News 06:00

BULLETIN 24 June 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The haggling over Cabinet positions threatens to derail the government of national unity
# The Consumer Commission begins a nationwide crackdown on unsafe and expired goods
# And rugby: The Blitzboks book its ticket to the 2024 Olympics in Paris after a victory over Great Britain

# Negotiations over Cabinet portfolios between the ANC and DA are at risk of derailing the government of national unity. According to News24, the ANC offered the DA only three out of 31 Cabinet posts, far fewer than expected. The DA, initially aiming for ten posts, reduced its demand to seven but insisted on fair representation proportional to its electoral support. Tensions remain high, with the DA threatening to withdraw from provincial governments in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng amidst fears of marginalisation within the coalition.

Meanwhile, the Public Servants Association welcomes president Cyril Ramaphosa’s focus on unemployment, labour law protection, and professionalising the public service. The PSA supports Ramaphosa’s commitment to tackling corruption, the energy crisis, and empowering women. However, they oppose the proposal for senior public servants to reapply for their jobs. The association’s Claude Naiker expressed confidence in the government of national unity’s leadership:

# The National Consumer Commission has launched a nationwide crackdown on unsafe and expired goods. The first stop was the Capricorn District Municipality in Limpopo. This action follows the discovery of widespread non-compliance, including the sale of expired goods at discount prices, posing health risks to consumers. The commission’s spokesperson Phetho Ntaba promised continued enforcement across provinces to uphold safety standards and protect consumers:

# The South African Guide Dogs Association for the Blind is pursuing legal action against Uber South Africa for alleged discrimination against people with disabilities. The association claims in the Equality Court that Uber drivers treat people with disabilities unfairly, especially those with guide dogs. They argue this violates constitutional rights. Uber SA, in its defence, claims the matter should be taken up with Uber in the Netherlands. Uber is encouraged to revise its policies, improve driver training, and simplify the process for reporting unfair treatment.

# The Israeli military says it is investigating an incident captured on video where its forces violated protocol by strapping a wounded Palestinian man to the front of their jeep during a raid in the West Bank city of Jenin. The images were shared on social media. The Israel Defence Force says the man was wounded in an exchange of fire during the raid, in which he was a suspect. He was eventually transferred to the Red Crescent for treatment. Reuters eyewitnesses identified the man as Mujahed Azmi.

# The Blitzboks booked their place in the 2024 Olympics in Paris after defeating Great Britain 14-5 in the final of the World Rugby Repechage tournament in Monaco on Sunday.  The South Africans complete the list of 12 nations worldwide competing for the sevens gold medal at the highly anticipated Games. The other participants are France as the host, and New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji, and Australia as the top four positions of the 2023 World Rugby Sevens Series. The others qualified because they were regional qualification tournament winners: Uruguay, Ireland, USA, Kenya, Samoa, and Japan.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-1-cents and the euro at 19-rand-25-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-148-dollars-39-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-324-dollars-91-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-9-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….