The Weekend View

Mozambique remains tense with the country's largest hospital saying at least three people were killed and 66 others injured during clashes between police and protesters on THURSDAY over a disputed election. The fatalities add to at least 18 people killed in earlier protests since the October. 9 poll, which the opposition claims was rigged. Some groups have given a higher toll, with Mozambique's Ce...

The Southern Africa Association of Freight Forwarders  - SAAFF -  is calling on SADC to move immediately to lead mediation talks, restore law and order and stabilise trade operations at the Port of Maputo and the Maputo corridor which are critical to the regional economy. That association says the political conflict in Mozambique is taking  a heavy toll on South Africa with the temporary closure o...

While most people understand how and why a Will is needed, very few know what happens when it comes to administering and executing a Will.  This is where banks and other financial institutions come in but can they be trusted with Wills and Estates and do they have your best interest at heart.  To unpack this Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Banzi Mcasa, an advocate for financial security and generational we...

Fourteen years after a statue of AmaZulu King Shaka was removed from Durban's King Shaka International airport, a new R4.5 million likeness was unveiled on THURSDAY.  The previous statue had to be removed from display after the Zulu royal family expressed dissatisfaction with the way in which the late King was portrayed. They felt the statue reduced King Shaka to a "herd boy" rather than the warri...

Botswana's new President-elect Duma Boko THIS WEEK did the unthinkable. For more than 50 years, opposition politicians have dreamt of unseating the mighty Botswana Democratic Party, but only Boko has made that a reality at the third attempt. The crushing manner of the victory of his Umbrella for Democratic Change - UDC- party came as a surprise, including it seems to Boko himself, who admitted bei...

Legal uncertainty over the recent issuing of Muslim Marriage Certificates in the absence of legislation continues to spark debate. The Women's Legal Centre says the Home Affairs Department cannot simply convert a marriage concluded under the Marriage Act into a Muslim marriage. As Mercedes Besent reports, Home Affairs recently announced that it had granted the first batch of 33 Muslim Marriage Cer...

Voters in the US go to the polls in 2 days to elect their next president. The question that will be answered after Tuesday's election is - will America get its first woman president or a second Donald Trump term? With national polls too close to call the result can go either way.  To look at the US election and what a Donald Trump or Kamala Harris win means for South Africa and Africa,  Bongiwe Zw...

The Southern Africa Tourism Services Association - Satsa - THIS WEEK  urged travellers to Mozambique to exercise caution and postpone their trips amid reports of potential protests in the country. The association warned that travellers to Mozambique might experience interruptions at the Lebombo/Ressano Garcia Border Post, potential business disruptions and possible protest action especially in Map...

The ANC's Babalwa Lobishe was on Thursday elected as the new mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality while his former boss, Gary van Niekerk, is now her deputy. The pair swapped roles after they both briefly resigned to allow the new election to take place at a special Council meeting. Both were swore-in in their new positions just a few hours later. This shake-up was imminent as the ANC has...

Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana tabled his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement on Wednesday. Reactions from stakeholders varied, with the rand and bond yields weakening following the announcement. YESTERDAY , The South African Federation of Trade Unions said it was disgusted by the mid term budget statement and that the Minister has re-committed to the path of extremely painful austerity meas...

The National Consumer Commission has found that several car dealerships across South Africa sold faulty vehicles to unsuspecting consumers.  Disgruntled consumers are increasingly approaching the National Consumer Commission (NCC) for assistance after being sold allegedly defective cars by vehicle dealerships. The consumer bodies have also found evidence that the vehicle's odometers are sometimes...

The Department of Education in Limpopo has called for the co-operation of all stakeholders to curb further incidents of food poisoning incidents in schools. The department has suspended food sales at schools throughout the province, following the death of a learner at Khubvi outside Thohoyandou on Thursday. Baatseba Mabowa compiled this report...

The ANC will oppose any electricity tariff increase. This is according to the chair of the Economic Transformation Committee, Mmamoloko Kubayi. Much to the dismay of consumers, NERSA has published Eskom's application to increase the cost of electricity by an additional 36.15 percent, next year. Various NEC members briefed the media on the sidelines of the four-day NEC meeting, underway in Boksburg...

