News 13:00

BULLETIN 30 July 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Andrea Johnson will return to the Madlanga commission over new allegations
# MANCOSA says South Africa’s journey toward digitised healthcare is marked by challenges
# And Ebola cases in the DRC are doubling every 20 days with the outbreak outpacing response efforts

# The former head of the Investigating Directorate against Corruption, Andrea Johnson, will be recalled to the Madlanga commission to answer fresh allegations. The commission says a formal summons will be issued after receiving a new electronic statement from the directorate’s advocate, Drushantha Ramsamy. The allegations emerged during Ramsamy’s testimony. Johnson completed six days of evidence before the commission yesterday. The latest development follows heightened scrutiny over her leadership and decisions while heading the unit.

# The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Gauteng will close after the 2027 academic year. It produced over one-thousand graduates from disadvantaged communities since opening in 2007. The American celebrity says the academy will transition to the Gauteng Education Department while her philanthropic efforts will shift towards a nationwide scholarship programme. The department’s spokesperson, Onwabile Lubhelwana, says this marks the evolution of one of the country’s most remarkable educational partnerships:

# MANCOSA Academic says South Africa’s journey toward digitised healthcare is marked by both promise and pressing challenges. The momentum gained during the Covid-19 pandemic and reinforced by the National Digital Health Strategy has laid a strong foundation, but the path ahead requires consistent implementation, equitable access, and a commitment to closing the digital divide. Spokesperson Precious Buthelezi says ultimately, success will depend on whether technology translates into better patient outcomes:

Moving abroad:

# The United Nations warns Ebola is spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with cases doubling every 20 days. The number of infections has risen to three-thousand-200, including at least one-thousand-405 deaths. The outbreak, declared on May 15, is caused by a strain for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. UN senior Ebola coordinator Julien Harneis says the outbreak is outpacing response efforts:

# Tennis: The sunny weather is credited for Wimbledon’s record attendance figure this year. Over 550-thousand spectators streamed through the gates of the All England Club in London for the grasscourt Grand Slam tournament. This is slightly more than last year, while daily attendance records were also set on three separate days. Wimbledon experienced the first rain-free fortnight since 2019, while British wildcard Arthur Ferry’s run to the semifinal also captured the imagination of the British public. A record of almost 118-thousand hats were sold.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-60-cents and the euro at 19-rand-2-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-19-cents and Bitcoin trades at 64-thousand-411-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-and-70-dollars-44-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 92-dollars-24-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….