News 06:00

BULLETIN 6 June 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa wants minister Nkabane to account for her behaviour
# Minister Steenhuisen unveils his vision for agriculture
# And tennis: Kgothatso Montjane and Donald Ramphadi reach the French Open finals

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has requested minister of Higher Education and Training, Nobuhle Nkabane, to provide him with a detailed report on the decorum and substance of her engagement with Parliament. This comes after the minister received backlash for eating and chewing bubble gum while appearing before Parliament’s portfolio committee on Higher Education and Training last week. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says the president expects the minister to establish a constructive relationship with the committee as she exercises her leadership and accountability:

# Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen has outlined a new seven-pillar vision for the Agriculture Department which is operating as a standalone portfolio. Speaking at the AVI Africa conference, he emphasised partnerships, modernising laws, market access, farmer support, biosecurity, advocacy, and food security. Steenhuisen vowed regulatory reform, tailored support for farmers, expanded financing, and renewed vaccine production. He also launched a biosecurity council and called for improved infrastructure to boost agriculture’s role in building a resilient and inclusive economy.

# The Inkatha Freedom Party has rejected bail for persons accused for the assassination of the IFPs deputy chief whip Khethamabala Sithole, who was killed on 31 May. Speaking outside the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, IFP Gauteng provincial chairperson, Bonginkosi Dhlamini, has urged authorities to uncover the full truth as the matter was postponed to next week for bail. He called for those involved to be brought to justice:

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile will launch the Clean Cities and Towns Campaign in Soweto, Gauteng today. The initiative promotes cleaner, greener urban spaces and encourages nationwide community clean-up efforts. The campaign also supports government’s broader service delivery goals under the District Development Model. Mashatile, joined by Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero, will lead clean-up and tree-planting activities at Walter Sisulu Square, including the lighting of the Flame of Dedication.

# The African Union has expressed concern over a new US travel ban on several countries, while Somalis were indignant at being among the seven African nations singled out by the Trump administration. President Donald Trump signed a decree banning citizens from Somalia, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti and Iran from travelling to the United States. In a statement, the AU said the ban would harm people-to-people ties, educational exchange, commercial engagement, and broader diplomatic relations built with the US over decades.

# Tennis: South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane is through to the French Open women’s wheelchair doubles final. The 39-year-old teamed up with Japan’s Yui Kamiji to topple the number one seeds Japan’s Manami Tanaka and China’s Zhenzhen Shu, 6-1, 6-4. Montjane is also through to the singles semifinals following a, 6-2, 6-4, victory against fourth seed China’s Ziying Wang. Another South African, Donald Ramphadi, and his Turkish partner Ahmet Kaplan defeated Britain’s Andy Lapthorne and Sam Schroder of the Netherlands to make the quad wheelchair doubles final.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-70-cents and the euro at 20-rand-27-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-4-cents and Bitcoin trades at 101-thousand-747-dollar-10-cents. Gold sells at three-thousand-359-dollars-30-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 64-dollars-92-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….