News 11:00

BULLETIN 20 May 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says the NHI aims to build a quality health system for all citizens
# The Defence Department rejects Mapisa-Nqakula’s request for assistance with her legal costs
# And the Iranian government pays tribute to president Raisi after his death in a helicopter crash

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says the National Health Insurance aims to use the respective strengths and capabilities of both the private and public health sectors to build a single, quality health system for all. Opposition parties, unions and medical organisations have vowed to legally challenge the NHI Act, claiming it’s unconstitutional. In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa says the real challenge in implementing the NHI lies not in the lack of funds, but in the misallocation of resources that currently favour the private health sector at the expense of public health needs.

Meanwhile, the Gauteng Health Department says it has appointed a project manager to fast-track the implementation of recommendations of the Health Ombud’s report on Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. Among some of the recommendations are the permanent appointment of current CEO Arthur Manning, the renewal of the hospital’s organogram, last updated in 2006, and infrastructure refurbishment. The department’s spokesperson, Motatale Modiba, says oversight committees have also been established:

# The Department of Defence and Military Veterans has rejected former National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s request to have her legal fees paid by the department. She is facing corruption charges for allegedly soliciting and accepting 2.5-million-rand in bribes from a contractor while she was minister of Defence and Military Veterans. Mapisa-Nqakula is currently out on 50-thousand-rand bail. Current minister Thandi Modise says thorough consideration with relevant authorities was taken in this matter:

# The Iranian government has paid tribute to president Ebrahim Raisi, saying he was a hard worker who served the people of Iran well. The president together with eight other people, including Foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, died in a helicopter crash in north-western Iran. His death comes at a fraught moment in the Middle East, with war raging in Gaza. Raisi’s cabinet says vice president Mohammad Mokhber will take over the country on an interim basis. An election of a new president is required within a maximum of 50 days.

# Tennis: Germany’s Alexander Zverev says he is confident heading into the French Open, after winning his second Italian Open title in Rome. The third seed defeated Chilean Nicolas Jarry, 6-4, 7-5, to claim his sixth Masters One-thousand crown. This is the 27-year-old’s biggest title since he suffered an ankle injury in the Roland Garros semifinals in 2022. Zverev, who climbs to number four in the world rankings today, says he hopes he can carry this momentum to Paris:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-13-cents and the euro at 19-rand-72-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-4-cents and Bitcoin trades at 66-thousand-624-dollars-89-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-441-dollars-68-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-30-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….