News 08:00

BULLETIN 25 January 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The International Court of Justice confirms it will deliver an order on South Africa’s case against Israel on Friday
# Concerns are rising as president Cyril Ramaphosa signals an unchanged National Health Insurance Bill
# And cricket, the Paarl Royals entrench their position at the top of the SA20 table

# The International Court of Justice has confirmed that it will rule tomorrow on whether it will grant emergency measures against Israel, following South Africa’s allegations of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. South Africa wants an order for an emergency suspension of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The court is likely to take much longer to make a final determination on whether or not Israel has violated the 1948 Genocide Convention. Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor will be present at the ruling at The Hague, which will be handed down at 2 pm South African time.

# Private healthcare faces uncertainty as president Cyril Ramaphosa signals the imminent enactment of the National Health Insurance Bill without changes. The Health Funders Association has warned the current version of the bill would significantly alter healthcare dynamics, limiting choices and tying citizens to a state-monitored system. Chairperson Craig Comrie believes under the NHI, individuals lose the right to privately pay for covered services, leading to lengthy waiting lists and diminished healthcare access. He calls for the exploration of alternative models.

# The eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal says inclement weather that resulted in heavy rainfall from the 13-to-the-16 of this month has caused damage that will cost 1.4-billion-rand to repair. The municipality tabled a comprehensive report at an executive committee meeting, providing an overview of the damage, the estimated rehabilitation costs, response measures, and inter-departmental interventions. The municipality’s city manager, Musa Mbhele, says nine fatalities have been reported and a total of 341 dwellings damaged, affecting one-thousand-413 individuals:

# Cricket: The Paarl Royals recorded a five-wicket win against the Joburg Super Kings at the Wanderers to extend their lead at the top of the SA20 table. An unbeaten 79 for Reeza Hendricks led the home side to 168 for three in their 20 overs. In reply, a 95-run fourth-wicket partnership between Wihan Lubbe and Dane Vilas steered the visitors to victory. The Royals are strong contenders to secure a playoff spot. Lubbe says the team’s performance over the last few games has been good:

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-90-cents and the euro at 20-rand-56-cents. One British pound costs 24-rand-3-cents and Bitcoin trades at 40-thousand-27-dollars-58-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-15-dollars-70-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 80-dollars-27-cents a barrel.

# And finally, Public Works and Infrastructure minister Sihle Zikalala will today award bursaries to 100 learners from the matric class of 2023, who have enrolled to study various built environment courses at universities across the country. The bursaries are part of the department’s Skills Pipeline Programme, which aims to increase the number of built environment professionals from previously disadvantaged backgrounds and ensure the transformation of the sector. Since its establishment in 2014, the bursary programme has so far benefited over 500 deserving students, an investment of over 160-million-rand.

Stay tuned for more news………….