Johannesburg – A decision not to fund a particular treatment for a cancer patient was based on an expert panel’s advice, Discovery Health said on Thursday.

“Evaluating new health care treatments is complex, and Discovery Health Medical Scheme’s approach is to defer to the leading independent experts in the field to ensure that the care our members receive is the best and most appropriate,” it said in a statement.

Health-e News Service reported on Thursday, as published in The Star, that Thobeka Xaba, 23, a Discovery member, had not had chemotherapy since 25 March because the medical aid refused to pay for the medicine her oncologist recommended.

Dr Daleen Geldenhuys told Health-e that if she used Doxorubicin, Discovery’s recommended drug, she had up to a 40% chance of suffering heart failure.

“So if the medical aid has a heart ready for a transplant, then I will give it to her because the regimen they want me to give my patient will damage her heart,” she was quoted as saying.

Geldenhuys said Xaba had an inoperable, aggressive tumour.

Discovery said that during an appeal hearing with the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) on Thursday, Geldenhuys conceded that Discovery’s recommended treatments were acceptable.

According to Discovery, Geldenhuys told the appeal hearing Xaba had been on treatment the whole time.

The medical scheme said it had referred Geldenhuys’s recommended drug, Paclitaxel, to a panel of leading academic oncology specialists for advice.

“The feedback from this panel was clear – that there is no published clinical evidence that the drug would be effective or safe for this patient’s condition.”

In addition, the panel found there were other safe and effective treatments, which the medical aid would cover in full. The scheme would have covered more expensive treatments for Xaba, which were supported by clear evidence.

“Importantly, the decision was not a financial one, but one that places Ms Xaba’s health as the top priority,” Discovery said.

Earlier, the CMS said the medical scheme and Xaba had settled the dispute about payment for her treatment.

“The parties have settled… A full report will be released on Monday, once full details are received,” CMS spokesperson Elsabe Conradie said.

Health-e reported that Discovery wrote a letter to the CMS on 31 May, saying it would not pay because it was not a benefit covered in Xaba’s selected plan type, and the treatment was not the level of care available in the public sector.

In June, the council ruled against Discovery, but it wrote back two weeks later saying it would appeal.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Twenty-five people arrested for public violence in Fochville, near Carletonville, appeared in the Carletonville Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, police said.

“The 25 suspects were released on a warning; the case was postponed to 27 September,” police spokesperson Busi Menoe said.

Initially, 36 people were arrested but only 25 appeared in court because the others were minors.

Another 26 people were arrested on Wednesday for public violence.

They were expected to appear in court on Monday, Menoe said.

On Monday, residents embarked on a service delivery protest and blocked roads with stones and burning tyres.

“A spaza shop, a bottle store, and a house, believed to belong to a councillor, were set on fire,” police spokesperson Katlego Mogale said at the time.

On Tuesday, Mazibuko and Merafong municipality Mayor Maphefo Mogale Letsie was meant to meet residents to discuss their concerns, but the meeting had to be abandoned when protests erupted.

– SAPA

NORTH WEST – The ANC has lost Ward Four in the Mahikeng by-elections to an independent candidate, its North West branch said on Thursday morning.

“We note the setback suffered in Ward 4 in Mahikeng…,” said ANC provincial spokesman Kenny Morolong in a statement.

“The ANC shall in the aftermath of this outcome engage the residents of this ward to reflect on this development and assure them of an unending ANC support.”

The party released the preliminary by-election results of other wards in the province, saying it was in the lead.

The African National Congress secured 735 votes in Tlokwe’s Ward Nine, 1304 votes in Rustenburg’s Ward 19, 760 votes in Ward 14 of the Ramotshere Moiloa area, and 528 votes in Ward 12 of the same area.

In Ward 12 of Mahikeng, the ANC took 492 votes.

The party secured 578 votes in Ward 20 of Ditsobotla, 843 in Kagisano Molopo Ward Four, and 685 votes in Ratlou Ward 14.

Morolong said the party was “elated and humbled” by the figures.

“Our victory is a demonstration that the ANC remains rooted on the ground and that its strength resides in its mass base,” he said.

