News 07:00

BULLETIN 26 June 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Presidency asserts no party in the government of national unity will change policies
# ActionSA says the government of national unity will come at a cost to accountability
# And the National Health Laboratory is still down after the weekend’s cyberattack

# Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya has emphasised that no single party in the government of national unity will unilaterally change policies based on their manifestos. With ten parties joining the GNU, president Cyril Ramaphosa is yet to announce his Cabinet. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Magwenya insisted on policy clarity with the Statement of Intent, aligned with the Constitution and collective decision-making on policy, legislation, and regulations:

Meanwhile, ActionSA says it conveyed its concern for a scenario in which most opposition parties in the government on national unity took up the invitation to join the ANC and DA grand coalition, rendering them conflicted. The party’s Michael Beaumont says news emanating from the government of national unity negotiations appears to be producing a larger cabinet:

# All the IT systems of the National Health Laboratory Service are still down after an attempted cyber-attack this weekend. The laboratory’s CEO Prof Koleka Mlisana said all systems remain inaccessible both internally and externally, including to and from healthcare facilities, and will remain so until the integrity of the environment is secured and repaired. The service is the only source of laboratory services for the public sector. In an internal memo earlier, Mlisana gave staff the assurance the payroll was not affected, and salaries will be paid as usual.

# A City of Cape Town intergovernmental committee has been established to address the issue of rabies in Cape fur seals. The committee, which includes representatives from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, South African National Parks, and veterinary experts, aims to understand the extent of rabies in the seal population and implement management strategies. There are currently five confirmed rabies cases in Cape fur seals. The public is advised to avoid contact with seals and follow guidelines to ensure safety. Immediate medical attention is necessary for anyone bitten by a seal.

# Cricket:  Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan hailed the inspiration of cricket legend Brian Lara for helping them secure a place in the T20 World Cup for the first time. Afghanistan reached the last four after a knife-edge, eight-run victory over Bangladesh, a win that also saw mighty Australia eliminated. Khan says Lara was the only person who thought Afghanistan would be in the semis, a statement that gave the team lots of energy. Afghanistan will face undefeated South Africa in the first semifinal in Trinidad, with India tackling defending champions England in the second semifinal in Guyana.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-22-cents and the euro at 19-rand-53-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-13-cents and Bitcoin trades at 62-thousand-173-dollars-60-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-320-dollars-65-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-41-cents a barrel.

# And finally a strange story from nature: Declared as a male nine years ago by a vet, Ronaldo, the 1.8-metre Brazilian rainbow boa gave birth to 14 baby snakes despite having had no contact with other snakes. Scientists say it is thanks to a rare phenomenon called parthenogenesis. A reptile specialist explained the rare phenomenon of parthenogenesis is a natural form of asexual reproduction, where embryos develop without fertilisation. It is known to take place in plants and some animals, but Ronaldo’s pregnancy was only the third in the world to be documented for a captive boa.

Stay tuned for more news………….