News 15:00

BULLETIN 2 July 3 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Freedom Front Plus’s leader denies the US trip was a visit to complain
# Minister Barbara Creecy says SAA has started a measured fleet expansion to meet growing demand
# And athletics: Financial struggles keep coach Sepeng from joining the 800-metre gold medallist Sekgodiso abroad

# Freedom Front Plus leader Corné Mulder says their recent US visit was not to complain but to express concern and explore solutions to South Africa’s challenges. Mulder says the delegation aimed to promote national prosperity and conveyed that the Trump administration has set four non-negotiable conditions to reset US-SA relations. He emphasised open dialogue, and highlighted trade barriers and non-tariff issues that need urgent attention for bilateral success:

 # Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy says South African Airways is pursuing a bold route expansion strategy to strengthen its regional and global footprint. Creecy tabled her budget in Parliament in Cape Town. She says new regional routes from Johannesburg and Cape Town aim to boost intra-African connectivity, supporting tourism and trade. The minister says the airline has started a measured fleet expansion to meet growing demand, reinforcing its role as a connector of economies across the continent and beyond:

# The African Development Bank has approved a 2.5-billion-rand loan to the City of Johannesburg. The funding is for critical urban infrastructure upgrades in electricity, water, sanitation, and waste management. This first direct subnational loan in Africa will benefit over six-million residents, reduce losses, and improve service delivery. The project aims to create two-thousand-869 construction jobs and boost economic growth, with strong safeguards for transparency and sustainability. An additional 26.5-million-rand grant supports governance and climate resilience initiatives.

# Athletics: South African middle-distance coach Samuel Sepeng says financial constraints are preventing him from joining 800-metre gold medallist athlete Prudence Sekgodiso at international events. She recently broke the record at Ostrava’s Golden Spike event, and competes in the Diamond League in Eugene, USA, on Saturday. Sepeng told SABC Sport he’s coaching remotely despite time zone challenges due to lack of funding for flights, food, and accommodation, stressing that in-person guidance is vital for Sekgodiso’s performance.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-65-cents and the euro at 20-rand-78-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-20-cents and Bitcoin trades at 107-thousand-795-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-343-dollars-36-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 67-dollars-81-cents a barrel.

# And finally: Tributes continue to pour in for South African actor Wiseman Sithole who died at his Cape Town home, aged 51. The cause of his death remains unknown. Sithole, est known for his role as Lucky Mabande in e.TV’s Shooting Stars, also starred in Projek Dina, 90 Plein Street, and Straat. He was set to perform at the 2025 Woordfees. Memorial details will be announced at a later stage. 

Stay tuned for more news………….