News 08:00

BULLETIN 2 June 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Tau wants the US to provide evidence of unfair trade practices and forced labour in South Africa
# Eskom releases its energy and electricity supply contracts to AfriForum
# And tennis: Sabalenka and Berrettini are through to the French Open quarterfinals

# Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, says he has requested the US to provide evidence that South Africa is importing goods using forced labour. The US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has flagged 60 countries, including South Africa, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, on suspicion of unfair trade practices and the use of forced labour. In a written reply to a parliamentary question by the MK Party, Tau insisted that the investigation had nothing to do with South Africa’s participation in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act.

# Eskom says it has fulfilled the court order handed down by the Supreme Court of Appeal in March, to supply Afriforum with the historical primary energy and electricity supply contracts which were active as at July 2022. The disclosure includes contracts covering independent power producers, coal procurement, diesel supply and electricity exports to neighbouring countries. Eskom says its contracting environment continues to evolve through strengthened governance and controls that safeguard operational integrity and ensure compliance with national procurement frameworks.

# The Motor Industry Staff Association rejects any talk of job cuts in the fuel retail sector following the latest petrol price increase of one-rand-43-cents per litre. The union argues it’s premature and irresponsible to consider retrenchments when workers are already under pressure from high living costs, debt and unemployment. MISA spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola warns that retrenchments would place further strain on workers and their families:

# The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has committed around 818-million-rand to pharma company Moderna and to two other groups. This is to help accelerate the development of a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which has swept through the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The outbreak has caused 250 deaths and over one-thousand suspected cases. CEPI CEO, Richard Hatchett, says with Bundibugyo spreading rapidly and no licensed vaccines, every day counts in the race against this deadly disease:

# Tennis: World number one Aryna Sabalenka is through to her fourth consecutive French Open quarterfinal. The Belarusian defeated Japan’s Naomi Osaka, 7-5, 6-3, to set up a clash with Russia’s Diana Shnaider, who booked her first career Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 win over American Madison Keys. In the men’s draw, Italian Matteo Berrettini defeated Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo, 6-3, 7-6, 7-6, to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the first time in almost four years. Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime overcame Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-30-cents and the euro at 18-rand-96-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-93-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-838-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-495-dollars-29-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-71-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….