News 17:00

BULLETIN 8 July 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Solidarity urges Ramaphosa to intervene and save jobs amid US trade penalties
# The ATM demands that the Public Protector probes the alleged police interference as exposed by Mkhwanazi
# And rugby: A new-look Bok team is announced for the second Test against Italy

# Solidarity has urged president Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene urgently to prevent major job losses following the American decision to impose a 30-percent tariff on South African exports from next month. The union states government inaction risks collapsing key exports and potentially losing African Growth and Opportunity Act benefits. Solidarity’s Theuns du Buisson blames political arrogance and failure to prioritise trade relations with the US:

# The African Transformation Movement has asked Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka for a full investigation into alleged political interference by Police minister Senzo Mchunu. ATM leader Vuyo Zungula says revelations by KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi expose misconduct, abuse of power, and the unlawful disbandment of a key political killings task team. The ATM calls this one of the most serious threats to justice and policing in democratic South Africa.

# The chairperson of Parliament’s Correctional Services committee, Kgomotso Ramolobeng, has raised concerns over poor infrastructure, overcrowding, and lack of maintenance in prisons across South Africa. The Department of Correctional Services says ageing facilities and vandalism by inmates have worsened conditions. Ramolobeng says minister of Public Works Dean Macpherson will appear before the committee next Tuesday to address the crisis and propose urgent solutions:

# President Donald Trump says the United States will send additional weapons to Ukraine, triggering Russian criticism after Moscow claimed new gains in its grinding war against its neighbour. The Kremlin warned that sending arms to Ukraine only serves to prolong the conflict. Trump’s announcement to send weapons to Ukraine followed Washington saying last week that it was halting some weapons shipments to Kyiv, leaving Ukrainian officials caught off guard and scrambling for clarity.

# Rugby: A new-look Springbok team will be led by Salmaan Moerat in the second Test against Italy in Gqeberha. The starting-15 only includes Willie le Roux, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Marco van Staden and Jasper Wiese from the group that defeated Italy 42-24 last week. Edwill van der Merwe and Makazole Mapimpi are the new wings, André Esterhuizen will partner Canan Moodie at centre, and Manie Libbok and Grant Williams are the half-backs. Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit and Ruan Nortjé are among the forwards.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-81-cents and the euro at 20-rand-84-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-14-cents and Bitcoin trades at 108-thousand-883-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-323-dollars-82-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 69-dollars-3-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….