News 06:00

BULLETIN 1 June 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa will host the Kenyan president on a state visit this week
# The DA leads with donations ahead of the local government elections
# And rugby: Australia denies the Blitzboks a second consecutive title win

# President Cyril Ramaphosa will host Kenyan president William Ruto on a State Visit to South Africa this week. Official talks at the Union Buildings in Pretoria will focus on strengthening political, economic, and diplomatic ties between the two nations. The leaders are expected to discuss regional priorities and sign several agreements. Ramaphosa and Ruto will also attend the South Africa-Kenya Business Forum at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, aimed at boosting trade, investment, and business partnerships. Government says Kenya remains a key strategic partner in East Africa and across the continent.

# The Electoral Commission has published political party donation declarations from 1 January to 31 March 2026, revealing nearly 97.2-million-rand in disclosed funding. The DA received the largest share at 57.3-million-rand, followed by RISE Mzansi with 30-million-rand and ActionSA with 9.9-million-rand. The report comes ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections, signalling intensified fundraising activity. The Commission says it is investigating the conversion of a 30-million-rand loan to RISE Mzansi into a donation to ensure compliance with funding laws.

Meanwhile, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has raised concerns about growing voter apathy ahead of the Local Government Elections scheduled for November 4. Speaking to the SABC, Hill-Lewis urged South Africans to register and participate in the democratic process. Hill-Lewis said low voter turnout weakens accountability and service delivery, adding that elections are an opportunity for communities to drive change. He called on voters to make their voices heard at the ballot:

# Public Works and Infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson has asked the National Treasury for guidance on launching an independent investigation into a controversial 70-million-rand lease agreement for a vacant building in Pretoria. A preliminary report found the Property Management Trading Entity approved the lease in 2023 despite plans to close the Department of Public Enterprises. The minister alleges that officials tried to house the National Prosecuting Authority’s anti-corruption unit there:

# Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the capture of Beaufort Castle, near the city of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon, as a decisive shift in its offensive against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. The Israeli Defence Force stated that it had launched an operation in the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi al-Saluki area of southern Lebanon, to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and expand its control of the area. Netanyahu says the aim is to deepen and expand their grip on the places that were under Hezbollah’s control.

# Rugby: Australia were crowned champions in Valladolid, Spain, after defeating South Africa 26-19 in the men’s cup final. Australia scored four tries to the Blitzboks three. Despite the result, the Springbok Sevens still sit top of the log after two of three Sevens World Championship tournaments, after they won the first event in Hong Kong last month. The final tournament will be played in Bordeaux, France, this weekend. Blitzboks coach Philip Snyman says they were not clinical enough in the important moments:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-24-cents and the euro at 18-rand-92-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-83-cents and Bitcoin trades at 73-thousand-793-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-532-dollars-27-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 91-dollars-2-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….