News 13:00

BULLETIN 24 January 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa says 2026 will be a challenging year for the ANC
# The FF Plus says the NHI talks must not revolve around half-baked plans
# And the ANC national executive committee lekgotla is underway in Boksburg

# ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says this year will be a challenging one for the party, as the country moves towards the local government elections. Addressing the party’s annual national executive committee lekgotla in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni Ramaphosa referred to an onslaught by right-wing forces both internationally and nationally:

# Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation minister, Maropene Ramokgopa, says poverty and inequality remain structural challenges, and are compounded by slow growth, energy constraints, and global economic pressures. Ramokgopa was briefing the nation on government performance against the Medium-Term Development Plan 2024 to 2029 financial year. She says social protection continues to play a critical stabilising role for vulnerable households:

# The Freedom Front Plus says negotiations on the National Health Insurance Bill cannot focus on a half-baked potato. The party insists the nine court cases against the legislation must continue. They argue the only solution is to scrap the NHI entirely. The FF Plus’s Philip van Staden says the party remains opposed to nationalising healthcare, warning that the current public system is inadequate:

# The ANC’s annual national executive committee Lekgotla has commenced in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni. ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu says on the agenda is an assessment of the past year’s programme of action and planning for 2026. She says the Lekgotla takes place after a very successful national general council and January 8th celebrations. She adds that the Lekgotla will put into place practical plans to deal with the political balance of forces, tasks, and activities for the year ahead.

# The DA in Ekurhuleni is concerned about the recent incidents of gangsterism in schools in Duduza, which pose a serious threat to the safety of learners and teachers. The party was reliably informed that a group of young boys from NN Ndebele Secondary School, allegedly in possession of weapons, approached Asser Maloka Secondary School. The DA’s Patricia Mathebula says they allegedly forced rival learners off the school premises and into violent confrontations:

# And tennis: Australian Open defending champion Madison Keys raised her game in the Melbourne Park heat earlier today to beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3 and reach the fourth round of the Grand Slam. On a day when the weather forecast was to hit 40 degrees Celsius, American Keys avoided the worst of the conditions as she dismantled the Czech in 75 minutes. The ninth seed will now meet fellow Florida-based American Jessica Pegula, who similarly coasted into the last 16 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva.

Stay tuned for more news………….