The National Briefing

  The Morning Brief   Afrika Update Report   12 December 2024  1. Sudan – North Darfur  At least 175 people killed, dozens injured in separate strikes in Sudan  At least 175 people have been reported dead and dozens injured after a series of airstrikes hit Sudan's capital this week.  The attack has been linked to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who...

Despite striking off as not urgent an application by a school governing body (SGB), compelling the Gauteng department of education (GDE) to release the report into alleged racism at the Pretoria High School for Girls, the High Court in Pretoria yesterday found “no logic” in the GDE withholding the information.  Guest:  Dems Nel – Section head for Legal Services at South...

THE South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) believes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to postpone the implementation of the two contentious sections of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act was purely for political expediency, based solely on the objections of the Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and her political party, the DA.  Guest: Nomusa Cembi – SA...

  Guest: Guy Leitch - aviation expert and SA Flyer magazine editor 

PRISA President argues that communication and messaging about UN sustainabile development goals and SA’s G20 Presidency should be unpacked for ease of consumption even by grassroots communities.  Also yesterday, The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ronald Lamola, received the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr António Guterres, for a Courtesy Call....

  Guest: Mr Velenkosini Hlabisa: Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs ( Cogta)  

  Guest: Donald MacKay is founder and chief executive of XA Global Trade Advisors 

    Guest: Kirby Gordon - FlySafair spokesperson

Tokyo will implement a four-day workweek for government employees next year to encourage young people to get married and start families. Sociologists have blamed Japan’s plunging birth rates on the high cost of living and grueling work culture.  Guest: Tom Moultrie is professor of demography, and Director of the Centre for Actuarial Research (CARe) at the University of Cape Town 

Elite South African schools will breach new thresholds in 2025, with nine day schools charging more than R200,000 annually and one boarding school surpassing R400,000. In the realm of high-end education, exclusive private schooling is the latest status symbol.  Guest: Andrew Thompson – Freelance Writer for Business Insider 

  Guest: Prof Thenjiwe Meyiwa, UNISA’s Vice Principal for Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation & Commercialisation; one of the authors of the report. 

A range of South Africans are setting up Trusts for various and personal reasons – often family-related and also for wealth creation purposes. Some Trusts were set up years ago. Some are new. SARS noted that people are not too clear on the tax requirements, particularly that the Trust must be registered with SARS for income tax after registering with the Master of the High Court, and file an...

  Guest: Kingsol Chabalala - DA's Gauteng spokesperson on arts and culture,  

  The Morning Brief   Afrika Update Report  11 December 2024   1. Namibia- Windhoek   Namibia’s opposition challenges election results  In a dramatic turn of events, Namibia’s post-election landscape took a contentious twist on Monday as the country’s main opposition party, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), lodged a legal chal...

Joburg Water is facing a critical infrastructure backlog estimated at R27bn, causing many neighbourhoods to suffer irregular water supply as the ageing water systems buckle under the strain of increasing demand and inadequate investment.  Guest: Ntshavheni Mukwevho – Joburg Water CEO 

  Guest: JP Smith - Mayco member for safety and security at the City of Cape Town 

    Guest: Mathew Parks- Cosatu Cosatu parliamentary coordinator 

  Guest: Desmond Latham - Aviation Expert 

  Guest: Steve Letsike : Deputy Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities 

  The Morning Brief   Afrika Update Report   10 December 2024   1. France – Rwanda   Charles Onana found guilty of contesting crimes against humanity  Charles Onana, a 60-year-old Franco-Cameroonian author, was found guilty by a Paris court on December 9 for “complicity in publicly contesting the existence of a crime against humanity&rd...

South African residents with rooftop solar systems who live in areas that receive municipal-supplied electricity could soon have to pay a surcharge on their systems to help improve municipal revenue generation. Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa revealed this in response to parliamentary questions from ANC MP Nombiselo Sompa-Masiu.    Guest: Wa...

It’s the festive season, families across South Africa are gearing up for joyous reunions and celebrations. However, the occasion also presents a challenge: managing alcohol consumption during these gatherings.  Guest: Melandri Bridges, a psychological counsellor at the Journey Recovery and Wellness Centre 

the growth of gambling being on the rise in SA, according to the latest set of statistics from the South African National Gambling Board. Gross gambling revenue totalled R59,3 billion in 2023/24, a 25,7% rise from the year before. This follows an increase of 37,0% in 2022/23.2  Guest: Peter Ucko CEO at TOBACCO ALCOHOL AND GAMBLING ADVISORY ADVOCACY AND ACTION GROUP 

This year will be the world's warmest since records began, with extraordinarily high temperatures expected to persist into at least the first few months of 2025, European Union scientists said on Monday.  Guest: Peter Johnston, climate scientist, UCT 

The Road Freight Association (RFA) has repeatedly noted the security conditions, as well as interrupted logistics operations, to the various authorities – who have done admirable things above and beyond their daily requirements to address the symptoms (or consequences) of what is happening across the border.    Guest: Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Road Freight Association