News 08:00

BULLETIN 8 June 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Fikile Mbalula emphasises that South Africa is not xenophobic
# Minister Creecy welcomes the decision to write off the e-toll debt
# And, Iran launches missiles at Israel for the first time since April

# ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has called on government to formulate a comprehensive legal response to undermine illegal mobilisation, which he warns could lead to vigilantism. This comes as over the past few months, there has been a surge in protests against undocumented foreign nationals across the country. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of an ANC event in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday, Mbalula emphasised that South Africa is not xenophobic, and that illegal immigration is a global problem:

Meanwhile, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says the party will support every lawful effort in government to secure the country’s borders and fix the broken systems that have allowed illegal migration to become a source of fear and frustration. He has welcomed president Cyril Ramaphosa’s message that South Africa’s economic struggles are not caused by foreign nationals, but by the failure to grow the economy and create jobs. Hill-Lewis says citizens must reject xenophobia, and never allow anger over hardship to become violence against vulnerable people:

# Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy has welcomed the Cabinet’s decision to allow the South African National Roads Agency Limited to implement the closure of the historical debt linked to the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. The write-off of outstanding debt gives effect to the government’s April 2024 decision to close the e-toll scheme. Road users who lawfully paid e-tolls when the system was in force will, however, not be refunded. Creecy says this long-awaited decision brings much-needed relief and lessens the financial burden to road users.

# Iran launched its first missiles at Israel since April on Sunday, and warned of further attacks if prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government continues its offensive in Lebanon. This comes after Israel struck Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah targets in southern Beirut. Iran has also threatened to block the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another vital maritime corridor in the Middle East, if Israel escalates its attack. Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Force says it will retaliate with determination as soon as the order is given.

# Motorsport: Nineteen-year-old Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli produced a dominant drive to win a chaotic Monaco Grand Prix, his fifth consecutive victory this season. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished second with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar claiming the final podium position. Antonelli leads Hamilton by 66 points in the drivers’ championship, with his teammate George Russel now down to third after finishing 13th following several penalties. Antonelli says he is happy with the overall performance of the car the whole weekend:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-54-cents and the euro at 19-rand-7-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-6-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-75-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-307-dollars-63-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 95-dollars-29-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….