The National Briefing

The main suspect in the murder of Olorato Mongale has been shot and killed by police in KwaZulu-Natal. The shocking murder has exposed a disturbing criminal syndicate that allegedly targets, robs, and kills women using fake identities and cloned vehicles 30.05.2025 6:15 ↓

    Guest: Professor Nirmala Devi Gopal: Academic Leader in the Discipline of Criminology and Forensic Studies. (UKZN)

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has now identified over 210,000 social grant beneficiaries who allegedly failed to truthfully declare their income, potentially defrauding the social assistance system. 30.05.2025 7:37 ↓

    Guest: Paseka Letsatsi: Spokesperson, The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)

Racquel "Kelly" Smith convicted of kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter Joshlin Smith has been sentenced to life in prison, along with her two accomplices. 30.05.2025 5:46 ↓

    Guest: Megan Briede: Director of Programmes, Save the Children South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken his legal battle to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), seeking to overturn a Pretoria High Court decision that nullified his recognition of Misuzulu kaZwelithini as king of the Zulu nation. 29.05.2025 13:01 ↓

Guest: Prof Musa Xulu: Cultural Expert 

The Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke has now raised concerns over the trend of poor audit outcomes in municipalities, saying only 41 out of 257 councils received a clean audit. Therefore, billions of rands continue to be lost annually due to fruitless and 29.05.2025 10:01 ↓

    Guest: Tsakani Maluleke is the Auditor-General of South Africa

Residents of the Ramaphosa Informal Settlement near Vereeniging are living in dire and inhumane conditions, with ten families forced to share a single overflowing mobile toilet infested with worms. 29.05.2025 4:32 ↓

    Guest: Mervyn Cirota: DA Shadow MEC for Human Settlements 

Africa Update Report with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa 29.05.2025 5:30 ↓

29 May 2025   1.    Kenya- USA Giant of Afrikan literature Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o dies aged 87 The family made the announcement in a statement shared on the Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) page of the author's daughter Wanjiku wa Ngugi on Wednesday, May 28.   2.    ECOWAS- Nigeria ECOWAS at 50: Celebrating unity as the region fragments Exactly 50 year...

As the war in Ukraine intensifies, President Vladimir Putin has signalled new terms for a potential peace deal, demanding Western leaders provide written guarantees halting NATO expansion and easing sanctions on Russia. 29.05.2025 7:38 ↓

    Guest: Professor Of Strategy: Faculty Of Military Science: Stellenbosch University

The Budget Justice Coalition (BJC) acknowledges the modest real increase in non-interest expenditure in Budget 3.0, marking the first such rise since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 29.05.2025 6:45 ↓

    Guest: Matshidiso Lencoasa: Chairperson: Budget Justice coalition

The FW de Klerk Foundation has now said that President Ramaphosa’s utterances in Parliament on BEE raises questions about his commitment to the National Constitution’s vision of a non-racial society 29.05.2025 3:58 ↓

  Guest: Christo van der Rheede: Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation

Cable thieves desecrated graves at Papenkuil Cemetery in Bethelsdorp, Eastern Cape, digging up burial sites for street lighting cables and leaving families devastated. 28.05.2025 5:19 ↓

  Guest: Johan Rousseau, Founder and Chairman, Funeral Industry Reformed Association (FIRA)

In a rare and unexpected event, an elephant seal was spotted wandering through the streets of Gordon’s Bay on Tuesday morning, nearly a kilometre from the shoreline. 28.05.2025 5:04 ↓

 Belinda Abraham: Cape of Good Hope SPCA spokesperson

Amid escalating conflict, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff unveils a new ceasefire-hostage deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. 28.05.2025 9:00 ↓

 Roland Henwood, Political Scientist, UP.

@SAPoliceService are searching for an African male who uses the name of John. He drives a white VW Polo with a cloned number plate: LT 57 JG GP. The man is wanted in connection with the alleged murder of a 30-year-old female. Olorato Mongale went on a dat 28.05.2025 5:33 ↓

 Advocate Brenda Madumise: @Wise4Afrika Director

As South Africa faces mounting pressure on its water infrastructure, the completion of two new water towers in Kempton Park and Brixton brings a glimmer of hope for residents in Gauteng. 28.05.2025 7:12 ↓

 Ferrial Adam: Executive Director, WaterCan & Environmental Justice Activist

South Africa’s Electoral Commission (IEC) has embarked on a transformative journey toward adopting electronic voting (e-voting), aiming to enhance both the efficiency and integrity of democratic processes. 28.05.2025 5:32 ↓

 Sy Mamabolo: Chief Electoral Officer, @IECSouthAfrica

Can Starlink bypass South Africa's Black Economic-Empowerment laws? 28.05.2025 9:32 ↓

 Toto Geza: South African Labour and Education Law Specialist, Commercial Mediator, and Corporate Governance Expert. He is the Founder CEO of Geza Advisory

What is Starlink and why is there debate around it? 27.05.2025 8:34 ↓

    Guest: Jan Vermuelan: Editor, Broadband 

Authorities in the Eastern Cape have urged calm following a spate of violent revenge attacks in Addo, which left three people dead and around ten others injured. 27.05.2025 8:04 ↓

Solethu Lucas: Mayor, Sunday River Valley Local Municipality

Now in its fourth year, the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium of South Africa (SIDSSA) continues to serve as a critical platform for driving forward the country's infrastructure agenda. 27.05.2025 6:03 ↓

    Guest: Wikus van Niekerk: Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Stellenbosch University

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has raised the alarm over a staggering rise in security costs at Gauteng public hospitals, which have soared from R655 million in 2022 to R2.54 billion in 2025. 27.05.2025 4:32 ↓

    Guest: Jack Bloom: DA Shadow Health MEC in Gauteng

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has called Russian President Vladimir Putin "crazy" in response to Russia's most extensive aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began in February 2022. 27.05.2025 8:51 ↓

    Guest: Anthoni van Nieuwkerk - professor of International and Diplomacy Studies at the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs

Livestock farmers across South Africa are sounding the alarm as stringent government-imposed foot and mouth disease (FMD) controls threaten to cripple their operations. 27.05.2025 5:54 ↓

    Guest: Dr Frikkie Mare: Chief Executive Office, Red Meat Producers Organisation

Africa Update Report with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa 27.05.2025 5:09 ↓

    27 May 2025   1.    DR Congo – North Kivu- Goma Former President Joseph Kabila was welcomed in Goma As 'Great Political Leader yesterday The AFC/M23 rebels who control the eastern DR Congo main city of Goma confirmed the return of former President Joseph Kabila on Monday, May 26, ending six years of his self-imposed exile.     2.  &e...