The Lead

Are South African women safe in Ubers? This question comes after the e-hailing service stated that they have finalised their finding around the harrowing Uber ride of media personality, Anele Mdoda in February where an Uber driver in Cape Town allegedly threatened with rape. In a briefing where they highlighted how they have bolstered their safety features; they were unable to provide News24 legal...

"City Power is taking disciplinary action against 15 of our staff members following a full-scale investigation,” confirmed Johannesburg City Power Spokesperson, Isaac Mangena on Tuesday, a day after News24’s investigations team revealed the extent of the municipal electricity utility’s persistent fraud problems. From trolley mops to pens, City Power’s been doling out exorbitant figures for in...

"They're (South Africa) taking away land, they're confiscating land. And actually, they're doing things that are perhaps far worse than that," US President Donald Trump told reporters in February. Trump's comments kicked off an unprecedented episode of diplomatic drama with the South African government, which now appears to be reaching a fever pitch. Washington, this past weekend, gave Pretoria's...

  "I think it's not a bad budget in the context of the absolute terrible mess we're in," says Carol Paton, News24's Writer-at-Large. On Thursday, she spoke to The Lead host, Graeme Raubenheimer, about the politics of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's proposed VAT increase, his gripe with the DA's rejection of the budget, and SARS’ renewed bid to boost the tax books. Later, we hear about how the...

It's been a tale of two budgets. On Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana proposed a one-percentage-point value-added tax (VAT) increase over the next two years. The minister promised not to increase personal income tax; however, the tax bracket has not been adjusted for inflation. For News24's business editor, Helena Wasserman, the tax bracket "creep" is a far more concerning trend. "I thi...

Welcome to the second episode of The Lead. In the studio with host Graeme Raubenheimer we have News24's Khaya Koko and Sipho Masondo. They talk us through what News24 understands to be dodgy deals at Johannesburg's City Power utility and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). Koko found that City Power had been dishing out millions for contractor work not completed by a set deadline. M...

Dive deep into the stories shaping our world with The Lead, News24's definitive daily podcast for in-depth reporting. Join our host Graeme Raubenheimer every week as he engages in candid conversations with News24's top journalists, and discover what they saw, heard, and uncovered in their relentless pursuit of the big story. A new edition drops every night, Monday to Thursday at 19:00 SAST...