News 18:00

BULLETIN 24 January 6 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Basic Education Department outlines the learner pregnancy policy
# The DA plans to press charges for the obstruction of oversight at Tembisa Hospital 
# And tennis: Qinwen Zheng secures the final spot in the women’s semifinals in Melbourne

# The Department of Basic Education has outlined a Learner Pregnancy Policy, responding to research by Statistics South Africa indicating a four-percent pregnancy rate among learners aged 14 to 19 between 2018 and 2022. The policy includes provisions for learner retention, and a medical certificate for learners six months pregnant for safety assurance. Learners can remain in school until eight months of pregnancy, and fathers over 16 must face prosecution. The Commission of Gender Equality’s Ntabiseng Sepanya-Mogale however expresses concern about the high rate of teenage pregnancy:

# The DA says it will act against Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko for obstructing constitutional oversight of Tembisa Hospital. They claim they were unlawfully barred from entering the premises during an unannounced oversight visit. The party questions the motives behind the denial amid distressing reports of patients compelled to sleep in tents and on the floor. The DA’s Solly Msimanga says the hospital, plagued by corruption, has allegedly incurred nearly one-billion-rand in fraudulent transactions:

# A recent report by the Committee to Protect Journalists paints a bleak picture for sub-Saharan Africa. The number of incarcerated journalists has risen from 31 in 2022 to 47 last month. The committee ranks Eritrea at the forefront of media freedom violators in Africa, with 16 journalists behind bars. Ethiopia is second, with eight journalists in detention, followed by Cameroon with six. The committee is concerned about the lack of global attention to the plight of journalists incarcerated in African prisons.

# Tennis: China’s Qinwen Zheng secured the final spot in the women’s semifinals of the Australian Open. The 12th seeded defeated Anna Kalinskaya of Russia in three sets in today’s fourth quarterfinal match. Zheng will play Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, who has become the first qualifier to reach the semifinals in Melbourne since 1978. The other semifinal is expected to be a thriller between defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and current American Open champion, Coco Gauff from America.

# And finally: Health minister Joe Phaahla is set to receive a multi-million-rand health equipment donation from the German Development Bank at Sobantu Community Hall in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, tomorrow. The 500-million-rand donation includes mobile health clinics, specialised vaccine fridges, vaccine carriers, temperature monitoring devices and information technology equipment. The donation aims to support government efforts to strengthen the public health system. 

Stay tuned for more news………….