POWER Perspective

The Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has officially withdrawn a directive that instructed department offices to accept asylum applications for evaluation based on their merits, rather than excluding applicants on procedural grounds. The directive had originally been issued on September 28 in response to a July Constitutional Court ruling. That landmark decision declared cer...

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) disbursed more than R1.3 billion in improper grant payments between April 2025 and March 2026. Addressing Parliament’s portfolio committee on social development regarding the department’s audit outcomes, Puleng Molapo from the Auditor-General’s (AG) office revealed that these funds were mistakenly paid out to individuals who failed...

Former Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane has called for South Africa to withdraw from all United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) conventions, proposing that the country subsequently rejoin them with reservations. Her comments follow recent violent protests triggered by the Department of Home Affairs’ controversial directive on asylum applications. Colleen Makhubele spoke to Ad...

The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) has warned that South Africa faces severe instability and risks burning if the country abandons its key transformation laws, such as Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE). Colleen Makhubele spoke to Cde Ashley Mabasa – ANCYL NEC member and Economic transformation subcommittee Chairperson, Theuns du Buisson, Solidarity Head of Econo...

In conversation with Soulful Clay (real name Clayton Damons ) a South African R&B/Soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer based in Cape Town. Operating at the intersection of contemporary R&B, soul, Afro-pop, and electronic dance music, he has established himself as both a frontline performing artist and a key behind-the-scenes producer and composer. He is publish...

What was once a dignified, milestone celebration marking twelve years of academic endurance has transformed into a high-stakes arena of status, excess, and behavioral breakdown. The early shutdown of Roosevelt High School’s Class of 2026 matric dance at Avianto—triggered by reckless driving, underage intoxication, and severe threats to venue staff—was not an isolated anomaly. Col...

South Africans’ unyielding passion for gathering is driving a staggering multibillion-rand economy, even as an entrenched “party now, worry later” mindset places severe strain on household pockets. According to a landmark study by the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing, titled The Celebrations Economy 2026 , traditional and modern festi...

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If you want to understand why municipalities are broken, don’t look at the mayor. Look at the ward councillor instead. He is the only politician whose door you can actually knock on when something goes wrong. Paradoxically, he is also the politician with no budget, no maintenance trucks, and no real power to fix your street lights or repair your potholes. Colleen Makhubele spoke to Shane Dla...

People living with disabilities are increasingly voicing frustration over political campaigns that offer superficial commitments during election cycles without delivering sustained policy implementation or structural inclusion. Colleen Makhubele spoke to Commissioner Nomahlubi Khwinanab – South African Human Rights Commission and Sandile Mkhize – Management Committee at QuadPara Associ...

Illegal mining is leaving a multimillion-rand trail of infrastructure damage across South Africa. Roads, bridges, electricity networks, and water facilities are increasingly bearing the financial and physical burden of an illicit underground economy that continues to destabilize local communities above ground. Colleen Makhubele spoke to Tseliso Maqubela, DDG- Mineral and Petroleum Regulation, Depa...

The Limpopo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has called for immediate intervention by the Minister of Higher Education and Training to stabilize governance at the University of Venda (UNIVEN). This plea comes amid ongoing legal battles between UNIVEN’s Council and the institution’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bernard Nthambeleni, creating tensions that threaten to cause...

In theory, South Africa possesses one of the most progressive, rights-based constitutional architectures in the world—a framework that explicitly outlaws disability-based discrimination, guarantees socio-economic rights, and ratifies sweeping international treaties. Colleen Makhubele spoke to Dr Tshimangadzo Mukwevho - Senior Lecturer at the North-West University and Therina Wentzel-du Toit...

Colleen Makhubele is joined by Sam Matiase (EFF), Werner Pretorius (DA), Tommy Ancel (ATM), Prof. Elizabeth Snyman (Freedom Front Plus), Mojalefa Mokoena (African Content Movement), Mo'hau Khumalo (African Congress For Transformation), Pappie Mokoena (Afrikan Alliance of Social Democrats) and Matt Matthews (ACDP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colleen Makhubele is joined by Cyril Chuene, Democratic Alliance, Gugu Thwala, ActionSA, Stan Hlatshwayo, African Christian Democratic Party, Godrich Gardee,  Economic Freedom Fighters  as well as Zama Ntshona, African Transformation Movement   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are turning our focus to the heart of South African democracy—local government. With the 2026 local government elections drawing closer, the battle lines are officially drawn. We are at a critical juncture where national rhetoric fades, and the stark reality of everyday service delivery takes center stage: whether water runs from the tap, streetlights stay on, refuse gets collected, and l...

The high-stakes eviction battle over Pretoria’s notorious Melgisedek building has been dramatically halted. Lawyers for Human Rights have filed an application for leave to appeal with the Constitutional Court, automatically suspending the City of Tshwane’s order to relocate over 400 occupants. Colleen Makhubele spoke to Themba Fosi DA Shadow MMC for Utilities, Cllr. Avinesh Chetty - AC...

The Constitutional Court has struck down the Public Procurement Act (PPA) following a unanimous judgment handed down by Acting Judge Lister Gcinikhaya Nuku at Constitution Hill in Braamfontein on Thursday, 17 September 2026. The court invalidation stems from a critical procedural flaw during the legislation's passage, with the justices finding that Parliament failed to provide the public with a re...

South African police have discovered a ninth woman’s body in an area east of Johannesburg, where authorities are currently investigating a string of killings that took place over the past two months. The recurring discoveries have sparked widespread fear and concern within the local community. Colleen Makhubele spoke to Ian Cameron – Chairperson Portfolio Committee On Police, Dr Bandil...

Plans to bring more taxi and e-hailing operators into South Africa’s tax net could raise state revenue, but they may also increase transport costs and put pressure on operators and cash-strapped commuters. These insights follow comments from Dr. Olebogeng Ambrocius Baikgaki regarding Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s call to broaden the country’s tax base. Colleen Mmakhubele sp...

South African workplaces continue to fall short of delivering true inclusion for persons with disabilities, failing to fulfill both national legal obligations under the Employment Equity Act (EEA) and global commitments like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Colleen Makhubele spoke to Madri Engelbrecht – Division of Disability and Rehabilitation Studies a...

Colleen Makhubele is in conversation with Senior Associate at LHL Attorneys,Demi Buckley, Fertility Specialist & Gynaecologist, Dr Tebogo Deo and Wellness Expert, Sindiso Mailula See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa is currently pondering his reply to a message from US President Donald Trump. This response could prove decisive for the future of South Africa’s fraught relations with the United States. The message was officially delivered to Ramaphosa in Pretoria on 26 August by Leo Brent Bozell III, the US ambassador to South Africa. Colleen Makhubele spoke to Ayesha Kajee Inter...

Parliament’s Impeachment Committee is facing fresh legal challenges over its decision to rescind the recommendation of Durban advocate Thandazani Madonsela as evidence leader. Both the African Legal Professionals Association and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have filed separate applications in the Western Cape High Court, arguing that the committee's decision to pull the recommendation...