POWER Talk

University of Cape Town (UCT)’s academics in the faculty of social development have allegedly been awarding higher marks to white students while penalising black students in a perpetuation of racism and a culture of inequality. Former head of department (HoD), Prof Ndangwa Noyoo, who has been acknowledged by the Department of Higher Education and Training as the UCT whistleblower, revealed t...

Gauteng has announced a sweeping overhaul of senior government leadership in response to widespread underperformance, which he described as a bold step toward “restoring public confidence and institutional integrity” with a renewed focus on stabilising struggling municipalities and ensuring readiness for the upcoming G20 Summit. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with Gauteng Premier,...

South Africa is still waiting to hear back from the U.S. on a trade proposal it submitted last month in the hope of avoiding high tariffs, officials said on Monday, with only four days left before a 30% levy on its exports is due to kick in. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with Political Economist, Patrick Bond, Economist & Director at First Source Money, Redge Nkosi and Chief Economist at...

In early 2025, South Africa’s Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) released its reserved judgments list for the first two terms of the year, shedding light on a persistent issue plaguing the judiciary: delayed rulings. Reserved judgments—cases where a judge has heard arguments but postponed delivering a verdict—have become a growing concern, with some cases lingering unresolved for...

In a bold move to bridge the technological divide and prepare South Africa’s youth for a rapidly evolving future, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT), has embarked on a nationwide tour to promote the Artificial Intelligence Fluency project. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with South African professor of mathematics and former vice-cha...

Sophie Mokoena’s professional odyssey at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) spans over three transformative decades, during which she emerged as a defining voice in South African and pan‑African journalism. Her career trajectory—from regional radio presenter in the early 1990s to Senior Foreign Editor and on‑air anchor—reflects not only a personal ascent but also t...

Former president Thabo Mbeki and former Justice minister Brigitte Mabandla, in their application to intervene in the R167 million in constitutional damages litigation by families of victims of apartheid-era atrocities, argued that it is in the interests of justice that they be allowed to do so. The pair turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, on Monday, during which their counsel, Advocate Ngw...

France will recognise a Palestinian state in September at the UN general assembly, Emmanuel Macron  has said. The French president announced the decision on X on Thursday evening, saying he hoped it would bring peace to the region. Macron published a letter sent to the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, confirming France’s intention to become the first major western power t...

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s alleged associate Brown Mogotsi has let the cat out of the bag, claiming that he is an undercover police operative and was crucially involved in the dramatic arrest of South Africa’s most notorious fugitive, Thabo Bester, in Tanzania.  Speaking to Sunday World amid a gag order as a witness at the looming judicial commission of inquiry into police inf...

Former South African Police Union president Lt-Col Mpho Kwinika says he was assaulted by fellow officers and removed from his post for his involvement in exposing the police’s R45-million IMSI-catcher deal. Kwinika helped defend Brigadier Tiyani Hlungwani in 2019, who blew the whistle on the dubious transaction allegedly orchestrated to siphon funds to buy votes at the 2017 ANC conference. M...

Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with Director and Head of Projects of The Institute for Accountability in Southern Africa (Accountability Now), Adv. Paul Hoffman. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Religion plays a foundational role in shaping social constructs, influencing values, norms, and institutional arrangements. Social constructs—such as gender roles, kinship, morality, and authority—are often given legitimacy and coherence through religious beliefs and practices. In African contexts, both indigenous belief systems and introduced religions like Christianity and Islam have...

Allegations of collusion between Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and the criminal underworld are to be urgently considered by three committees, as assigned by National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza.  Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with Speaker of the Parliament, Thoko Didiza. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Officials discovered crystal meth and cell phones at Kgosi Mampuru prison in Pretoria on Tuesday evening.  Correctional services commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale is leading a surprise raid at the prison.  The department of correctional services previously said that the raids are part of a broader, uncompromising campaign to rid correctional centres of contraband and eliminate criminal network...

Sibusiso Ncengwa who was convicted of the 2017 killing former ANC Youth League Secretary-General Sindiso Magaqa, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Pietermaritzburg High Court. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with Whistleblower and Sindiso Magaqa’s Friend, Thabiso Zulu and ANC Youth League Secretary General, Mntuwoxolo Ngudle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday, 7 July that he would subject imports from South Africa to new 30% tariffs that would take effect from 1 August.  In a letter addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa, which was signed by Trump and posted to his Truth Social, he said: “We have had years to discuss our trading relationship with South Africa, and have concluded that we must move...

The issue of pay for magistrates and judges has again come up, this time at Judicial Service Commission interviews for the deputy chief justice position. Free State Judge President Cagney Musi warned that court officials aren't properly paid, which opens them up to falling into the trap of corruption. The Judicial Officers Association of SA threatened to take to the streets last year over the big...

KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says the political killings task team has unmasked a syndicate controlled by a drug cartel that involves politicians, law enforcement, business people, prosecutors and the judiciary. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with National Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, Organized Crime Investigator, IRS Forensic Investigations, C...

South Africa’s transport sector is making notable progress in its turnaround efforts, supported by significant financial investments and structural reforms. The country has secured major funding, including a $1.5 billion World Bank loan and a $475 million African Development Bank loan, aimed at upgrading rail infrastructure, modernizing ports, and improving energy integration within transpor...

Israel has agreed to the "necessary conditions" to finalise a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, US President Donald Trump has said.  In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that during the proposed ceasefire the US would "work with all parties to end the War".   He did not provide details on what the ceasefire would entail. Bongi Gwala is in conversation with UJ Centre for Africa-China Studies Dir...

The South African government has emphasised that it was not part of the delegation of Afrikaner politicians who visited Washington, DC, in the US. The group that went without being directed by the government arrived back in South Africa on Wednesday. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) spokesperson Chrispin Phiri told IOL that the group was pursuing its "own agenda".&...

Ekurhuleni municipality’s senior auditor, Mpho Mafole, has been gunned down.  Mafole was the city’s group divisional head for corporate and forensic audits.  Police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said Mafole was driving along the R23 in Kempton Park when he was killed by unknown suspects. Bongi Gwala is in conversation with Advocate for Whistleblowers, John Clarke. See...

The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) will petition the Supreme Court of Appeal directly after the high court in Pretoria dismissed its application to appeal against its ruling on low-cost benefit options (LCBOs). The BHF is an industry association for medical schemes and administrators, and has turned to the courts to try to compel the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) to allow schemes to offer L...

Auditor-General (AG) Tsakani Maluleke calls on local government authorities to use their remaining year in office to provide effective and efficient governance and service delivery to improve the lives of the people of South Africa.  Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with Auditor General of South Africa, Tsakani Maluleke.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three officials from the City of Tshwane Municipality, who are believed to be part of a syndicate, have been arrested for stealing a transformer at a substation.  Police said the officials, aged between 30 and 40 years old, were handcuffed on Tuesday morning. It is understood that officials stole a large transformer from the Laudium substation, worth an estimated R7 million. Mbuyise...