News 06:00

BULLETIN 9 June 6 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says South Africa will adopt a firm but fair approach to migration
# Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is holding off from striking Iran ‘for now’
# And rugby: Phepsi Buthelezi and Carlu Sadie are called up to the Bok training camp

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says government is responding to the genuine concerns that South Africans have expressed regarding illegal migration and its impact on the country. Over the past weeks, there have been several anti-illegal immigration protests across the country. In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa reiterated that through the Comprehensive Approach for Migration Management, government is cracking down on violations of immigration, labour, and other laws. He added that by strengthening laws and enforcing them fairly, government can tackle illegal immigration while remaining true to the Constitution and shared humanity.

# Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has defended the party’s decision to declare a 30-million-rand loan write-off as a donation and follows political funding laws. The loan was used to fund the party’s 2024 election campaign and was written off after the party could not repay the remaining debt, despite paying more than one-million-rand towards it. Zibi rejects claims of wrongdoing, as the law allows donations from organisations:

# The South African Social Security Agency says concerns at its Soweto office in Maponya Mall in Gauteng over non-payment of social grants are linked to an ongoing, legally required review process. The agency’s Lungelo Mkamba says the process is meant to confirm continued eligibility and does not automatically lead to cancellations, as beneficiaries are given the chance to verify their details and submit documents before any decision is taken:

# Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that his country will hold off on attacks on Iran for now, but warned they will respond forcefully if attacks resume. Israel and Iran traded strikes for the first time since the ceasefire was agreed in April. Netanyahu says after Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah fired into Israeli territory, he ordered the Israeli Defence Force to attack terrorist targets in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and eliminate Hezbollah operatives there, which they did. He adds that Israel has the right to self-defence.

# Rugby: Loose forward Phepsi Buthelezi and prop Carlu Sadie have been called up to the Springboks training squad in Johannesburg. The duo will be joined by the Stormers players, following their United Rugby Championship semifinal defeat to Leinster. Buthelezi, who plays for the Sharks and made his Test debut against Portugal in 2024, reported for duty yesterday, while Sadie, who plays for European champions Bordeaux Bègles, will join the camp tomorrow. Bok coach Rassie Erasmus says he is confident that Buthelezi and Sadie will slot into the squad with ease.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-50-cents and the euro at 19-rand-3-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-1-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-279-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-325-dollars-97-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-3-cents a barrel.

# And finally: BMW is expanding pilot projects using humanoid robots at its plants in Germany and the United States as part of efforts to boost productivity through artificial intelligence. The company says the robots are being tested for repetitive, physically demanding, and precision-based tasks in vehicle and battery production. BMW reports positive results from trials in South Carolina, where robots assisted in producing more than 30-thousand vehicles. However, the company says its Rosslyn plant in Pretoria is unlikely to deploy humanoid robots in the foreseeable future.

Stay tuned for more news………….