It’s Wednesday, 17 June, and this is News Bite with Marcelle Gordon.
Malawi is appealing for donations to help repatriate and support about 10,000 of its nationals, as thousands continue camping at Sherwood Hall in Durban while waiting for transport home. Home Affairs says 10 buses are available to transport Malawians from Durban, with more than 1,400 already repatriated. The department says women and children are being prioritised through the new Virtual Priority Court, which is meant to fast-track immigration matters.
South Africa’s wider migration tensions are also under watch, with government deploying a task team ahead of the so-called 30 June deadline linked to anti-illegal immigration groups. A growing number of Zimbabwean nationals have sought refuge at the Zimbabwean Consulate in Bruma, hoping to be repatriated. President Cyril Ramaphosa has again criticised leaders of anti-illegal immigration protests, accusing them of misleading South Africans.
Peet Viljoen has been arrested at OR Tambo International Airport after being deported from the US, where he and his wife, Mel, were detained for about 100 days after allegedly shoplifting groceries. Viljoen was arrested in South Africa on charges of fraud, theft and corruption dating back to 2010, reviving public attention on his controversial business dealings and racist social media posts.
In politics, John Steenhuisen has been demoted to a Deputy Minister position in the national cabinet, with Willie Aucamp replacing him as Minister of Agriculture. The DA reshuffle follows a request by party leader Geordin Hill-Lewis. David Maynier will take over as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, while several Deputy Ministers will also be moved.
Looking abroad, Donald Trump has taken aim at Benjamin Netanyahu as US-Iran negotiations move toward a possible Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement is meant to allow a longer negotiation period for a broader peace deal, but questions remain over whether it will hold until Friday’s planned signing ceremony in Geneva.
Analysts say the push for a deal between the US and Iran is putting fresh strain on the relationship between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump is also claiming he can end the war in Ukraine after meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G7 gathering and saying he has already spoken to Vladimir Putin.
SPORT
Bafana Bafana have landed in Atlanta ahead of their World Cup clash with the Czech Republic on Thursday night, with Hugo Broos and his players under pressure to respond after their 2-0 loss to Mexico. Lionel Messi delivered his first-ever World Cup hat-trick against Algeria, drawing level with Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record. England open their campaign against Croatia; Ghana will be without Thomas Partey after his Canadian visa was rejected, and the Proteas Women must beat Pakistan to boost their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semifinal hopes.
And finally, tributes continue to pour in for Abdullah Ibrahim, the iconic jazz pianist and composer who died in Germany at the age of 91. Friends and loved ones have remembered him as a cultural activist, a global ambassador and one of the great architects of South African sound.
That’s your News Bite for 17 June.
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