News 11:00

BULLETIN 9 June 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says transformation is not a favour, it is a necessity
# Minister Mchunu withdraws the advertised post for a new Hawks head
# And cricket: Aiden Markram says he’s ready for the final of the World Test Championship against Australia

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says government reaffirms that broad-based black economic empowerment is not just a policy choice but a constitutional imperative. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter. In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa says false notions that a choice must be made between growth and transformation, and that B-BBEE is a cost to the economy, must be corrected. Ramaphosa says transformation is not a favour, but a necessity. He adds the task is to ensure that both growth and transformation are pursued together.

# Police minister Senzo Mchunu has withdrawn an advertised post for a new head of the Hawks. Former head Godfrey Lebeya retired last month, ending his seven years in the job. Mchunu told News24 he decided to withdraw the post after weighing the short-term instability of an acting Hawks head against the importance of appointing the best person. He adds he wants more people to apply and more depth to the pool, considering the seriousness of the position.

# The DA in the Western Cape has welcomed ongoing efforts to safeguard agricultural export markets. The party says the United States remains a critical trading partner, particularly through the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which enables duty-free access for a wide range of South African agricultural goods. The DA’s Noko Masipa says in 2024 alone, the province exported 3.5-billion-rand worth of agricultural products to the US, including over 1.8-billion-rand in citrus:

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department has declared downtown LA an unlawful assembly area, following a third day of demonstrations over US president Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Ten people have been arrested as law enforcement officials clashed with demonstrators. About 300 members of the National Guard are on the ground after Trump deployed them to protect federal personnel and property. California governor Gavin Newsom has told MSNBC they are considering suing the Trump administration over the deployment of the National Guard:

# Cricket: Proteas opening batter, Aiden Markram, says they are confident heading into the World Test Championship final against holders Australia at Lord’s, starting on Wednesday. This is despite South Africa not having played a Test in six months. Markram says they know the importance of starting well, trying to get ahead of the game early, and how important each session is going to be:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-71-cents and the euro at 20-rand-23-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-3-cents and Bitcoin trades at 105-thousand-718-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-324-dollars-90-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-91-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….