News 12:00

BULLETIN 24 January 12 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The DA reveals Gauteng hospitals spent 1.7-million-rand for over-priced food from a Limpopo company
# The State Attorney is seeking to recover over 28-million-rand in taxpayer funds from Jacob Zuma
# And tennis: Dayana Yastremska and Daniil Medvedev are through to the Australian Open semifinals

# The DA in Gauteng says it is unacceptable that 11 provincial public hospitals have paid 1.7-million-rand for over-priced food from a business training company in Limpopo. This information was revealed by Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in a written reply to the party’s follow-up questions in the legislature. The DA’s Jack Bloom says Leratong Hospital has bought the most food from Mmanko Business Training and IT Solutions, including one-litre milk at 32-rand, while supermarkets sell milk for 16-rand:

# The State Attorney together with the Presidency has launched legal action against former president Jacob Zuma, to recover over 28-million-rand in taxpayer funds spent on his corruption trial defence. The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria and the Supreme Court of Appeal, previously ruled that Zuma was not entitled to the unrestrained funding of his trial defence the Presidency had been providing him with since 2005. Zuma has always maintained he was entitled to full state funding for his litigation costs because he was accused of crimes directly linked to his role in government.

# The Public Servants Association cautions against an interest rate increase as the South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee convenes today. With many still grappling with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the PSA highlights the potential detrimental impact on public-sector employees and the economy. The association’s Reuben Maleka urges the committee to exercise compassion and responsibility in its decision-making. Maleka implores the committee to consider a cut in the repo rate, providing much-needed relief for workers facing financial strain.

# The Azanian People’s Organisation has issued a warning of potential protests if government approves Public Enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan’s proposal to increase electricity tariffs. Gordhan has requested an average upward adjustment of 18.65-percent for 2023/24, and 12.74-percent for the 2024/25 financial years. Azapo’s deputy president, Kekeletso Khena, says their civil society protest against last year’s tariff increase yielded no change. Khena argues Eskom requires an end to mismanagement and corruption rather than additional funds:

# Tennis: Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska has become the first qualifier to reach the semifinals of the women’s singles draw at the Australian Open since 1978. The 23-year-old defeated unseeded 19-year-old Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-4, to reach her first career Grand Slam semifinal. Yastremska will either play China’s Zheng Qinwen or Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya for a place in Saturday’s final. In the men’s draw, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev is through to his third Australian Open semifinal in four years, after battling past Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

Stay tuned for more news………….