The National Briefing

On 23 December 2024, the Information Regulator (Regulator) issued an Infringement Notice to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in which it ordered the DBE to pay an administrative fine of R5 million following its failure to comply with the Enforcement Notice issued by the Regulator on 18 November 2024.  Guest: Adv. Pansy Tlakula is the Chairperson of the Information Regulator of South Af...

The Bela Act is not a silver bullet for solving South Africa’s education challenges. However, what it will potentially achieve is addressing the sad legacy of apartheid where language was weaponised and used as a tool to separate people, writes Professor Thabo Ditsele  Guest: Prof Thabo Ditsele is a full professor of sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology, and an NRF-rated researc...

MORE than 35% of children are dating someone they met online and have never met in real life. Children as young as 12 were also found to be accessing dating apps, often bypassing age restrictions with ease. This is according to the latest annual statistics report from the National Centre for Child Protection (NCCP)  Guest: Danie Van Loggerenberg: Managing Director of the National Centre For C...

At least 28 people, including children, have died in a wave of Israeli military strikes throughout the Gaza Strip, according to Gaza's civil defence agency. A school sheltering displaced families was among the facilities struck, killing eight people including four children over the weekend, the agency said.  Guest: Arina Muresan - Researcher For The Institute For Global Dialogue 

  The Morning Brief   Afrika Update Report   24 December 2024   1. Mozambique- Maputo  Frelimo’s Chapo declared winner of disputed Mozambique elections  The Mozambican Constitutional Council has declared Daniel Chapo of the Frelimo party as the winner of the disputed October elections. Maputo has seen massive protests after the poll.  Opposit...

Mozambique’s Constitutional Council today proclaimed Daniel Chapo, the candidate supported by Frelimo, as the winner of the presidential election with 65.17% of the votes, succeeding Filipe Nyusi as President of the Republic.    Guest: Estacios Valoi - Journalist In Mozambique 

  Guest: Bennie Van Zyl - Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa general manager  

THE ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in Gauteng demands transparency in the disbursement of the R500 million to support spaza shops. The party said there had been no clarity on the allocation process and the beneficiaries.  Guest: Cde Ntsako Mogobe - Gauteng Provincial Chairperson of the ANCYL  

  Guest: Riaan van der Bergh - Deputy CEO of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools. 

  Guest: Professor Tinyiko Maluleke is the vice-chancellor of TUT and the deputy chairperson of the National Planning Commission (NPC). 

  Guest: Bani Kgosana: Chief Revenue Officer for Pragma 

  Guest: Dr Jabu Mtsweni - Head Of Information And Cyber Security at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research  

  Guest: Dean Macpherson – Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure 

  Guest: Fébé Potgieter-Gqubule: ANC Head of Policy and Research Acting Chair of NEC Education, Health and STI Committee 

  The Morning Brief   Afrika Update Report Extended   23 December 2024   1. Mozambique - Maputo  Ahead of election recount announcement, Mozambique govt pleads with citizens not to resort to violence. Today, the Mozambican Constitutional Council will announce the results of their recount and verification process following weeks of unrest in the country.&nbsp...

    Guest: Professor Vally Padayachee, power and energy expert and a former executive manager of Eskom and a former senior executive of City Power Jhb 

The Public Servants Association (PSA) says it has been inundated with calls from union members after the Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems) membership subscription increased by 13.4% for next year.    Guest: Claude Naiker – Spokesperson: Public Servants Association 

President Joe Biden signed a stopgap funding bill into law Saturday, extending government funding into March, after President-elect Donald Trump upended the effort to prevent a shutdown earlier in the week by coming out against an initial bipartisan deal.  Guest: Brooks Spector - Associate Editor Daily Maverick 

  Guest: Bhekisisa Mncube is an author and columnist 

THE National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has been asked to reject Eskom’s proposed tariff increases. The General Industries Workers Union of SA (Giwusa) said the recent tariff hike earlier this year has already placed immense pressure on the poor, working, and middle class.    Guest: Mametlwe Sebei – GIWUSA President  

  The Morning Brief   Afrika Update Report   20 December 2024  1. USA- North Sudan   The United States on Thursday announced $200 million of new funding for the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, bringing Washington's commitment to $2.3 billion, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday.  2. Guinea- Conkary   Mohamed Diane, a former defence...

On the 14th of December it was reported that there were delays and queues in the processing of passengers for International Departure at the Immigration points as a result of the Border Management Authority’ s system challenges. ACSA wishes to express our sincere apologies for the inconvenience that this situation has caused to travellers, airport users and our stakeholders.  Guest: Mpu...

An online and video-based study by market research specialist Ipsos has revealed that South Africa’s R50-Billion Stokvel sector made up of more than 800 000 Stokvel groups and 11-million members* is a vast network of dynamic ‘human banks’ in the South African economy.    Guest: Palesa Lengolo - Absa Group Savings Product manager  

Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), led by the dedicated legal team of Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), has approached the Pretoria North High Court, on the matter of the Stilfontein Humanitarian Crises, to be heard today, 20 December 2024, on an urgent basis.  Guest: Sabelo Mnguni, Mining Affected Communities United in Action's national administrator. 

  Guest: Leon Basson - Water and Sanitation Committee Chairperson in Parliament