He said the people of the North West had spoken through their votes.

“Indeed, the ANC remains the undisputed property of the people of South Africa and the outcomes of these by-elections are a testament of this unquestionable reality.”

-Sapa

New Orlando Pirates striker Kermit Erasmus says he is not afraid of competition.

Speaking at a press conference at the PSL offices this afternoon, Erasmus said competition is part of the game.

“Competition is everywhere, not just at Pirates. It’s healthy for players to compete & get the best out of each other,” Erasmus was quoted as saying on the official Orlando Pirates twitter account.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

SuperSport United head coach, Cavin Johnson, has expressed his delight at the Bafana Bafana call-ups to three of his playing squad.

Matsatsantsa’s captain, Bevan Fransman, as well as fellow defender Innocent Mdledle and midfielder Thuso Phala all made the cut, as Gordon Igesund chose his 28-man squad to take on Nigeria and Burkina Faso in international friendlies later this month.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

KV Kortrijk’s South African goalkeeper, Darren Keet, believes that he is deserving of a Bafana Bafana call-up, given his fine form over the last two years.

The 23-year-old is a first team regular in the Belgian Pro League and is regularly rewarded for his performances with accolades such as Goalkeeper of the Week and Month.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

The Siya crew can confirm that Ajax Cape Town and Mamelodi Sundowns have agreed on the transfer of Khama Billiat, although the winger is yet to agree on personal terms.

Officials close to the deal have revealed to the crew that Sundowns have agreed to offer hard cash and a player in exchange for the 22-year-old Zimbabwean, with the deal expected to be one of the biggest deals in PSL history.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

The South African Football Association (SAFA) have called a press conference tomorrow morning to deal with the issue relating to Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Johannesburg – South Africa needs to go back to basics to emancipate itself, Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele said on Wednesday.

“As people as a whole, we need to go back to basics… we need civic education and to get young people to learn what it means to be a citizen,” she said at a University of Johannesburg women’s month event.

Ramphele said South Africans did not undergo “orientation” before the advent of democracy in 1994, and therefore most carried deep wounds from the apartheid legacy.

“In 1994, we did not remove the heavy load in our psychological being. People [were] expected to embrace equality a few days after they were referred to as non-Europeans in Africa. South Africa has a second chance to work on its moral fibre.

“We have not lived up to the values embedded in the Constitution… we are at risk of losing our moral high ground.”

She said women should mobilise and oppose violence against women and children.

“We need to stand together against this scourge; otherwise women would continue to suffer as they do now.”

Ramphele said she hoped for a peaceful election next year.

“Next year, you have a choice… let us hope we will not have a Zanufication of South Africa. Stop complaining and start acting,” she said, referring to Zimbabwe’s disputed election winner, Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party.

– SAPA

Potchefstroom – Voting in the Ward Nine by-election in Tlokwe, Potchefstroom, closed at 21:00 on Wednesday.

The gates to the Boikhotso Secondary School in Ikageng were locked and a police nyala was parked in front of the school.

Independent Electoral Commission officials were expected to start counting the votes.

Provisional results were expected later in the evening. The official results would be released on Thursday.

Supporters of the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance, the Congress of the People and community members supporting an independent candidate continued to sing and dance outside the gates.

The ANC members carried a box wrapped in white paper, portraying a coffin. They stamped on the box, breaking it, while they sang.

“It is the death of DA, Cope and the independent candidate,” they sang.

ANC Ward 12 councillor Lulu Chao said the party was waiting for results, and then celebrations would start.

“We’ve already won, we are just waiting for the formalities,” he said.

ANC Women’s League provincial secretary Meago Mateng shared Chao’s sentiments.

“We have won. We are confident the people of Tlokwe have spoken. They will do us justice to say [the] DA stole Tlokwe. They have faith in us.”

She promised that the ANC would give the community better leaders in the future.

A scuffle broke out between the police and community members outside the gate to the school.

Community members were claiming that ANC members were trying to get into the locked voting station.

Police swiftly pushed the crowd back and things settled down.

– SAPA