News 06:00

BULLETIN 27 June 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# All the ANC’s structures will be briefed on the government of national unity negotiations
# The World Health Organisation warns against the rapid spread of M-pox
# And rugby: Siya Kolisi is retained as Springbok captain

# We start with the following breaking news: The Proteas are through to the final of the T20 World Cup for the first time ever after they beat Afghanistan with 9 wickets. More to follow in our next bulletin.

And now for the rest of the news:

# ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has announced that the party’s structures will be briefed this weekend on National Executive Committee decisions and the government of national unity negotiations. Provincial secretaries are requested to organise extraordinary regional meetings, each with five representatives per branch. Members will receive updates and guidance during these meetings to ensure alignment and communication across the party’s structures. This follows as the second phase of the government of national unity process, to appoint the Cabinet in line with the Constitution, is underway.

# Union federation Saftu is advocating for free basic electricity amidst Eskom’s proposed 36.15-percent electricity tariff increase for next year. The federation opposes the hike, outlined in a confidential draft to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, which also includes subsequent increases in 2026, 2027, and 2028. Saftu’s Mogoshadi Maserumule says these hikes, compounded with recent increases, pose a severe financial burden on consumers, especially millions of working-class households:

# ActionSA marked the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking yesterday, emphasising the need for decisive action to combat the epidemic. It hopes to strengthen action and cooperation for an international society free of drug abuse. ActionSA’s Dereleen James highlights addiction as a health issue. She calls for dismantling narcotics syndicates, tightening borders, and improved rehabilitation centres to aid victims:

# The World Health Organisation warns against a new strain of the M-pox virus spreading quickly along the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The current outbreak has reportedly been driven by sexual transmission but there is evidence this strain can also be passed on through close skin-to-skin contact. Global health experts say the new variant risks cross-border and international spread of the virus, with one calling it the most dangerous strain yet. At least three people who contracted M-pox have died in South Africa.

# Rugby: Two-time Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi will retain the captain’s armband when the world champions return to the field against Ireland in Pretoria next Saturday. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed Kolisi will again lead the team, ending speculation that he could be replaced by a locally-based Bok captain. Cheslin Kolbe has been cleared to play and Edwill van der Merwe, Faf de Klerk and Makazole Mapimpi should also recover from injuries before the first Ireland Test. The Boks have not beaten them since 2016.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-16-cents and the euro at 19-rand-40-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-93-cents and Bitcoin trades at 60-thousand-940-dollars-96-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-299-dollars-38-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-13-cents a barrel.

# And finally: From phones that can detect deepfake scams to autonomous intelligent vehicles, the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence took centre stage as the Mobile World Congress kicked off in Shanghai. The conference saw some of China’s biggest companies showcase their latest products and visions for an AI-driven future. Smart device brand Honor unveiled technology it said could detect deepfake scam calls and warn the phone’s owner in real-time. In February, it was revealed that a Hong Kong finance worker had transferred millions to fraudsters who presented themselves as his colleagues on a video call using AI.

Stay tuned for more news………….