News 09:00

BULLETIN 9 June 9 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Council of Churches prays for the country’s political transition
# Millions are voting on the final day of the EU elections
# And, rugby: URC misery for the Stormers but the Bulls pull through

# The South African Council of Churches has concluded its special meeting of the National Church Leaders Forum. Leaders discussed South Africa’s political direction as parties negotiate a government of national unity. SACC president Thabo Makgoba emphasised a sense of urgency to create a government benefiting all South Africans. He urged political leaders to prioritise inclusivity, peace and stability:

# City Power is ramping up efforts to remove illegal connections and boost revenue collection across Johannesburg this winter. The initiative aims to alleviate pressure on the system and recover billions in unpaid dues. Observations indicate high electricity consumption by those illegally connected or where meters have been tampered with, leading to significant evening peak load increases. To manage this, load reduction will be implemented in over 80 areas during peak hours, with power cuts of two-and-a-half-hours daily until network stability is achieved.

# Europeans in 20 countries are going to the polls on the biggest and final day of voting for the European Parliament. Europe’s main centre-right grouping is expected to lead across the European Union, but three parties on the far right all have their eye on winning the most seats nationally. France’s National Rally, Italy’s Brothers of Italy and Austria’s Freedom Party are leading in the polls, as is Belgium’s separatist and anti-immigration party, Vlaams Belang.

# Rugby: Glasgow Warriors scored two tries in the final five minutes as the Scottish team claimed a hard-fought 27-10 United Rugby Championship quarter-final victory over the Stormers last night. Flyhalf Manie Libbok missed all four of his shots at goal. In Pretoria, Kurt-Lee Arendse scored a brace of tries as the Bulls overcame Benetton 30-23 to earn a URC home semi-final. Arendse was rushed to hospital following a head knock late in the first half with Benetton’s Malakai Fekitoa. The Bulls will host Leinster on Saturday.

# And finally: Gautrain is marking 14 years of operation. Spokesperson Albi Modise says the first Gautrain ride left Sandton Station for OR Tambo International Airport in 2010, just in time for the FIFA Soccer World Cup. Since then, Gautrain has completed approximately 192.8-million passenger trips. Modise says with over one-thousand staff, Gautrain maintains over 90-percent availability and punctuality across its ten-station network, connecting Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekurhuleni and the airport:

Stay tuned for more news………….