Smaller Parties Meet to Discuss Coalitions, Sidelining ANC & EFF

LOCAL NEWS

• Smaller political parties set to meet today to discuss coalitions, while the ANC & EFF have been sidelined from talks and won't be approached.
  • Action SA, the DA, and parties like Freedom Front Plus, ACDP, UDM and Gayton McKenzie's Patriotic Alliance are all meeting, hoping to decide the future of the many hung councils (66 total), including major metros. Councils will start meeting this week to form local governments.
  • They have 14 days from the declaration of election results to hold their first council sittings – with the deadline set for Thursday (23 Nov)
• Minerals council Chief economist warns that extensive load-shedding is clipping the wings of energy intensive sector like mining that generate 41% of SA's GDP & 70% of its export earnings, and could trim R8bn off SA's FY21 GDP
• ANC Staffers set to go on strike this morning over unpaid salaries with the party experiencing financial difficulties for a number of months.
  • Employees have not received salaries for three months now and are also calling for outstanding bonuses and the reinstatement of their medical aid. No signs yet on how long the strike will last
• Covid-19 models point to a fourth wave occurring around or just after the festive season. Variants of concern are being monitored, and the health department reports that no alarm bells are ringing at present. Health facilities say they are addressing things like oxygen supply and bed capacity ahead of the expected increase in cases
• Despite FinMinGodongwana putting SA's National Health Insurance on the back-burner for now, the fund's developer, Dr Crisp, says the scheme can be affordable – as long as govt stops wasting money elsewhere.
  • Crisp says the R250bn govt spends on public healthcare already is enough to keep the NHI going, and when savings from medical aid schemes are added, 8.5% of GDP spent on healthcare will be available for the fund.
  • Crisp says medical aids should only play a 'top-up' role in healthcare in the country and that 74 private schemes are too many