News 08:00

BULLETIN 21 June 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says South Africa’s Constitution permits only the President to appoint ministers
# Eskom announces its diesel expenditure has fallen by 85-percent
# And rugby: The Boks and South Africa’s A-team show their mettle

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa’s Constitution permits only the President to appoint ministers to his cabinet. Ramaphosa’s comments come after DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis wrote to him requesting the removal of John Steenhuisen as Agriculture minister to be replaced by Willem Aucamp. He was speaking during the ANC’s voter registration drive in KwaThema, Ekurhuleni. The president says he will reply to the DA proposal soon:

# As the country is on the second day of voter registration weekend, the Forum for South Africa is calling for greater transparency in electoral processes, strict enforcement against electoral fraud, and accountability across all political parties. FOSA leader, Tebogo Mashilompane, emphasised that the true test of democracy lies not in readiness, but in participation and trust. He is deeply concerned that over 70-percent of eligible youth aged between 18 and 19 have not registered to vote:

Meantime, Education activist Hendrick Makaneta says young people should not stand aside and watch as adults continue to make decisions that will affect them in the future. On the last day of vote registration weekend, Makaneta is encouraging young people to stand and be counted in the transformation of South Africa:

# Eskom has announced a massive 85-percent year-on-year reduction in its diesel expenditure for the current financial year, driven by a much stronger Energy Availability Factor and fewer unplanned outages. The power utility spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says diesel expenditure stands at 640.27-million-rand at a load factor of 1.30-percent for the open cycle gas turbines, significantly lower than the 4.515-billion-rand incurred over the same period last year at a load factor of 11.94-percent:

# And finally, rugby news:

# The Springboks kicked off their 2026 international campaign with a high-scoring 80-31 win over the Barbarians in Gqeberha on Saturday. The Springboks scored a total of 12 tries in the game, with a hat-trick by Edwill van der Merwe. Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese, Riley Norton, Cheslin Kolbe, JJ Kotze, Faf de Klerk, Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen, and Zachary Porthen each added a try, with Kolbe converting 9 for a personal contribution of 23 points. Andrew Kellaway scored two tries for the Barbarians, with Frank Molina, TJ Perenara, and Virimi Vakatawa adding one each.

And in a showcase of talent, the South African A side whitewashed Zimbabwe 40-0 in the main curtain-raiser to the Springboks-Barbarians game. The match was a reminder of the talent in the country, but was overshadowed by a red card for young flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed. Despite his moment of madness, Ahmed scored an exceptional individual opening try and was one of the stars on the day.  Markus Muller, Haashim Pead, Nico Steyn, Immy Khan, and Jaco Williams added South Africa A’s other tries.

Stay tuned for more news………….