News 09:00

BULLETIN 3 June 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Malawian government assists its citizens who want to leave South Africa
# The MK Party suspends its chief whip amid a corruption investigation
# And rugby: Glasgow expects a huge onslaught from the Bulls

# The Malawian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation says it will soon commence a voluntary repatriation exercise for its nationals who have requested support to leave South Africa. This comes as anti-foreigner protests have spread across the country in recent days, with flare-ups in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape. These protests have led to Ghana evacuating about 300 of its citizens last week, with Nigeria also announcing repatriation plans. The Malawian government has commended the South African government for taking decisive steps to address its concerns.

Meanwhile, government has strongly condemned the deadly anti-immigration violence that erupted in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape over the weekend. A South African and two Mozambicans were killed in violent protests against foreign nationals in the Asla Park informal settlement of KwaNonqaba. The violence led to about 55 shacks being set alight. Five suspects have been arrested. Deputy government spokesperson, William Baloyi, has urged citizens to avoid circulating unverified claims that risked fuelling panic and confusion:

# The MK Party has suspended its chief whip, Mmabatho Mokoena-Zondi, with immediate effect pending the outcome of an internal investigation into allegations of corruption. She was arrested last week, appeared in court on fraud and extortion charges and is out on 30-thousand-rand bail. According to the Hawks, between August and December 2024, she recruited four researchers and demanded that they pay her 50 to 60-percent of their salaries, supposedly for Jacob Zuma’s legal fees. Mokoena-Zondi allegedly collected 200-thousand-rand. The MK Party has appointed Philasande Mkhize as chief whip.

# Rugby: Glasgow Warriors expect a huge physical test in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship semifinal against the Bulls. The Scottish outfit had beaten the Pretoria team twice this season, but both games had been very close. Assistant coach Nigel Carolan describes the match as a massive opportunity for them against really tough opposition. He says they just have to keep their feet on the ground and control what they can. The match is being played at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, with kick-off at 3.30 Saturday afternoon.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-25-cents and the euro at 18-rand-89-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-87-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-282-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-486-dollars-44-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 96-dollars-26-cents a barrel.

# And finally, the South African Weather Service has issued a severe Level 8 weather warning for parts of the Western and Eastern Cape provinces for today and tomorrow. This latest warning follows devastating storms that struck the Western Cape last month, claiming the lives of eleven people and affecting more than 83-thousand. SA Weather Service forecaster, Tokelo Chiloane, says rainfall accumulations of between 50 and 90 millimetres are expected over the Central Karoo, western parts of the Garden Route District and Swellendam Municipality:

Stay tuned for more news………….