News 16:00

BULLETIN 11 July 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa urges the eminent persons to safeguard inclusivity in the national dialogue
# Rugby: Owen Farrell could play his first Lions match of the current tour in Adelaide tomorrow
# And the finalists for TLU SA’s Young Farmer of the Year for 2025 are announced

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged the eminent persons group to ensure the national dialogue remains inclusive and fair. Speaking at their first meeting at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Ramaphosa said the group must guard against any attempts to hijack the dialogue for political gain or to exclude certain voices. He asked the group to monitor the process closely, raise concerns when people are left out, and help correct any confusion:

# The DA has submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act application demanding the ANC reveals its knowledge of Higher Education minister Nobuhle Nkabane’s cadre deployment to SETA boards. The DA claims that she appointed ANC loyalists to top positions, then lied to Parliament. DA national spokesperson Karabo Khakhau says the move aims to expose ANC involvement in Nkabane’s alleged deceit and abuse of power:

# Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, says astronomy remains one of South Africa’s top priorities. He says the construction of the Square Kilometre Array in the Northern Cape is advancing, and is expected to be completed by 2030. The total foreign direct investment in South Africa from the SKA Observatory member countries for the SKA Mid-Array will be 9.5-billion-rand. Nzimande says of this amount, 3.2-billion-rand will be awarded to the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory and South African industry through construction contracts.

# Rugby: Former England captain Owen Farrell could play his first match for the British and Irish Lions on the current tour against a combined Australian-New Zealand team in Adelaide tomorrow. The flyhalf was picked on the bench after he was an injury replacement a week ago. This is the 33-year-old’s fourth Lions tour. Farrell played the last of his 112 Tests during 2023’s World Cup. The Lions won their first four matches and tomorrow will be their final preparation for the first Test against the Wallabies.

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-93-cents and the euro at 20-rand-96-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-22-cents and Bitcoin trades at 118-thousand-22-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-346-dollars-87-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 68-dollars-75-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The agricultural organisation TLU SA has announced the six finalists for the 2025 Young Farmer of the Year competition. The finalists are the Free State’s Thian Heyns, Tiaan Barkhuizen from the Northern Cape, and Mpumalanga is represented by Niel Booyens, Martin van Jaarsveld, Willem van der Merwe and Francois du Toit, who have entered as partners. Du Toit has also entered individually. TLU’s Bennie van Zyl says this competition celebrates young agricultural leaders who farm with passion:

Stay tuned for more news………….