News 13:00

BULLETIN 15 June 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane is the new chairperson of the NCOP  
# Eskom CEO Dan Marokane shares progress from first 100 days
# And, rugby: Davids and Van Wyk included in the Blitzbok squad for Monaco

# The outgoing premier of Mpumalanga, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, has been elected chairperson of the National Council of Provinces. Fifty-four permanent NCOP delegates were sworn-in at the Cape Town International Convention Centre today. This follow’s yesterday’s swearing in of the majority of members of the National Assembly. The NCOP has 90 delegates – ten members from each province. Six of the ten are permanent and four are special delegates.

# Eskom CEO Dan Marokane has outlined achievements from his first 100 days in office. Key focuses included assessing the Generation Operational Recovery Plan, progressing Eskom’s unbundling, and stakeholder engagement. Marokane also points out there have been 80 days without load-shedding. He highlights plans to operationalise the National Transmission Company by July and various strategic initiatives for sustainable growth:

#  Rand Water says it plans its maintenance during the low water demand season in winter in order to ensure the reliability of its infrastructure during summer. Rand Water’s spokesperson, Makenosi Maroo, says they will start an extensive proactive infrastructure maintenance next week, until 29 July. Maroo says the municipalities in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West will be affected and the maintenance will at different times:

# Rugby: Zain Davids and Shilton van Wyk return to the Springbok Sevens squad that will contest the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco next weekend. South Africa will play Mexico, Tonga and Chile in pool play in the tournament where the winner will fill the last spot at the Rugby Sevens tournament of the Paris Olympics. The squad for Monaco will only consist of 12 players and not the usual 13. Coach Philip Snyman says they travel to Monaco tomorrow with a clear mind on the task ahead.

# And, the newest edition of the popular boardgame Catan is directly addressing the timely issue of climate crisis. The game is about collecting and using resources such as bricks and lumber to build and expand settlements in a fictional world. The new edition is set in the 21st century, with real elements such as power plants and pollution playing a major role. However, developers still managed to balance joyful play with environmental science. The game turns 30 next year with numerous versions and expansions released and more than 45-million copies sold worldwide.

Stay tuned for more news………….