News 16:00

BULLETIN 5 June 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC’s engagement efforts with the MK party yield no response 
# Zizi Kodwa resigns as a minister after being charged with corruption 
# And soccer: Many African teams are forced to host their World Cup qualifiers on neutral grounds 

# The ANC believes election results show South Africans want leaders to work together. The party is keen to engage all parties to form a government ensuring unity, stability, transformation, and safeguarding democracy. ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri says the national working committee is reviewing reports from meetings with the IFP, EFF, DA, and Patriotic Alliance. In a media briefing, Bhengu-Motsiri confirmed the party reached out to the MK Party, but has received no response:

# Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa has resigned with immediate effect. Kodwa has been formally charged with corruption in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court in Gauteng, together with former CEO of EOH Holdings, Jehan Mackay. The company allegedly scored 460-million-rand in government contracts while Kodwa was deputy minister of State Security. The former minister allegedly received a 1.6-million-rand bribe. Spokesperson Litha Mpondwana says Kodwa expresses appreciation to the people he worked with:

# The High Court in Bloemfontein has postponed the case against the convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester and eight co-accused to 24 July. This comes after Bester’s lawyer, Mohamed Siedat, applied to withdraw due to access and consultation restraints with his client. Six of the nine accused are out on bail. Free State deputy judge president, Cagney Musi, postponed the trial for Bester to appoint new legal representation:

# Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is prepared for a very intense operation along the border with Lebanon, where Israeli troops have exchanged near-daily fire with Hezbollah fighters. Exchanges between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, a Hamas ally, have intensified over the past week, with repeated Israeli strikes deeper into Lebanese territory. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, National Security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, have both called in recent days for urgent action to restore security to northern Israel.

# Soccer: Almost half of Africa’s World Cup qualifiers will have to be played at neutral venues over the next week because of poor stadiums in host countries. Governing body CAF barred 17 out of the 43 countries from hosting matches because their stadiums are not up to standard. Namibia has to use the Orlando Stadium in Soweto as home venue for its matches against Liberia today and Tunisia on Sunday. Other countries being banned from using their own stadiums include Benin, Congo, Madagascar and Kenia.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-90-cents and the euro at 20-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-18-cents and Bitcoin trades at 70-thousand-944-dollars-67-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-335-dollars-80-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 77-dollars-86-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….