Recent incidents of food-borne illnesses in Gauteng and Mpumalanga, North West, Limpopo and Northern Cape in schools and township communities have raised concerns about food safety. Several learners have lost their lives in the past two months and many others have fallen ill after consuming potentially contaminated snacks and food. For more Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Dr Aaron Motsoaledi - Health Minis...

Former EFF MP, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, and former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Willies Mchunu have officially joined the ranks of the uMkhonto WeSizwe Party. Advocate Mkhwebane is set to lead the party in Mpumalanga, while Mchunu, an ANC veteran, will take charge in KwaZulu-Natal. This announcement came during the party's media briefing. Meanwhile, the MK party has filed a second case alleging elect...

In the wake of Thursday's devastating shooting in Bishop Lavis that claimed seven lives, Western Cape police have apprehended three suspects, aged 17, 24, and 29. The trio now faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and possession of an unlicensed firearm, and is expected to appear in court on Monday. 13 people have now died in two tragic mass shootings in the Western Cape. On Wednesday night,...

Mozambique's capital, Maputo and several other towns remained tense YESTERDAY after the country's governing party candidate, was declared winner of the presidential election. Frelimo's Daniel Chapo, with 70% of the vote, will succeed President Filipe Nyusi to become Mozambique's fifth president since its independence from Portugal in 1975. Venancio Mondlane, backed by the PODEMOS party, came secon...

Bullying in the workplace is unfortunately becoming a common behaviour. Experts say it is a complex issue that needs to be unpacked, understood, and addressed. Tackling this problem head-on Full Potential Consulting Managing Director, Mabore Sithole, who is speaking about her personal experience with workplace bullying . She is also the author of "Breaking the Cycle of Workplace Bullying", to be r...

TODAY marks exactly 10 years since the death of former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana captain -- Senzo Meyiwa. Meyiwa was killed in a robbery in Vosloorus, whilst in the prime of his football career. The KwaZulu-Natal shot-stopper died at the age of 30, and was captain of both club and country, when he was killed. For more Bongiwe Zwane spoke Hubert Maphumulo, organiser at the organisation, Jus...

The National Senior Certificate exams are due to begin tomorrow and will conclude on the 28th of November. The first exam is English, followed by Afrikaans in the afternoon.  Over 900 000 pupils will be sitting for these examinations. This is one of the most important exams in a South African student's life. It is a standardised test that is the final step before completing high school. There is s...

It is the biggest humanitarian crisis and it gets very little attention". This is how the Sudan hunger crisis has been described by the United Nations. With the eyes of the world firmly on the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and now Lebanon, it has become more challenging to get a grip on other emergencies do not hog news headlines. Aid agencies say what Sudan is experiencing now is a crisis of histor...

In an era where indoor air quality and building health are paramount concerns, Sick Building Syndrome or SBS  has emerged as a significant threat to our wellbeing. SBS is a condition where building occupants experience health issues and discomfort that appear to be linked to time spent in a particular building. Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Guilia Criscuolo ,  phamarcist and complementary medicines exper...

The Proteas Women will take on New Zealand in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 final TODAY at the Dubai International Stadium in the United Arab Emirates, with both teams vying for their first-ever World Cup title in the short format. This after the Proteas beat defending champions Australia by 8 wickets in the semi-final last week. Many anticipate that the 2024 finals will be easy one for the P...

The Education quality assurance body, Umalusi , has intensified  its training of external  moderators to tighten its oversight role as  a quality council. Umalusi briefed the media YESTERDAY on the state of readiness saying it is ready to administer the 2024 matric exams. The body also conducted focussed  training sessions with moderators responsible for subjects that have in the past caused publi...

The Department of Water and Sanitation is advising communities and water users along the Harts and Vaal rivers in the North West and Northern Cape provinces to be careful in the use of untreated water from the rivers. This after routine raw water sampling from Christiana downstream indicated the presence of cholera. The samples were taken from Wentzel dam, Schweizer Reneke, Christiana, Barkley Wes...