News 06:00

BULLETIN 28 Mei 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says the government is working hard to shield South Africans from the high cost of living
# Donald Trump is set to cancel all federal contracts with Harvard University
# And surfing: Jordy Smith surges to the top of World Surf League rankings

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged to tackle high food prices as rising poverty continues to affect millions of South Africans. In his reply to the National Assembly’s oral questions, Ramaphosa highlighted measures such as inflation targeting, zero VAT on basic food items, increased social grants, and free basic services for over eleven-million households. He also urged municipalities to update indigent registers to ensure proper support reaches the poor:

# The DA has called on Parliament’s Social Development Committee to urgently summon SASSA to present a winter readiness plan. The party’s Alexandra Abrahams says thousands of vulnerable South Africans are braving harsh conditions at SASSA offices due to failed e-services, poor queue management, and limited access to support. She demands immediate interventions to ensure dignity, safety, and accessible services for grant beneficiaries during the cold season:

# The Water and Sanitation Department has reported significant progress in tackling sewage pollution in Emfuleni. The department says that since invoking Section 63 of the Water Services Act in 2021, Rand Water has led major upgrades, including refurbishing pump stations and replacing sewer lines. The Sebokeng and Rietspruit treatment plants are partially upgraded. With 7.6-billion-rand allocated over seven years, the department says sewage spillages have drastically reduced, but warns that full resolution needs further capacity expansion.

# US president Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly set to order federal agencies to cancel all government contracts with Harvard University. The approximately 30 contracts are collectively worth 1.8-billion-rand. Since April, the administration has already frozen 57-billion-rand in research grants and attempted to ban the university from enrolling foreign students, a move temporarily blocked by federal courts. The New York Times says the directive set to circulate to federal agencies claims the university continues to engage in racial discrimination in its admission process.

# Surfing: South African surfer Jordy Smith has clinched his second win of the season at the Margaret River Pro in Australia, claiming the top spot on the World Surf League leaderboard. Smith delivered a dominant performance, impressing judges with powerful maneuvers and wave control. Smith outscored US rival Griffin Colapinto. He said he is excited for the upcoming California round with championship hopes high:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-94-cents and the euro at 20-rand-32-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-25-cents and Bitcoin trades at 109-thousand-169-dollar-60-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-305-dollars-31-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-37-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has paid tribute to actor Presley Chweneyagae, describing him as one of South Africa’s most powerful creative voices. The 40-year-old, who starred in the Oscar-winning South African film, Tsotsi, passed away on Tuesday morning. Presley is also known to audiences for his role as Cobra in the popular telenovela The River. McKenzie says Presley was a true trailblazer, a storyteller who held the soul of a nation in his craft.

Stay tuned for more news………….