News 07:00

BULLETIN 19 July 7 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Ramaphosa is confident that a compromise will be found on the National Health Insurance
# The Basic Education minister is going to review the 30-percent matric pass rate
# And, Saudi Arabia has executed 106 people so far this year

# President Cyril Ramaphosa says in implementing National Health Insurance, he is confident that the government of national unity will be able to resolve differences and clarify misunderstandings. NHI was signed into law earlier this year by the president, despite facing widespread criticism from doctors, medical aid schemes, opposition parties, and even Parliament’s legal team. Addressing the opening of Parliament in Cape Town yesterday evening, Ramaphosa says in implementing NHI they will focus on strengthening healthcare infrastructure:

Ramaphosa continues to say to achieve rapid, inclusive growth, the government needs to fix the struggling municipalities. Earlier this week, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, announced that he plans to dissolve dysfunctional municipalities and hold fresh elections for officials. Ramaphosa says the government will ensure that the institutional structure and funding model for local government is fit for purpose and that municipalities are financially and operationally sustainable:

# Basic Education minister Siviwe Gwarube plans to appoint a council of experts, unions, and school bodies to review the 30-percent matric pass rate. Highlighting the need for reforms, she emphasised that students must pass at least three subjects with 40-percent. Gwarube also stresses the importance of improving literacy from lower grades, noting that 81-percent of grade 4 pupils cannot read for meaning. She aims to enhance overall education standards to ensure better outcomes in matric and beyond.

# EFF leader Julius Malema says he is more than prepared to defend himself against allegations suggesting he was involved in the looting of the VBS Bank. Jailed former VBS chairperson Tshifhiwa Matodzi alleges in his affidavit that the EFF received five-million-rand as well as one-million-rand monthly donations from the now-defunct bank. This was allegedly funnelled through a company owned by Brian Shivambu, brother of the party’s deputy president Floyd Shivambu. Malema says VBS money was never given to the EFF:

# Saudi Arabia executed two people convicted of drug trafficking, bringing the total number of executions carried out this year to at least 106. The official Saudi Press Agency reported one was a Saudi national executed for trafficking amphetamines, and the other a Pakistani for trafficking heroin, both in Mecca. AFP reports those executed this year include 78 Saudis, eight Yemenis, five Ethiopians, seven Pakistanis, three Syrians, and one individual each from Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Jordan, India, and Sudan. Two of them were women.

# Tennis: Twenty-two-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal is through to the quarterfinals of the Swedish Open in Bastad. The Spaniard defeated Britain’s Cameron Norrie, 6-4, 6-4, as he continues his preparation for the Olympics in Paris. Nadal will face Argentina’s Mariano Navone for a place in the semifinals. Qualifier Timofey Skatov of Kazakhstan beat third seed Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, to reach his maiden ATP Tour quarterfinal.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-27-cents and the euro at 19-rand-91-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-65-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-873-dollars-8-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-437-dollars-14-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 84-dollars-53-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….