News 13:00

BULLETIN 4 June 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# ActionSA calls on SAPS to immediately prioritise the safety of children
# Cosatu says the government must honour its commitments for a review of various fuel taxes
# And Cricket: Kohli celebrates the IPL win with AB de Villiers and the fans

# ActionSA has called on the police to immediately prioritise the safety of children by ensuring fast, coordinated responses to all missing children’s reports, reinstating specialised child protection and gender-based violence investigation units. The party says Gauteng police launched a manhunt for suspects after 14-year-old Lukhona Fose was found murdered in Durban Deep, Roodepoort. ActionSA’s Elmari Atterbury says every South African deserves to live in safe and secure communities:

# Cosatu says the government must honour its 2018 and 2022 commitments for a comprehensive review of the various fuel taxes and levies, which consume approximately a third of the fuel price. The fuel levy increase has come into effect, after the Western Cape High Court dismissed the EFF’s application to suspend it. Cosatu’s spokesperson, Matthew Parks, says it is equally important that Eskom be assisted to reduce the currently increasingly unaffordable price of electricity:

Meanwhile, the Beer Association of South Africa warns that high excise taxes are driving consumers toward illicit alcohol. Speaking at the 2025 Africa Brewing Conference, BASA CEO Charlene Louw called for urgent tax relief, citing that 38-percent of a beer’s price goes to tax. She emphasised beer’s vital economic role including supporting over 210-thousand jobs while contributing 94-billion-rand to the gross domestic product. She calls for alignment of tax policy with economic realities to protect jobs and fight illegal trade.

# China has slammed comments made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the world will never forget the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, as an attack on China. Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian says Rubio’s statements maliciously distort historical facts, deliberately attack China’s political system and developmental path, and seriously interfere in China’s internal affairs. He says China has lodged a protest with the US.

# Cricket: Virat Kohli said it was as much for the fans after he finally won the IPL at his 18th attempt, with Bengaluru’s ecstatic supporters preparing to welcome home their hero at a victory parade. Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Punjab Kings by six runs in a roller-coaster IPL final yesterday. The 36-year-old Kohli, the only man to have played all 18 years for the same IPL team, fittingly top-scored with 43. South Africa’s retired batting king AB de Villiers also attended the final. He played for Bengaluru alongside Kohli for a decade.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-79-cents and the euro at 20-rand-25-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-7-cents and Bitcoin trades at 105-thousand-699-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-361-dollars-59-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 65-dollars-51-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….