News 12:00

BULLETIN 17 June 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# John Steenhuisen is sacked as minister of Agriculture
# Cape Town calls on Transnet to accelerate its port improvement strategies
# And a warning the Ebola outbreak in the DRC could be the worst ever

# DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has removed John Steenhuisen as minister of Agriculture following an assessment of the party’s team in the government of national unity. Steenhuisen will replace Alexandra Abrahams as deputy minister of Trade, Industry and Competition. The current minister for Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, would succeed Steenhuisen, while David Maynier will replace Aucamp. Yusuf Cassim is now deputy minister of Higher Education, and Jack Bloom is deputy minister of Water and Sanitation. Hill-Lewis says these changes were necessary:

# Cape Town has renewed calls for Transnet to accelerate initiatives to improve efficiencies at the port of Cape Town, which has been ranked last in the latest World Bank container port performance index. Research commissioned by the Western Cape government found a more efficient port could unlock six-billion-rand in additional exports and support 20-thousand jobs. Mayoral committee member for Economic Growth, James Vos, says South Africa cannot afford an under-performing port:

# Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, says uncontrolled migration can be a source of instability, therefore it must be managed in a lawful, orderly and humane manner. More than 45-million Africans live outside their countries of birth. Lamola says South Africa has emerged as a leading destination for migrants who come primarily from Southern African Development Community countries, but also increasingly from the broader continent, Europe and Asia:

# The Africa Centres for Disease ​Control and Prevention has warned the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda could be the ​worst ever. More than 800 cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no proven treatment or vaccine, have been reported in the country, 192 of them fatal. Uganda has had 19 confirmed cases with two deaths. The centres’ director-general, Jean Kaseya, says tens of thousands of ⁠contacts of those ill ​with the disease have not ​been traced yet.

# Rugby: South Africa ‘A’ coach Mzwandile Stick has named a balanced blend of experience and youth, including five Springboks, for their clash against Zimbabwe in Gqeberha on Saturday. Sharks forward Vincent Tshituka will captain the side. He will be joined by double World Cup winner Lukhanyo Am, Phepsi Buthelezi, Neethling Fouché, and Boan Venter as the capped internationals in the run-on side. Stick has also selected an exciting group of youngsters for the match-day squad, including Luan Giliomee, Markus Muller, Jaco Williams, and Zekhethelo Siyaya.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-23-cents and the euro at 18-rand-83-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-77-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-225-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-321-dollars-97-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-71-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….