News 13:00

BULLETIN 9 April 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA welcomes minister Solly Malatsi’s confirmation of the return of the Afrikaans news bulletin on SABC
# Cosatu welcomes the blocking of low-cost medical aid as an alternative to the National Health Insurance
# And rugby: The series on the Springboks’ second consecutive World Cup title breaks M-Net’s record

# The DA has welcomed the confirmation from Communications and Digital Technologies minister, Solly Malatsi, that the disappearance of the Afrikaans news bulletin on SABC2 this past weekend was due to an unfortunate scheduling error. The DA’s Willie Aucamp says they will continue to monitor the return of the bulletin over the weekend to ensure that such errors do not occur again in future:

# Cosatu has welcomed the High Court in Pretoria’s decision to block the Board of Healthcare Funders from offering watered-down medical aid alternatives to the National Health Insurance. The court ruled such options fail to meet prescribed minimum benefits under South African law. Cosatu’s Zanele Sabela says these alternatives would undermine universal healthcare goals:

# South Africa’s Air Traffic and Navigation Services has confirmed that eight airports now have approved Instrument Flight Procedures, critical for safe landings in poor visibility. Three airports – Richards Bay, Upington, and Bloemfontein – remain restricted to clear-weather operations. The body has pledged urgent maintenance at these sites and confirmed the recruitment of ten new air traffic controllers. It advises passengers to check flight schedules and assures ongoing collaboration to restore full safety operations.

# The GOOD Party says the City of Cape Town’s failure to adequately prepare for seasonal challenges is once again on full display. Heavy rains yesterday led to widespread flooding in areas including Athlone, Nyanga, Mfuleni, Gugulethu, and Khayelitsha. GOOD’s Siyabulela Mamkeli says the Urban Mobility Department’s inability to provide effective service delivery is evident in the widespread flooding caused by blocked stormwater drains:

# Rugby: The Springboks’ one-point heroics during the 2023 World Cup in France led to a record-setting series on M-Net last year. The five-part-series, Chasing the Sun Two – A Story for South Africa, had the most viewers for DStv channel 101’s traditional movie night slot at eight o’clock on a Sunday night and outperformed popular Hollywood productions and shows. Multichoice CEO Byron du Plessis says Chasing the Sun Two is a shining example of how world-class storytelling resonates deeply with South Africans.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 19-rand-64-cents and the euro at 21-rand-66-cents. One British pound costs 25-rand-20-cents and Bitcoin trades at 77-thousand-210-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-and-44-dollars-77-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 60-dollars-83-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….