News 11:00

BULLETIN 20 November 11 am

Good morning. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Treasury will withhold funds to municipalities over their debt to water boards
# Trump continues to pick loyalists for top roles in his cabinet
# And motorsport: Norris believes McLaren can still win both Formula One championships

# National Treasury is planning to withhold conditional grants to five municipalities over their unpaid debts to water boards. Municipal debt to water boards stands at 23.7-billion-rand. Matjhabeng and Kopanong in the Free State alone owe the Vaal Central water board a combined 7.8-billion-rand. The other municipalities are Thabazimbi in Limpopo, Merafong City in Gauteng, and Victor Khanye in Mpumalanga. Treasury says the funding will only be released when municipalities have made arrangements to pay their relevant water boards.

# Rise Mzansi says the poor state of public hospitals and clinics is a major obstacle to the success of the National Health Insurance. In response to a Parliamentary question, Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed only 39.6-percent of public healthcare facilities meet the required standards. Rise Mzansi’s Makashule Gana believes underfunding, corruption, poor management, and inadequate working conditions for healthcare workers need to be addressed for the NHI to succeed:

# ActionSA has blamed the DA-led City of Tshwane administration for delays in delivering clean water to Hammanskraal. The party says former mayor Cilliers Brink failed to prepare water systems, complicating efforts to supply clean water. According to the party, the new Magalies Water Klipdrift treatment plant’s first phase was launched over the weekend, but old pipes still need flushing and testing, delaying supply. ActionSA’s Michael Beaumont accuses Brink of using political rhetoric instead of supporting efforts to resolve the crisis.

# World Wrestling Entertainment co-founder Linda McMahon and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick are US president-elect Donald Trump’s latest cabinet picks. McMahon, who is also Trump’s transition co-chair, has been nominated to be the next secretary of Education. Lutnick is Trump’s pick for secretary of Commerce. Trump has criticised the Department of Education and has promised to close it down, a job McMahon could be tasked with. All of Trump’s nominees will need to be confirmed by the Senate.

# Motorsport: British Formula One driver Lando Norris says he is convinced that McLaren is still capable of achieving a drivers’ and constructors’ title double this year. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen holds a 62-point lead over Norris entering the final three races in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. In the constructors’ championship, McLaren has a 36-point lead over Ferrari, with third-placed Red Bull a further 13 points back. Norris says everyone’s motivated to fight for both championships:

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 18-rand-4-cents and the euro at 19-rand-10-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-91-cents and Bitcoin trades at 92-thousand-518-dollars-8-cents. Gold sells at two-thousand-630-dollars-6-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 73-dollars-36-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….