Jacaranda FM Newswatch - Interviews

In Ekurhuleni aan die Oos-Rand is daar meer as 1,7 miljoen mense wat geregistreer is om op 4 November in die Plaaslike Regerings Verkiessing stem. Volgens die Verkiessings Kommissie is net meer as 255-duisend kiesers in dié gebied jonger as 30. Emile Pienaar het met 'n paar jong mense gepraat wat vir die eerste keer hulle kruisies gaan trek in 'n plaaslike verkiesing en hulle maak dit duidelik - j...

As South Africa draws closer to the local government elections, Ground Work Collective (GWC) CEO Mbali Ntuli is urging citizens to actively participate in the electoral process and hold councillors accountable for service delivery beyond the ballot. Ntuli says that while national elections determine the country's broader political direction, local government elections have a more direct impact on...

As the 2026 Local Government Elections approach, Tshwane’s mayoral candidates have outlined their different visions for the Jacaranda City, with each proposing solutions to the metro’s service delivery challenges. ANC mayoral candidate Aaron Maluleka is prioritising technology-driven security, proposing citywide surveillance cameras, particularly in areas frequented by university students, as well...

As the 2026 Local Government Elections approach, Tshwane’s mayoral candidates have outlined their different visions for the Jacaranda City, with each proposing solutions to the metro’s service delivery challenges. EFF mayoral candidate Omphile Maotwe is prioritising industrialisation and job creation. She argues that the Rosslyn Industrial Development Zone alone cannot drive growth across the metr...

As the 2026 Local Government Elections approach, Tshwane’s mayoral candidates have outlined their different visions for the Jacaranda City, with each proposing solutions to the metro’s service delivery challenges. DA candidate Cilliers Brink wants to expand city improvement districts to make public spaces safer, cleaner and more accessible. Building on the model used in Hatfield, he proposes exten...

When South Africans vote in the Local Government Elections on 4 November, they're choosing the people who will make decisions about the services they use every day. Think rubbish collection, water, electricity, roads, parks, and local development. But not everyone votes for the same type of municipality. South Africa has three kinds of municipalities: metropolitan, local and dristrict. Here's a si...

Jacaranda FM Newswatch spoke to Marshalltown residents, business owners and property managers about the ongoing power outages and how they are affecting their daily lives and business operations. Latest news on our website

Die Noordwes Universiteit se Skool vir Kreatiewe Bedrywe en Uitvoerende Kunste, vereer die veteraan-aktrise Sandra Prinsloo Dinsdag 29 September, met 'n eredoktorsgraad vir haar jarelange bydrae tot die vermaaklikhiedsbedryf, en haar vermoeë om die norm met haar werk uit te daag. Sy het aan Marlinée Fouché gesê die uitvoerende kunste het die vermoë om die samelewing se grense te verskuif, en dat s...

Families searching for missing loved ones are urged to report cases to police immediately and provide accurate information that can assist investigators. This comes as the number of missing people in Southern Africa continues to rise. Speaking to Jacaranda FM Newswatch, Missing in Southern Africa spokesperson Priya Ranchod said families should not wait for a missing person to return before taking...

South Africans, particularly residents of Ekurhuleni east of Johannesburg, are increasingly concerned that a serial killer may be operating in the area after the discovery of at least nine women’s bodies since July. Six of those bodies were found this week alone. Police have assured residents that some of their most experienced and senior investigators have been assigned to the case. However, auth...

In recent weeks, Jacaranda Newswatch reported on tech leaders' concerns over the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence. This comes after hundreds of AI agents from OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, escaped an isolated testing environment known as a sandbox. Concern over the safety of AI increased after a researcher from Anthropic, the company behind Claude, resigned and said to the world...

South African consumers are set to have greater control over unwanted marketing calls and messages as the National Consumer Commission (NCC) prepares to launch a national opt-out registry for direct marketing. Speaking to Jacaranda FM Newswatch, NCC representative Phetho Ntaba explained how the system will work, what consumers and businesses can expect, and how the commission plans to deal with ma...

Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, Jacaranda Newswatch remembers South African victims and former Gauteng residents Nicholas Rowe and Craig Gibson. Nick Rowe, a 29-year-old from Johannesburg, was at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, for a business presentation. He had attended St John’s College in Houghton, Johannesburg, from Grade 1 through to Matric. In this episode, A...

Die wêreld herdenk op 10 September Selfdood Voorkomings Dag en hierdie jaar is die boodskap dat elke gesprek tel. Die South African Depression and Anxiety Group, SADAG, sê daar is veral kommer oor die toename in mans wanneer dit by selfdood kom. In 2025, was sowat 80% van al die selfdood gevalle in Suid-Afrika, mans. SADAG Berader, Cornelis Koekemoer het met Jacaranda FM Newswatch se Nomfundo Twal...

As South Africa prepares for the November 4 Local Government Elections, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has introduced a new Electoral Code of Conduct Countering Disinformation, aimed at curbing the spread of false and misleading information by political parties and candidates. The code comes amid growing concerns about social media, manipulated content and artificial intelligence b...

Every time you pay for a plastic shopping bag, you’re paying a levy intended to help tackle pollution. But after more than two decades — and R6.56 billion collected — has the plastic bag levy delivered the environmental change it promised? In this episode, Jacaranda FM NewsWatch follows the money, examines South Africa’s ongoing plastic pollution crisis, and asks the big question: Where is the mon...

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases, has confirmed an increase in measles cases nation wide. According the Institute's latest data, there have been 3 891 cases reported nationally between December last year, and August 2026. The Western Cape reported the highest number of new cases, followed by Limpopo, the Northern Cape and Gauteng - but is the increase enough to cause panic? Marliné...

The Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) warns that the Local Government Elections in November could very well be the decisive moment for the embattled City of Johannesburg. Once known as the City of Gold, Joburg owes creditors R25.2 billion, while its water infrastructure renewal backlog stands at R26.6 billion. In its first Johannesburg Matters report, titled Joburg in Jeopardy, the CDE p...

Last week, the northern and central parts of South Africa shivered as a cold snap pulled temperatures below 10 degrees in some places, and this week temperatures are expected to soar above 30. The South African Weather Service says although cold days in August aren't necessarily unusual, the past two weeks were an exception. Marlinée Fouché reached out to a forecaster the South African Weather Ser...

When around 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria 70 years ago, something remarkable happened. They showed that women don't need men to highlight their struggles in society, but that they can do it themselves. Looking back at that March back in 1956, Professor Amanda Gouws from the Univeristy Stellenbosch, told Marlinée Fouché this realisation stands out for her. Latest news on o...

In women's month, we're shining the light on women making waves in their respective fields of work. When it comes to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, there's still a long way to go to reach equality, but there is meaningful progress. Professor Nox Makunga, at the University Stellenbosch, is passionate about busting the myth about women in these fields. Marlinée Fouché reached out...

Driving along the highways of Gauteng, it's hard to miss the blanket of dust and smoke hanging over the province in every direction, but where does it come from and where is it going? The South African Consortium of Air Quality Monitoring, is making air pollution their business. Their network of monitoring systems across Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga can detect pollution clouds, and predict wher...

Former Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Advocate Andrea Johnson is facing renewed scrutiny after the Madlanga Commission heard a cellphone recording in which she encourages State Advocate Drushanta Ramsamy to avoid testifying before the inquiry while also criticising the conduct of the commissioners. Latest news on our website

It is this week a year since a press conference led by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi sent shockwaves through South Africa as he revealed serious allegations of fraud, corruption, money laundering, criminal networks, and alleged political interference within the country’s criminal justice sector. Jacaranda FM Newswatch journalist Anastasi Mokgobu speaks to Gerda de...

It is this week a year since a press conference led by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi sent shockwaves through South Africa as he revealed serious allegations of fraud, corruption, money laundering, criminal networks, and alleged political interference within the country’s criminal justice sector. Jacaranda FM Newswatch journalist Anastasi Mokgobu speaks to Gerda de...