The Lead

The government of national unity (GNU) is MIA. And it’s not unified in the nation’s interests - it’s every man or woman for themselves. This is the opinion of one former DA leader-turned-ambassador, Tony Leon, who argues that SA’s current crop of leaders is failing the perfect storm test as we barrel toward Trump’s tariffs sans a senior diplomat in Washington. And what does he think about the Inde...

We’re edging ever closer to becoming one of the few countries in the world to bear the full brunt of the US Trump administration’s 30% tariff slap. Can a last-minute phone call from President Cyril Ramaphosa curry favour and land a new US/SA trade deal? Business journalist William Brederode and The Lead host Graeme Raubenheimer are holding their breaths. For now, the pair discuss how the tariffs i...

It may mean “place of peace”. But the City of Ekurhuleni has been on edge this year following the murder of its chief auditor, Mpho Mafole. The soon-to-be married financial investigator was shot and killed not far from his Kempton Park home in late June. Mafole, a former staffer in the Auditor-General’s office, was only three months on the job in Ekurhuleni. And he is most certainly not the first...

“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”.If you haven’t read Animal Farm, that’s one of author George Orwell’s most famous quotes and it has never rung truer in the South African context than today, 31 July 2025.As we wait for the Madlanga Inquiry’s first public hearings into alleged police criminal capture, the man at the centre of KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mk...

An independent investigation into a massive government-sanctioned tender to provide 60 of our country’s hospitals with critical medical-grade oxygen has exposed many serious red flags throughout the procurement process. The DA’s Public Works and Infrastructure Minister in the government of national unity (GNU), Dean Macpherson, launched an investigation into alleged corruption within the state age...

It must be super lekker to be the deputy president. During the week, you can live it up in your Waterfall mansion in Midrand. And on the weekends, you can cruise down to Slaapstad to lounge by the pool in your Constantia palace. Both these properties have now been formally and publicly declared by Deputy President Paul Mashatile to Parliament, vindicating a long-standing media investigation led by...

The people of Mbabane, a small rural town deep in northern KwaZulu-Natal, have had enough of coal mining in the area. Cracked walls, incessant soot and noise and poor service delivery have come to characterise the small town. The arrival of a local coal mine has brought mixed fortunes for its people and now the town’s reality has sounded an alarm for the future of the entire Amajuba district. Here...

It’s felt like a never-ending story. But after five gruelling months for the government of national unity (GNU), President Cyril Ramaphosa’s coalition has finally passed a Budget - a critical oil for his administration’s engine to keep running. At the same time, National Treasury’s brought three new measures to ensure we don’t take this long for next year’s Budget process. Specialist journalist, C...

Is Educor setting itself up for deregistration by the government once again? Representing a host of private education institutions, including Damelin College, Educor has in recent years been drowning in a pile of complaints from staff and students about its poor teaching and administrative practices. Well, another of its institutions, INTEC, has now come in for sharp criticism from staff and stude...

First came the “Cat’s” arrest. But Sandton figurehead, Katiso “KT” Molefe, is now in police custody, too. It’s in connection with the 2022 hit on lounge club owner, DJ Sumbody, whose real name is Oupa John Sefoka, as well as his two bodyguards. Both Molefe and tender don, Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala, are understood to be central figures in the allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Nhla...

A top councillor, wearing the ANC colours in the City of Johannesburg, stands accused of meddling in and stalling key public infrastructure developments in Gauteng, extorting payments before work can even start. Sithembiso Zungu, though, has denied the claims, threatening our man on the beat, News24 journalist, Tankiso Makhetha, who joins us in this edition of The Lead. Zungu’s currently the ANC’s...

As the Ramaphosa administration grapples with a warring police force, a hollowed out South African Air Force and a scuppered Navy, how real or imminent is the threat of a coup d‘état in South Africa in 2025? It’s a difficult question to answer given Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s latest remarks following the release of the National Security Strategy report for the years 2019 to...

If claims are anything to go by right now, the top brass of the South African Police Service (SAPS) appears to be at severe odds following bombshell claims that shady figures have captured the police. Like Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has also been forced to take a leave of absence. He  claims that KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial police commissioner,...

