The National Briefing

Guest: Adv. Stephanie Fick, Executive Director of the Accountability Division at Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) The NPA has lost the “State Capture blueprint” Nulane case. The decision means that people like Iqbal Sharma who were accused of corruption are being released        

Guest: Adv. Sipho Mantula from Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International: UNISA Africa Update Report: 24 April 2023; 1. Sudan - Khartoum, Pope Francis calls for warring factions in Sudan to begin dialogue as several countries have started with evacuation and repatriation operation; 2.Uganda - Kampala, President Yoweri Museveni conditionally backs controversial anti-gay laws with few a...

Guest: Nonkululeko Mntambo, Defend Our Democracy spokesperson Defend Our Democracy disappointed that the NPA has lost the “State Capture blueprint” Nulane case. The decision means that people like Iqbal Sharma who were accused of corruption are being released    

Guest: Dr Asad el Malik, Project Manager: African Centre for the Study of the United States: Wits University The US supreme court granted an order that allows pregnant women to continue using a drug called mifepristone to induce an abortion - but limited the time under which they can use it.        

Guest: Sello Hatang, Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO The Supreme Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling by the equality court that essentially bans what is described as the gratuitous display of the old apartheid flag.  

Guest: Lebogang Nare, The Association of Private Security Owners of South Africa (TAPSOSA) Deputy President  The Security Industry yesterday held a press conference about G4S’s involvement in the alleged escape plot of Thabo Bester.    

Guest: Dr. Jako Volschenk, Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Sustainability at Stellenbosch Business School  Behavioural science can save us from mass extinction.          

People’s Mediated

Guest: Xolani Shange, Secretary for KZN Nutrition Business Forum About the five thousand schools in KZN that did not receive food under the school nutrition programme - hundreds of thousands of children didn’t get food to eat.    

Guest: Claudine Ribeiro, Director for Johannesburg Parent & Child Counselling Centre

Several NGOs say they are not going to be able to offer services to help people living with disabilities and helping people suffering from substance abuse and other problems because the Gauteng Department of Social Development has cut the money it’s giving them.   Guest: Mbali Hlophe - Gauteng MEC for Social Development            

Guest: Hennie Van Vuuren, director of Open Secrets The Eastern Cape Provincial Government confirmed that President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has landed in the Eastern Cape, on a runway he paid for. This is after the UAE denied our request for the extradition of the Guptas.        

Guest: Phanuel Shuma – SABC Reporter in Tshwane There is a heavy Police presence in Pretoria are evicting refugees who have been camping outside the UN offices      

Guest: Adv. Sipho Mantula from Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International: UNISA Afrika Update Report: 21 April 2023; 1. Sudan - Khartoum, Diplomatic pressure is being stepped by international bodies up to end the conflict as RSF agrees to 72- hour truce on humanitarian ground to mark with Eid al-Fitr  and Kenyan President William Ruto concerned about the conflict threatening the regio...

Guest: Dr Duncan Pieterse - Deputy Director General for Asset Liability Management Department of Treasury Parliament has been considering the bill that will see the national treasury paying back around two hundred and fifty billion rand of Eskom’s debt - which is currently around four hundred billion rand    

Guest: Koffi Kouakou, Senior lecturer on scenario planning at Wits University in Johannesburg and Africa analyst In France protestors have now stormed the offices of the operator of their stock exchange called Euronext - as part of their demonstrations against the decision to increase the retirement age from sixty-two to sixty-four        

Guest: Jabu Mbalula, ANC Free State Spokesperson The Bloemfontein High Court vindicates the ANC that the election of the Mangaung Mayor Papi Mokoena was unlawful    

Guest: Lebelo Maloka: Chief Director for Transport Operations: Department of Transport and Logistics The Department of Transport and Logistics met with the minibus taxi industry and the agenda was the modernisation, corporatisation and ending of violence    

Guest: Derek Hanekom, Interim Chairman of the SAA board There’s been a series of developments around SAA this week - two days ago a new board was appointed - with Derek Hanekom as its Interim Chair.      

Guest: Lebelo Maloka: Chief Director for Transport Operations: Department of Transport and Logistics The Department of Transport and Logistics met with the minibus taxi industry and the agenda was the modernisation, corporatisation and ending of violence    

Guest: John Loos, Property Economist at First National Bank Guest: Mitesh Bhawan, MD of Broll Property Group's Energy, Water & Sustainability Guest: Herschel Jawitz, Jawitz Properties CEO Mediated Conversation: there is now evidence that property owners are ditching Gauteng for Western Cape where ‘returns are better’    

  Guest: Derek Hanekom, Interim Chairman of the SAA board There’s been a series of developments around SAA this week - two days ago a new board was appointed - with Derek Hanekom as its Interim Chair.          

Guest: Foster Mohale, Health Department Spokesperson The Health Department has now confirmed it’s spent around seven hundred million rand keeping generators going for hospitals during load shedding  

Guest; Adv. Sipho Mantula from Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International: UNISA   Afrika Update Report: 20 April 2023; 1. North Sudan - Khartoum, Day five as Sudanese army and Paramilitaries announced new 24- cease fire and South African government reiterates its appeal on the parties involved to re-engage and protect civilians ; 2. Tunisia -Tunis, Tunisian President Kais Saied has is...

Guest: Kaizer Kganyago - Special Investigative Unit Spokesperson The Special Investigative Unit preliminary investigations show that more than R5 Billion NSFAS funds was possibly assigned to students who did not qualify for funding.