against Malawi, Botswana and Zambia. The squad has emphasised collective focus, mental resilience and team spirit. Coach Desiree Ellis’s side says they are keen to replicate their 2022 triumph.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-75-cents and the euro at 20-rand-83-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-20-cents and Bitcoin trades at 108-thousand-115-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-317-dollars-43-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-59-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The seventh instalment of the action-adventure series created by Steven Spielberg, Jurassic World Rebirth, debuted at number one in North American theatres. The film, which features an all-new cast anchored by Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey, also scored the second-best international opening of the year and the franchise. Brad Pitt’s F1: The Movie came in second with DreamWorks Animation’s live-action How to Train Your Dragon in third. Disney and Pixar’s Elio and Sony’s 28 Years Later rounded out the top five.

Stay tuned for more news………….