It’s a complicated story like so many aspects of modern life. Relatives of a homeless man in Cape Town, “Luigi”, who’d gone viral for attending a Springbok match thanks to the goodwill of a fan, have since reunited, thanks in part to News24’s Good News coverage. Still, the sisters of the 49-year-old man, whose real name is Alan Strydom, face difficult decisions as he suffers with schizophrenia. Br...

Another year, another commission of inquiry. Mbuyiseli Madlanga, the soon-to-be retiring deputy chief justice, will be chairing the country’s umpteenth commission of inquiry, this time broadly looking into alleged criminal and political interference in the South African Police Service (SAPS). This follows KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s claims that the SAPS has been captured...

It’s a state-of-the-art facility meant to speed up the processing of post-mortems and toxicology reports to give grieving families much-needed closure. But Gauteng’s new R703m Forensic Medical Services super-lab in Johannesburg’s Auckland Park near the Helen Joseph Hospital remains a ghost town for now. It’s 98% complete, but the building contractors refuse to lift another finger until they’re pai...

Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge remained under cross-examination this Wednesday over allegations that he sexually harassed a former court secretary, Andiswa Mengo. The now 41-year-old’s 2022-based complaint led to a tribunal brought by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), and if Mbenenge is found guilty of sexual harassment, he could be impeached. News24’s specialist legal journalist...

In less than a month, South African produce and products being shipped to America will face remarkably higher tariffs. This came after US President Donald Trump signed a letter to Pretoria, stating that 30% tariffs on certain South African exports will be effective from 1 August. President Cyril Ramaphosa, currently with BRICS counterparts in Rio de Janeiro, claims Trump’s reasoning and methodolog...

The gloves are off. In a startling Sunday press conference, KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial police commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, publicly claimed that the heart of the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been captured. Mkhwanazi alleges that Minister Senzo Mchunu has ties to the underworld and, together with deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and an associate known as Brown Mogotsi, t...

From a good Samaritan who gave his extra Bok ticket to a homeless man, to a woman who reforged her legacy after a forced marriage at 14; good news editor Paul Herman is behind the mic to uplift and inspire in this edition of The Lead. Later in the show, a Cape Town woman who allegedly abducted a newborn baby boy tries to bar the media from filming her in court. Finally, host Graeme Raubenheimer en...

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s surprise axing of DA deputy minister Andrew Whitfield has again set the cat among the government of national unity’s (GNU) pigeons. First, the DA issued the ANC an ultimatum: fire all ministers accused of corruption or forfeit its friendly budget vote. Since then, the DA has singled out two ANC ministers in Parliament. Apart from pulling out of the National Dialogue, DA...

The Springbok test season is in full swing with a convincing win over the Barbarians, a first on South African soil this past weekend. Now, the Boks’ sights are set on sinking Italy and Georgia in quick succession with the match-ups offering the front line-up, in particular, a considerable challenge. Building depth among the forwards is key, according to News24’s senior sports journalist Khanyiso...

Lesotho has granted Elon Musk’s satellite internet streaming service, Starlink, a decade-long licence to operate there. How did Lesotho get Starlink before South Africa? Specialist journalist Carol Paton explains in The Lead that the real reasons behind this are rather complex, as many local regulatory hurdles have to be cleared first. Communications Minister Solly Malatsi is arduously exploring a...

At least 101 people have died and thousands left homeless after flooding hit the Eastern Cape earlier this month. As survivors catch their breath and rebuild their livelihoods, another intense cold front is creeping closer to the province. With snow, showers and sweeping winds forecast, we speak to News24’s East London correspondent, Sithandiwe Velaphi, for an update on rebuilding, rescue efforts...

The South African Navy’s limited operational capability has been scuppered in recent years. Today, only five vessels can take to the seas along our expansive coastline, and they are restricted to patrolling around our harbours. If you’re wondering, “Who needs a navy anyway?”, then you’re sorely mistaken about the force’s critical importance in other areas. Despite Minister Angie Motshekga’s claims...