News 08:00

BULLETIN 8 March 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Board of Healthcare Funders has slammed the publication of NHI regulations amid legal battles
# BOSA demands public access as Justice minister reveals 32-thousand people are on the sex offenders register
# And rugby: The Six Nations title could be decided in Dublin today

# The Board of Healthcare Funders has expressed disappointment over Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s decision to publish the National Health Insurance Act regulations, despite ongoing legal challenges. The organisation is currently challenging the act in the High Court in Pretoria, insisting that president Cyril Ramaphosa should have referred it back to Parliament for reconsideration. The board’s Katlego Mothudi says while they support universal healthcare, they believe the plan should include both NHI and affordable medical schemes:

In another development the Institute of Race Relations supports the Hospital Association of South Africa’s legal action against the National Health Insurance Act. They argue that eight months after the act became law, South Africans are still unaware of how much their taxes will increase to fund the scheme. The institute’s Makone Maja urges Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi to provide clear budget details, as estimates for the cost of NHI range between 200-billion-rand and 1.3-trillion-rand.

# Build One South Africa says over 32-thousand convicted sex offenders are listed in the national register for sex offenders, with thousands more cases still pending. Justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi revealed the figures in response to a parliamentary question from the party. BOSA spokesperson, Roger Solomons, argues that knowing the identities of convicted sex offenders is crucial for public safety, particularly in light of the high rates of gender-based violence:

# Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding from Canada has been placed on the FBI’s ten most wanted fugitives list for allegedly running a violent transnational drug trafficking network. The 43-year-old is accused of shipping hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Canadian and US locations, and for orchestrating multiple murders and an attempted murder to further these crimes. Investigators believe he is likely living in Mexico. Wedding competed in giant slalom snowboarding for Canada during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in the US.

# And rugby: Today’s Six Nations clash between top-two teams, Ireland and France, in Dublin could decide this year’s winner with a round to play. Two-time defending champion Ireland tops the log on 14 points, with France on 11 points and England on 10. If the Irish should win, they will clinch the title for a third consecutive year. If France wins, next week’s final round will be decisive. In this weekend’s other two encounters, Scotland hosts Wales in Edinburgh and England welcomes Italy to Twickenham.

Stay tuned for more news………….