The National Pulse

We hear from Tshepo Mahlangu, Chairperson of the Lotus Gardens, Atteridgeville and Saulsville Civic Association (Lasca). This as the association is mobilizing residents of Tshwane to boycott the payment of their municipal rates. LASCA is accusing the City of Tshwane of refusing to meet them. However, the city insists that residents whose accounts are in arrears must settle their outstanding debt....

Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates have officially joined the BRICS bloc. BRICS controls about 40 percent of the world population and we understand that the membership of these newly joined countries will have a lot of impact in terms of international trade. But what exactly are these new members bringing in terms of politics and economic values? We find out from……   GUES...

As things are slowly getting back to normal. We hear from the Road Traffic Management Corporation about how things are in relation to road safety. This as they are concerned about Gauteng’s road safety crisis. According to them, the highest number of people killed on the roads during the festive season were pedestrians.   GUEST: Simon Zwane, Spokesperson of the Road Traffic Management Corporation...

As today marks the second day of the new year. The South African Union of Students says it has noted with perpetual irritation, the inability of the NSFAS to effectively fulfil their mandate to the poor in the administration of the scheme. They are also demanding that all students who have outstanding allowances from the previous academic year must be paid their entire outstanding balances before...

The high court in Pretoria has granted SARS persmission to install CCTV monitoring equipment at warehouses operated by tobacco manufacturers. This is aimed at curbing the illicit trade of tobacco products that resulted in a significant tax gap costing SARS and the fiscus approximately R8 billion. However, the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association - which represents 80 percent of licensed ciga...

Ethiopia has signed a historic agreement to use the main port in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland. The agreement will pave the way for Ethiopia to set up commercial marine operations, giving it access to a leased military base on the Red Sea. However, Somalia is against this deal and according to them, the agreement is null and void, and they are also of the view that it will put the regio...

Heavy rains continue to wreak havoc in KwaZulu-Natal as three more people have been killed while the search for one more person continues after a car was swept away in the Msunduzi River in Pietermaritzburg. According to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), a brief but intense rainstorm lasting about 15 minutes led to devastation to homes and infrastructure. To...

Following the death of South Africa’s legendary anti-apartheid press photographer Dr. Peter Magubane. We are now joined by Thulani Nzima, son of the late Sam Nzima, another great South African photographer who took what became the widely-circulated and influential image of Hector Pieterson for the 1976 Soweto uprising.   GUEST: Thulani Nzima, son of Sam Nzima

Yesterday, energy utility, Eskom announced that unit 5 of the Kusile Power Station Project has been synchronised to the national grid for the first time since it was damaged in October 2022. The unit will contribute an additional 800MW to the country’s power system which was never part of the Eskom’s grid capacity. So - could this be the turning point in the battle against load-shedding? We find o...

South Africa has filed an application instituting proceedings against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), concerning alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”) in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. However, Israel has rejected South Africa's launch of a genoc...

DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi has won a second term in office with a landslide victory. According to the electoral commission, Tshisekedi received more than 70% per cent of the votes cast on December 20, with second-placed candidate Moïse Katumbi on 18 per cent. During his campaign, Tshisekedi threatened to declare war with Rwanda if re-elected and I guess the question now is – will he kee...

Today we celebrate Cape Town’s KwaFaku-Vulindlela Reading Club for the wonderful work they are doing in uplifting the community of Philippi. The reading club aims to improve reading and writing among the youth in the heart of Philippi. The club is also giving children in the community a safe space to come together while improving their reading and writing skills. Joining us for this discussion is…...

Liquor traders pledge to usher in a New Year by trading responsibly and support government efforts to reduce alcohol related incidents. They have also committed to adhering to their licensing conditions, ensuring South Africans that they will discourage patrons who buy alcohol with an intent to drink and drive. For more on this, let’s speak to….. GUEST: Lucky Ntimane, Convenor of the National Liqu...

The V&A Waterfront has announced that its New Year's Eve fireworks display will go ahead as planned. This after it successfully appealed the City of Cape Town's decision to withdraw its noise exemption permit that it initially granted. In a statement, the Waterfront said that its night of entertainment would include the pyrotechnics display scheduled for midnight. Joining us to explain what co...

The Italian government has once again reported an increase in migrant arrivals on Italian coasts since Christmas Day. Some of you may recall that three months ago, the Italian government passed stricter laws aimed at curbing what the country calls ‘migration crisis’. Also, according to government data, this year alone, more than 127,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Italy, double the 2022...

Several police officers were arrested for various offences this month and their crimes include murder, attempted murder, rape, intimidation, kidnapping, business robbery and corruption. It is sad to note that these police officer were assigned to protect the citizens that they are accused of harassing. Joining us to share his thoughts on this, is….. GUEST: Andy Mashaile, Retired Interpol Ambassado...

As we continue with our Tourism Thursdays’ feature this festive season. Today we outline the objectives of "I Love Summer in Free State" campaign, which is a celebration of exploration, adventure, and unforgettable experiences set against the breathtaking backdrop of the province. GUEST: Kenny Dichabe, CEO: Free State Gambling Liquor and Tourism Authority

Dr Leaza Jernberg is an independent researcher and consultant in Geopolitics and international security

The decision came after he appeared at an event hosted by the newly formed Umkhonto WeSizwe Party.   PA deputy President, Cllr Kenny Kunene

Tributes continue to pour in for renowned playwright, singer and music composer Dr Mbongeni Ngema who died in a head-on collision whilst returning from attending a funeral in the Eastern Cape. Veteran actor Sello Maake kaNcube shared quotes from two poems in tribute to Ngema. He wrote on Instagram: "One short sleep past, we wake eternally, And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt Die." GUEST:...

The call by the Buffalo City Metro to allow local residents to host traditional events like imigdi before first obtaining permission has been criticized, with some community members complaining that it infringes on their cultural rights. So we have decided to invite the Buffalo City Metro spokesperson to come and explain how this bylaw works and the application process thereof. Guest: Samkelo Ngwe...

ITHUBA is urging winners of two Lotto draws to urgently come forward and claim their prizes before they expire. An amount of over five million has still not been claimed after it was won on 14 January this year by a player who bought their ticket in Brits in the North-West province and there is also an amount of just over three million that remains unclaimed after it was won in the Lotto draw in F...

The City of Cape Town deployed its largest ever festive tourism safety operation ahead of expected record-breaking visitor numbers to the Mother City this summer. This included a special deployment of Tourism Unit personnel to Table Mountain National Park and the CBD. The plan was launched on 8 November together with partners including the South African Police Services (SAPS), SANparks, CIDs, and...

The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected an attempt to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot based on the US Constitution’s "insurrectionist ban," The outcome contrasts with the recent ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court, which kicked Trump off its primary ballot.   GUEST: Prof John Stremlau, Honorary Professor of International Relations @Wits University

For more analysis on what this trade ban means for Apple and also to explain as to why was the ban imposed in the first place, we are joined by Brendon Peterson, who is Technology Editor of Reframed. The latest on the story is that yesterday, Apple filed an emergency request for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to halt the ban.