News 13:00

BULLETIN 18 June 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# ActionSA is concerned about Helen Zille’s comment over the Phala Phala scandal
# Sanlam is to acquire 60-percent of MultiChoice’s insurance business
# And Cricket: The International players’ association wants their voices to be heard

# ActionSA says the DA appears to be backtracking on their vow to hold president Cyril Ramaphosa accountable for the Phala Phala scandal. ActionSA’s Athol Trollip reacted to DA Federal council chairperson, Helen Zille’s, comment that the DA will not vote for the impeachment of a president they voted for, unless new evidence emerged. Trollip says the Constitutional Court will soon hear an application challenging the ANC’s use of their parliamentary majority to strike down the adoption of the Independent Panel Report into the scandal:

# Sanlam Limited and MultiChoice Group Limited today announced that they have entered into an agreement for Sanlam to acquire 60-percent of MultiChoice’s insurance business, NMS Insurance Services, as well as a long-term commercial arrangement. Sanlam Group CEO, Paul Hanratty says this is to leverage their respective market footprints and technological capabilities that will support growth and market penetration. Hanratty says for MultiChoice, the transaction represents an opportunity to expand its value-enhancing services such as insurance to its subscribers across Africa.

# Eskom has urged customers to be patient after a major backlog of faults has affected multiple Cape Town areas. This is due to inclement weather conditions, theft, vandalism, and illegal connections.  It is unclear when the backlog will clear, and the power utility has urged Cape Town residents to be patient.  The affected areas are Khayelitsha, Grabouw, Macassar, Somerset West, Eersterivier, Kraaifontein, Delft, Belhar, Wesbank, Sir Lowry’s Pass, and Philippi. The power utility’s teams are working hard to restore supply to all the affected areas.

# Cricket: The world players’ board, Fica, has changed its name to World Cricketers’ Association. The WCA now represents the majority of the world’s best cricketers across 14 countries. At a meeting in New York, the association awarded the first Tim May Medals for outstanding service to the players’ association to Tim May and Richard Bevan. Both were central to ensuring that players collectively have a say on matters that impact them at global level.

# Financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-10-cents and the euro at 19-rand-42-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-97-cents and Bitcoin trades at 65-thousand-595-dollars-21-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-313-dollars-84-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 83-dollars-92-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Veteran British actor Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy, was rushed to hospital late yesterday after falling from the stage during a London performance. The 85-year-old actor was starring as John Falstaff in a production of “Player Kings” at the Noel Coward Theatre in London’s West End when he lost his footing during a fight scene. Following a scan in hospital, it was announced he will make a speedy and full recovery. He is expected to return to the stage tomorrow.

Stay tuned for more news………….