News 08:00

BULLETIN 14 June 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Cosatu welcomes the South African peacekeepers from the DRC
# Donald Trump is allowed to keep the National Guard in Los Angeles
# And cricket: South Africa is firmly in control of the World Test Cricket final  against Australia

# The Congress of South African Trade Unions has welcomed home South African National Defence Force members returning from peacekeeping duty in the Democratic Republic of Congo. COSATU’s Matthew Parks says the federation salutes their sacrifice and mourns those lost during the mission. Parks calls for urgent support, including better training, equipment, and funding for troops. He emphasised that South Africa must continue playing a leading role in African peace efforts:

Meanwhile, the DA is calling for urgent reforms following revelations of a deepening operational crisis in the South African National Defence Force. The DA’s Chris Hattingh says navy vessels are docked, the Air Force is grounded, and coastal surveillance is near collapse. Hattingh warns that the crisis stems from years of neglect and failed leadership. He warns that South Africa’s defence capabilities are deteriorating rapidly, leaving the nation exposed and vulnerable, and calls for audits, immediate investment, and political accountability.

# The Forum for South Africa says poor town planning and lack of service delivery by municipalities have worsened the impact of the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The organisation says many people are forced to build near rivers due to the government’s failure to provide proper housing and planned settlements. The forum’s Tebogo Mashilompane criticised disaster management teams for failing to act on early weather warnings, despite alerts:

# The deputy minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Nomalungelo Gina, has called for greater inclusion of women in the green hydrogen economy. Gina has launched a new green hydrogen mentorship platform aimed at connecting young talent with experienced professionals in the clean energy sector. Ministry spokesperson Veronica Mohapeloa says women must not be left behind in the energy transition and calls for deliberate efforts to support female leadership in science and technology:

# U.S. President Donald Trump can keep his deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles. This according to a court ruling, as protests against immigration raids look set to enter their second week in the strongest backlash since his return to power in January. Trump yesterday welcomed the decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal that temporarily paused a previous lower court ruling, blocking the mobilization. Cities across the United States were expecting more unrest this weekend in oppostion of a military parade in Washington, marking the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.

# And cricket: Aiden Markram scored an unbeaten 102 and shared an unbroken third wicket partnership of 143 with captain Temba Bavuma in South Africa’s second innings against Australia in their World Test Championship final at Lords in England.  Bavuma, who is suffering from a hamstring injury managed 65 not out. At close of play yesterday, they reached 213, chasing a target of 282 for victory. They require another 69 runs for victory on the fourth morning, with eight wickets in hand.

Stay tuned for more news………….