News 11:00

BULLETIN 5 February 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The ANC and the DA have reportedly reached an agreement on key aspects related to the NHI
# Netanyahu supports Trump’s plan for the US to take over the Gaza Strip
# And tennis, former world number one Simona Halep has announced her retirement 

# The two main parties in the government of national unity, the ANC and the DA, have reportedly struck an informal agreement on aspects of the National Health Insurance. According to News24, Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation minister, Maropene Ramokgopa, says Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi and DA leader John Steenhuisen met on the sidelines of the Cabinet lekgotla last week. She says they agreed to a proposal suggesting that under the NHI, the government will not collapse medical aid schemes and that a ministerial advisory council will be established.  

# Deputy president Paul Mashatile says instability in local government coalitions has contributed to severe inefficiencies and service delivery challenges. He addressed the South African Local Government Association’s lekgotla in Cape Town. Mashatile says coalition arrangements have compromised the ability of municipalities to adopt policies, pass budgets, adopt by-laws, and make senior management appointments. He says a Coalition Framework has been developed to accelerate service delivery and address poor performance:

# Agri SA has welcomed the National Minimum Wage Commission’s balanced approach to the 4.4-percent minimum wage increase, effective 1 March. The wage rises from 27-rand-58-cents to 28-rand-70-cents-per-hour. CEO Johann Kotzé emphasises that the adjustment safeguards farmworkers’ livelihoods. He says it also considers the agricultural sector’s sustainability amid drought and economic challenges. Kotzé says the sector anticipates a 3.5-percent gross domestic product growth this year due to expected La Niña rainfall and gradual economic recovery.

# Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says he supports president Donald Trump’s proposition to explore the US taking over the Gaza Strip. During a meeting with Netanyahu at the White House, Trump claimed that Gaza could become the Riviera of the Middle East, and declined to rule out sending US troops to make it happen. Netanyahu says Israel is focused on making sure Gaza is no longer a danger to his country:

# Tennis: Former world number one Simona Halep has announced her retirement, saying her body won’t allow her to get back to competing competitively. The 33-year-old Romanian announced her decision at the Transylvania Open following her first-round loss to Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti. Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion, was given a four-year doping ban in August 2022, which was reduced to nine months after she appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport last year. She has won 22 WTA Tour titles during her career.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-66-cents and the euro at 19-rand-38-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-28-cents and Bitcoin trades at 97-thousand-459-dollars. Gold sells at two-thousand-855-dollars-60-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 75-dollars-76-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….