News 14:00

BULLETIN 14 June 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Julius Malema and his party’s MPs are sworn in despite arriving late 
# President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent signing of three bills into law is viewed as a strategy to maintain support 
# And Olympics: Rafael Nadal will skip Wimbledon to prepare for the Paris Games

# EFF leader Julius Malema, deputy president Floyd Shivambu and the party’s Members of Parliament have been sworn in despite arriving late for the first sitting of the National Assembly. The EFF’s 39 MPs took their oaths, pledging to uphold the Constitution. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who presided over the ceremony at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, says it marks the beginning of the seventh democratic Parliament following the elections:

Meanwhile, former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka says the ANC must strategise to avoid the need for forming a government of national unity in the future. Mlambo-Ngcuka notes that the ANC assumed it would always achieve an outright majority but failed to convince voters this time. She emphasises that running a coalition government will be challenging as the ANC must work to regain the confidence of South Africans.

# Political analyst André Duvenhage suggests president Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent signing of three bills into law is a strategy to maintain support as he transitions into his second term. Signed in his final week of the first term, the bills impact the transport industry and municipal land development. They are the National Land Transport Amendment Bill, the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill, and the Municipal Fiscal Powers and Functions Amendment Bill. Duvenhage views these actions as a reflection of loyalty to old partners within these industries.

# The Automobile Association is concerned about the lack of clarity in the acquisition of printing equipment for new smart card driver’s licences. Spokesperson Layton Beard says citizens have a right to know what processes were followed, and the cost. Beard says Transport is on track to deliver a new driver’s licence card and printing equipment for the country amid the initial challenges of finding suitable service providers:

# Olympics: Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal confirmed he won’t compete at Wimbledon next month to concentrate on the Olympic Games in Paris. His country announced earlier he and Carlos Alcaraz will represent them in the Games’ tennis competition. Thirty-eight-year-old Nadal, whose career had been curtailed by numerous injuries, says he believes it’s best for his body not to change surfaces after competing in the clay-court season. The tennis competition is also being played at Roland Garros, where he won 14 French Open titles.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-38-cents and the euro at 19-rand-66-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-36-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-877-dollars-92-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-328-dollars-83-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 82-dollars-62-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….