The Weekend View

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan , this week , announced that the sale of a 51% stake in South African Airways to the Takatso Consortium has been cancelled. Addressing the media after the Parliament's Public Enterprises Portfolio Committee meeting, Gordhan said there was agreement that by mutual consent that the transaction should be terminated as there is no clear path forward.  This co...

The decision by the South African National Botanical Institute - Sanbi - to increase entrance fees to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden has left many people up in arms saying the new tariffs are unaffordable for most South Africans. The garden, was last year named the best botanical garden in Africa. According to the Botanical Society, who are opposed to the fee increases, South African a...

The GOOD party will THIS MORNING launch it's 2024 Election Manifesto in Johannesburg. The online launch of the manifesto will take place at Liliesleaf farm in Rivonia. Party leader Patricia De Lille is expected to spell out the party's vision for South Africa ahead of the May 29 National and Provincial election. Sebenzile Nkambule spoke to Brett Herron, GOOD party's secretary general

Water users of the Integrated Vaal River System will be affected when the Lesotho Highland Tunnel is closed for six months. The closure is set to commence on the 1st of  October this year to 31 March 2025 to undergo planned maintenance. The maintenance work will be undertaken jointly by the Lesotho Highlands Development Agency and Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority . The shut down will have implicatio...

Misinformation and disinformation are not only a threat to democracy but a direct threat to the sustainability of credible news media. This is according to media watchdog group, Media Monitoring Africa.  The group says there has been increasing concern about the ability of disinformation to influence the outcomes of elections and its potential threat to democracy.  Meanwhile, in a crucial step tow...

The joint Business Rescue Practitioners of the South African Post Office , Anoosh Rooplal and Juanito Damons have received reports of an increase in scams to mislead the public from fraudsters claiming to represent the Post Office.   The emails and SMS messages appear to originate from the Post Office when in fact they are fraudulent.  SAPO is now warning the public against the scams .. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reappointed South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Governor Lesetja Kganyago for another term of five years. Kganyago's new term will begin in November this year. President Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says the re-appointment of Kganyago follows consultations with the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, and the directors of the reserve bank. Meanwhile, the...

A new wave of deadly attacks in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado by an armed group linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) is forcing thousands of people to flee. According to UNICEF at least 60,000 children have been displaced within a period of a month. More than 100 schools in Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces have had to close due to insecurity, affecting the learning of over 50,00...

Political parties have now submitted their election candidates lists, signatures and deposits to the IEC to ensure participation in the May 29 National and Provincial election. The IEC is currently in the process of verifying the information given by the parties before the candidate lists are made public. The process has however been blemished by leaks of some political parties' candidates lists o...

Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban will  once again be pulsating with energy when the IFP launches it's 2024 election manifesto later TODAY under the theme "Let's do it for Shenge". South Africa's fourth largest party believes the country needs a chance to recover but requires the right leadership. It says it will present to voters a manifesto that puts South Africans first while offering the elector...

While the world's attention is focusing on the desperate humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the World Food Programme THIS WEEK warned that the war in Sudan threatens to trigger "the world's largest hunger crisis". The WFP said on Wednesday that more than 25 million people scattered across Sudan, South Sudan and Chad are trapped in a spiral of food insecurity as the brutal civil war shows no sign of easi...

 A 2023 report by the South Africa's Financial Services Regulation Board outlined a multitude of ways consumers are protected in the insurance industry.  According to industry experts , while this regulation was well received by the industry, many consumers still do not have the access to information on how they are protected by industry regulation. Many people know that there is a Consumer Protec...

The United States was earlier THIS WEEK  upbeat that talks on a ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza could still reach an agreement between Hamas and Israel in time for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins TOMORROW. Negotiators from Hamas, Qatar and Egypt - but not Israel - were still trying to secure a 40-day ceasefire in talks in Cairo, Egypt but YESTERDAY Hamas announced that...

The IEC's deadline for political parties and independent candidates who intends to contend in 2024's general election to submit their candidates list has come and gone. Last week,  the IEC warned independent candidates and political parties that if they miss the deadline and fail to comply with what is needed to be eligible to contest 2024's general elections there will be little or no room to neg...

The African Christian Democratic Party - ACDP - will today launch its manifesto for the 2024 National and Provincial election. Party leader, Rev. Kenneth Meshoe, is expected to unveil the manifesto at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena in Johannesburg. The party, which is a member of the opposition Multi Party Charter, says it's manifesto seeks to offer effective solutions for the many concerns people ha...

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) YESTERDAY raided SAFA house in a search and seizure operation. The raid follows reports allegations of fraud and theft amounting to R1.3 million. For more Sebenzile Nkambule spoke to Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale...

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing the future of work. It is estimated that 50 % of jobs that exist will disappear as companies adopt new AI-driven technologies. Education expert Dr. Alex Asakitikpi, Senior Researcher at The Independent Institute of Education's Varsity College warns that much more must be done to ensure that the public sector, and especially students in public schools and...

The 11 parties in the Multi-Party Charter - MPC - THIS WEEK unveiled a plan they believe will make Eskom's years of underperformance and load-shedding a thing of the past. ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba presented the plan on behalf of the MPC which revolves around reforming Eskom, establishing an open energy market and ensuring a just transition to a renewable energy future. President Cyril Ramaph...

After 10 years in the making, construction of the largest private renewable energy plant in South Africa is soon set to start. The Impofu Wind Farms, to be built in Kouga, Eastern Cape will comprise three 110-megawatt wind farms. The plant is expected to significantly change the country's renewable energy landscape when it opens  next year. Bongiwe Zwane spoke  to  Mark Tanton, CEO at Red Cap Ener...

Gauteng has a new police chief. Maj-Gen Tommy Mthombeni has been appointed as the province's police commissioner and Maj-Gen Maropeng Johanna Mamothethi as divisional commissioner responsible for visible policing and operations. They have both been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general with effect from YESTERDAY. Announcing their appointment yesterday evening, national police commissioner Gen...

The Pan Africanist Congress - PAC - is launching it's  National Elections Manifesto at the Orlando Communal Arena in Soweto TODAY.. The party says their manifesto will mainly talk to the problems of the African people. Sebenzile Nkambule spoke to  PAC Secretary General Apa Pooe

Another political party that is launching it's 2024 election manifesto TODAY is the United Democratic Movement - the UDM. The party, will be unveiling its election manifesto at Midrand's Gallagher Conference Centre in Gauteng. The party has been in the opposition benches for over 25 years. Sebenzile Nkambule spoke to UDM leader General Bantu Holomisa

The deputy minister of Small Business Development, Dipuo Peters, has been suspended for a period of one-month without pay. President Cyril Ramaphosa YESTERDAY suspended her following a sanction adopted by Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members Interests that found Peters had breached the Code of Ethical Conduct in her former portfolio as Minister of Transport. Peters served as transpor...

South Africa's 5th largest party, the Freedom Front Plus, will TODAY launch it's election manifesto in Pretoria. In previous elections the party actively campaigned against Black Economic Empowerment and affirmative action accusing the systems of breeding corruption. Sebenzile Nkambule spoke to Wouter Wessels, FF PLUS Head of Elections and National spokesperson....

The four financial services ombuds' offices - the Ombudsman for Banking Services , the Credit Ombud ,  the Ombudsman for  Long-Term Insurance  and the Ombudsman for Short-Term  have now come together under the newly formed National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO). The NFO Scheme which commenced its operations YESTERDAY - (1st march 2024) will be a one-stop, all-in-one dispute resolution service made...