News 08:00

BULLETIN 6 May 8 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Motsoaledi defends the cost and feasibility of National Health Insurance
# South African health experts will visit Brazil over foot-and-mouth disease
# And, Solidarity slams Gauteng Education as Pretoria schools are plunged into darkness

# Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi has dismissed concerns about the financial viability and implementation of National Health Insurance. The Constitutional Court is hearing a challenge by the Board of Healthcare Funders and the Western Cape government this week, on whether the public consultation process that preceded the NHI Act’s passage was constitutionally adequate. Motsoaledi says the outcome of this case is crucial as National Health Insurance will provide universal access and quality care for all citizens:

# Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, says a team of South African animal health experts will visit Brazil later this month for an intensive knowledge exchange on foot-and-mouth disease, traceability, and surveillance methods. He says this partnership could pave the way for a proposed Brazil–South Africa Biosecurity Corridor, which would turn biosecurity from a trade barrier into a bridge for economic growth. Steenhuisen says South Africa’s strategy is now anchored in moving from a reactive state to a partnership-driven model that prioritises scientific results and reliable supply chains.

# Solidarity Teachers’ Network says several schools in Pretoria have been left without electricity due to mismanagement by the Gauteng Department of Education. They argue principals and governing bodies are now having to implement emergency measures to keep schools running, with thousands of learners affected. The network’s Johan Botha says the power cuts are disrupting teaching and essential school operations, including digital learning and security systems:

# US president Donald Trump says  “Project Freedom,” the naval effort aimed at guiding commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, will be paused for a short period. He says this is to see if an agreement between the US and Iran can be finalised. On a post on Truth Social, Trump emphasised that the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place. Iranian state media has characterised this as a victory, saying the pause demonstrated that Trump retreated after continued failures to reopen the vital waterway for global shipping.

# Cricket: Five-time champions the Chennai Super Kings defeated the Delhi Capitals by eight wickets to keep their Indian Premier League playoff hopes alive. Tristan Stubbs and Sameer Rizvi constructed a 65-run partnership for the sixth wicket to propel the Capitals to 155 for seven. In reply, Sanju Samson anchored the chase with an unbeaten 87 off 52 balls as the Super Kings comfortably hunted down the target with 15 balls to spare. Samson says he had the desire to get to 100:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-53-cents and the euro at 19-rand-38-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-44-cents, and Bitcoin trades at 81-thousand-366-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-644-dollars-62-cents a fine ounce, and Brent crude oil is quoted at 106-dollars-38-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….