News 06:00

BULLETIN 9 Julie 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Public Service Commission says integrity is crucial in the fight against corruption
# Gautrain says its contingency plan is in full effect amid the Numsa strike
# And more heavy rain and damaging winds are expected in Cape Town

# The Public Service Commission says integrity is a crucial weapon in the fight against corruption. Recent incidents at South Africa’s ports, where officials refused bribes, highlight the importance of ethical conduct in public service. Commissioner Anele Gxoyiya says the commission aims to bolster public trust and uphold constitutional values, promoting accountability and transparency in governance and service delivery:

# Parliament will hold elections today and receive budget briefings. The National Assembly will elect House Chairpersons, representatives for various parliamentary bodies, and Judicial Services Commission members. Among the Members of Parliament nominated to sit on the JSC are MK Party member and impeached former Western Cape judge president, John Hlophe. The National Council of Provinces will elect its deputy chairperson and other key positions. Both houses will receive departmental briefings on budget votes during their hybrid sittings.

# Gautrain Management Agency says services will continue to operate today. Gautrain employees affiliated with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa have embarked on an indefinite strike over wages. The union is demanding a revised nine-percent wage increase and a two-thousand-rand housing allowance among other things. The agency’s CEO, Tshepo Kgobe, says they have implemented their contingency plan to ensure commuters are not affected by the strike:

# The South African Weather Service has issued a level six warning for disruptive rain and damaging waves, leading to flooding and possible mudslides in Cape Town today. A series of cold fronts are due to hit the province this week. The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre’s, Sonica Lategan, says the forecast will likely exacerbate the impacts of the inclement weather experienced to date:

# Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to retaliate after Russian strikes killed at least 31 people and damaged a children’s hospital. Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt Hospital is Ukraine’s largest children’s medical centre. The Russian Defence Force has denied targeting civilian infrastructure, insisting the strikes had been aimed at military facilities. Zelenskyy says Moscow cannot be unaware of where its missiles are landing and must be held fully accountable for all its crimes.

# Rugby: Springboks attacking coach Tony Brown says flyhalf Handré Pollard needs more match-time to get his kicking rhythm up to scratch. This followed after he uncharacteristically missed three kicks at goal during Saturday’s first Test against Ireland in Pretoria. Brown says Pollard last played competitively two months ago, and he isn’t concerned about the prolific goal-scorer’s level of play. Despite Pollard’s woes, the Boks outplayed the Irish 27-20. The final Test will be played in Durban this coming Saturday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-10-cents and the euro at 19-rand-60-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-18-cents and Bitcoin trades at 56-thousand-482-dollars-10-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-361-dollars-60-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 85-dollars-68-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….