The National Briefing

Guest: Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast, Political Analyst and Acting Director of the Centre for Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution at Nelson Mandela University.

Guest: Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga - co-chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF)  

Guest: Sandy Godlwana - Spokesperson for the Department of Social Development  

Guest: Prof Somadoda Fikeni - Commissioner of the Public Service Commission  

North Korea has rejected a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency criticising its nuclear weapons programme, declaring that its status as a nuclear power is irreversible. Ukraine has brought together seven regional neighbours for the inaugural Carpathian Eight summit, a new cooperation platform involving Ukraine, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary&nb...

A new Afrobarometer policy paper raises concerns about faltering demand for democracy across Africa. While 64% of those surveyed say they prefer democracy, only 36% meet Afrobarometer’s definition of a full demand for democracy, while just 38% are satisfied with how democracy is working in their countries. The findings point to growing dissatisfaction with government performance. This raises...

Reality Check with Ayabonga Cawe: The roots of South African inequality in land, labour and product markets - ‘New Settler or Old Tenant’?   Guest: Ayabonga Cawe - Chief Commissioner at the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) of South Africa  

Police in Ekurhuleni are investigating the discovery of a ninth woman’s body in Dawn Park, Boksburg, bringing the number of women found dead in the area since July to nine. Police are investigating whether the cases are connected, but a serial killer has not been confirmed. As the investigation continues, we want to understand the psychology behind extreme violence — what can go throug...

As we mark International Equal Pay Day, the conversation around South Africa’s gender pay gap needs to go beyond the payslip. Research tracking millions of formal-sector workers found that women earn, on average, 12% less than men, with around 45% of that gap associated with women being concentrated in lower-paying companies. Guest: Adrian Garden, Dean of Academic Support at Rosebank Interna...

The Madlanga Commission is marking one year of hearings. Yesterday, Correctional Services National Commissioner Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale told the Commission that inmates can manipulate officials, influence decisions around inmate placement and work allocations, and in some cases maintain criminal networks beyond prison walls. He also spoke about the alleged threats that preceded Edward Madiba&rs...

Africa in Focus with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa 1.    South Africa- Gauteng Nine Women Dead and Police Still Can't Say Who Is Behind It- lockdown a solution, rewards, death penalty, silence of human community, lack of criminology expertise, investigative journalist lacking, rule of law limping or in ICU? &bu...

Market Brief with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter Japan hikes rates as inflation pressures build The Bank of England stands pat on rates Market update

The Global Briefing: A UN fact-finding mission says there are reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed war crimes in two strikes in Iran in February, including an attack on a school in Minab that killed civilians. Russia heads into parliamentary elections this weekend, with voting taking place amid the war in Ukraine and tighter restrictions on political opposition. India is warni...

In Ekurhuleni, police have confirmed that a ninth woman’s body was found in Dawn Park, Boksburg, on Thursday. Investigators are looking into whether some of the cases may be connected.  Against this backdrop, we hear from Amanda Stuart, a survivor of physical, emotional, psychological and sexual abuse, who says she was also abducted twice during an abusive relationship. Amanda is sharin...

Global Brief The European Union is opening the door to a potentially unprecedented relationship with Canada, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposing that Canada become the bloc’s first associate member. The proposal comes as both sides look to deepen economic, security and strategic ties amid shifting global alliances. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi...

The Electoral Commission’s (IEC) Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo has sought to explain that the ballot paper in some areas will have a double column due to the high number of political parties in some municipalities. Mamabolo was briefing the media in Centurion yesterday (Wednesday) on the finalisation of candidates contesting the November Fourth Local Government Elections. Mamabolo says...

This is The Reality Check — At its core, this segment exists to do something that daily news cycles rarely allow: to pause, to reflect, and to think seriously about the state of South Africa — not just what is happening, but why it is happening, what it is costing us, and what must be done to change it. Our aim in this segment is simple: to deepen the national conversation — to c...

Reports of missing women and the discovery of unidentified bodies in and around Kempton Park have raised fresh concerns about gender-based violence, missing-person investigations and the safety of women. As families search for answers and await confirmation of the identities of loved ones, questions are also being raised about how missing-person cases are handled and whether enough is being done t...

Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia has assured the nation that a high-level, multidisciplinary team has the required expertise to investigate a streak of murders of women in Ekurhuleni. He says that the team is in place, and can give the public the assurance, based on past experience, that when it comes to such situations, the South African Police Service has the experience and the hi...

More than 200 refugees who remained behind in Durban after others were moved to Lindela are now sheltering at Stella Park. They say they are concerned about their safety, their children and what happens next, while disputing claims that all the refugees agreed to move to Lindela. Joining us to discuss the situation is... Guest: Kafuti Muyumba, activist and leader of the committee representing the...

When someone goes missing, what should families do immediately rather than waiting for 24 or 48 hours? What information should families have ready when reporting a missing person to the police? How important is it for people to tell family or friends where they are going and who they are meeting? Guest: Bianca van Aswegen - Criminologist and National Coordinator for Missing Children South Africa &...

The situation involving refugees who had been sheltering on Che Guevara Road in Durban has taken another turn. Some of the refugees have been transported to the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Gauteng, while more than 200 others have refused to board the buses and have moved to Stella Park. Guest: Bishop Raphael Bahebwa, spokesperson for the refugees at the Che Guevara Home Affairs Refugee Rec...

Meta and Nvidia push back against calls to slow AI development  Goldman warns oil could surge to $120 Market update

Africa in Focus with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa DR Congo- Kinshasa Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, Kinshasa, to voice their opposition to a government-proposed constitutional amendment that could allow President Felix Tshisekedi -- elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023 -...