News 11:00
BULLETIN 6 February 11 am
Good morning. I am……..
In this bulletin:
# TLU SA accuses the ANC of buying votes by increasing the minimum wage
# The South African Medical Association Trade Union criticises the Health Department over unemployed junior doctors
# And soccer, minister Kodwa will be attending Bafana Bafana’s Afcon semifinal clash against Nigeria
# Agricultural union TLU SA is accusing the ANC of trying to buy votes by increasing the minimum wage, instead of focusing on job creation. Government is increasing the national minimum wage by 8.5-percent to 27-rand-58-cents an hour, effective from the first of next month. This decision was made on the advice and recommendations of the National Minimum Wage Commission. TLU SA’s Bennie van Zyl says the increase in the minimum wage will lead to more retrenchments:
# The South African Medical Association Trade Union is demanding the Department of Health appoint a dedicated task team to focus on the immediate employment of medical doctors. There are currently 645 unemployed junior doctors who are still waiting to be placed after completing their community service in December. Minister Joe Phaahla has attributed this high number of unemployed medical graduates to the increasing pressure on healthcare budgets. SAMATU is concerned by the clear absence of strategic solutions offered by the department to get these graduates into the healthcare system.
# The City of Tshwane says the investigation into allegations of fraud against deputy mayor, Nasiphi Moya, is still ongoing. She is alleged to have kept a ten-thousand-rand travel allowance for herself in 2020 after a scheduled work trip to Saudi Arabia was shelved. Moya has stated that she did not steal the money but it was a lack of judgment to not return it. Tshwane spokesperson Sipho Stuurman says the deputy mayor is willing to cooperate and pay back the money before the investigation is concluded, which shows accountability.
# United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed an independent review group to assess the UN Relief and Works Agency in Gaza. This follows accusations that at least 12 staff members of the agency were involved in Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel last year. As a result, about 16 countries have suspended funding to the agency. About 8.47-billion-rand in funding is at risk. Guterres says the review group will identify the mechanisms and procedures that the agency currently has in place to ensure neutrality and to respond to the allegations.
# Soccer: Sport, Arts and Culture minister, Zizi Kodwa, will travel to the Ivory Coast to support Bafana Bafana in their African Cup of Nations semifinal clash against Nigeria tomorrow. Nigeria, who is the favourite to reach the final, are looking to win Afcon for a fourth time, having last lifted the trophy in 2013. The ministry’s spokesperson, Litha Mpondwana, says Kodwa encourages South Africans to get behind Bafana Bafana as they continue their brilliant and record-breaking journey at Afcon:
# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-95-cents and the euro at 20-rand-39-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-80-cents and Bitcoin trades at 42-thousand-769-dollars-42-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-and-27-dollars-19-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 78-dollars-14-cents a barrel.
Stay tuned for more news………….