The National Pulse

As the holiday season is upon us, we are joined by Reuben Ruiters, Head of Gauteng’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) who will tell us more about the province’s state of readiness as they aim to ensure the uninterrupted provision of healthcare services during the festive season.   GUEST: colin Erakkiah - operation manager at EMS

A French court has sentenced a former Rwandan doctor to 24 years in prison for his role in the 1994 genocide that killed more than 800 000 people. Munyemana fled to France in late 1994 and was arrested in 2007 after Rwanda issued an international warrant for his arrest. The court found that Munyemana, who was a gynaecologist in Rwanda, helped write a letter for the then interim government that orc...

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) has started adjudicating R6.43 billion worth of tenders which will be awarded early in 2024 and provide a welcome boost to the construction industry. 77 tenders for various road construction projects officially closed on 14 December 2023 after they were advertised at the end of November 2023 under the roads agency’s Interim Preferential Proc...

To make meaningful progress in the fight against hunger and malnutrition among South African children during the holiday season, KFC's Add Hope programme and Gift of the Givers have partnered to launch the Add Hope Festive campaign, which has so far raised R 5 572 780 in R2 donations thanks to the generosity of South Africans. guest: Imtiaz Sooliman  Guest: Andra Nel, KFC Marketing Manager: Brand...

Earlier today, the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) briefed the media following an announcement made by former president Jacob Zuma over the weekend that he will not campaign for the African National Congress (ANC) in the upcoming general elections but will instead vote for a newly formed uMkhonto Wesizwe political party. To share more about their reflection...

Former U.S. President Donald Trump will not appear on the primary ballot in the state of Colorado. This after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Trump’s role in the 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, during which his supporters disrupted the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win, disqualifies him from holding the presidency. So what does this mean for his politi...

As the bail application of 21-year-old murder and rape accused Bafana Mahungela continues in the Alexandra Magistrate’s court in Johannesburg. We hear from Ulrich Roux about what he makes of the proceedings so far. At stake here, attorneys defending Mahungela are trying to prevent injustice – but are they going about it the right way? We find out from…..   GUEST: Ulrich Roux, who is the founder an...

Former Statistician-General Dr Pali Lehohla is of the view that next year’s national and provincial elections should be postponed, given numerous challenges that our country has had to deal with in the past decade or so. Lehohla says we need to hold serious talks aimed at providing strategic direction about the future of this country. He joins us now to elaborate further on this……   GUEST: Dr Pali...

As we continue with our DRC election coverage, let’s now speak to Charles Nyuykonge who is going to share his thoughts on the political dynamics in the country and he will also help us understand as to what informs the recent tensions between Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo. On Saturday, the DR Congo recalled its ambassador from Kenya amid deepening tension between the two countries fol...

The National Lotteries Commission has been through a difficult year, particularly after the corruption scandal surrounding the grant beneficiaries which triggered investigations leading to the resignation of board members. Given the challenges faced by the Commission this year, our next guests will provide insights into the proactive steps taken towards rebuilding trust ahead of its 25th anniversa...

Botswana has been receiving bids from investors on the Trans-Kalahari Railway project. These bids eminate from China, the United Emerites, Qatar and India. This is in light of the recent logistic crisis at the Port of Durban earlier in the month and the waiting periods to ship goods being up to two weeks. The 1 5000-kilometre line will start in Gaborone and go through the Kalahari desert into Goba...

Twelve of the more than two-thousand workers who've embarked on sit-in at the Impala Bafokeng Platinum mine in Rustenburg in the North West - have resurfaced from underground. Some of them are reported to have chronic medical conditions. The sit-in protest which began yesterday has since brought operations at the mine to a standstill. The workers are frustrated over issues including employee share...

Today, the Minister of Police Bheki Cele is leading the Festive Season Inspection Roadshow in Gauteng. The initiative is to support provincial operations and ensure the safety of residents during the holiday season. To tell us more about this, we are joined by... Guest: Lirandzu Themba - Spokesperson for the Minister of Police 

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has won a third term with 89.6 percent of the vote. His victory comes despite a painful economic crisis and heightened regional tensions sparked by the Israel-Hamas war in neighbouring Gaza. It is also important to mention that not everyone was pleased about al-Sisi’s landslide victory as critics dismissed the vote as a theatre amid a far-reaching crackdown o...

Pope Francis has given Catholic priests approval to bless same-sex couples. For some this didn’t come as a surprise, you may recall that in July this year, Pope Francis told the Associated Press that laws criminalizing homosexuality were unfair, also adding that "we are all children of God, and God loves us as we are.” The Pope’s latest announcement is seen as a historic move that could lead to mo...

Twenty one-year-old student Bafana Mahungela is appearing in the Alexandra Magistrate's Court, north of the city. Charges against him include pre-meditated murder, rape and aggravated robbery. Thirty four-year-old Kirsten Kluyts who was an English teacher from Delta Park High school was attacked in October while taking part in a local sporting event. She was pregnant at the time of the attack. The...

According to Statistics South Africa, over 1500 businesses have closed their doors in 2023 (January - November). While the percentage of businesses who entered liquidations decreased in the last quarter by 11,6% year-on-year; businesses in the personal services as well as catering and accommodation sectors were among the hardest hit. Given the challenges businesses face in the country, the closure...

Over 912,000 babies were born in the past year, this is according to data in the Recorded Live Births report compiled by the Department of Home Affairs birth registration. The busiest months for maternity wards are January, March and May. The report not only unpacks the health of mothers and their babies, it looks at the most popular names given to newborns. The most popular names for boys were Le...

Tensions between North Korea and South Korea continue to escalate following North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile launch that has a range to hit anywhere in the United States. On the other hand, the U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan has condemned the North Korean launch as a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban any ballistic activities by the North...

Gauteng Department of Education says late online applicants for Grades 1 and 8 have until January 31 to submit applications for placement in the 2024 academic year. However, the department has made it clear that only schools with space will take applications. To elaborate further on this, we are joined by…..   GUEST: Steve Mabona, Spokesperson for the Department of Education in Gauteng  

As we head towards the end of the year, graduates of medical schools wait for confirmation on which healthcare facility within government they will serve for the next 2 years as part of their community service internship. However, the Department of Health has faced challenges placing all the interns in public hospitals in the following fields: radiographers, physiotherapists, dietitians, dentists...

President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity as the president of the African National Congress has just concluded his press briefing with officials and organisations that support Palestine in relation to the ongoing war in the Middle East. SABC News International Editor GUEST: Sophie Mokoena, SABC News International Editor

What do you make of former president Jacob Zuma’s announcement that he will cast his ballot for the newly registered Umkhonto we Sizwe, despite remaining a member of the ANC? Will his decision hurt the ruling party in the upcoming elections? Joining us for this discussion is……. GUEST: Precious Lugayeni, Independent political analyst

Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast - Department of History and Political Studies at Nelson Mandela University: “

Thania Dhoogra, operations manager, N3 Toll Concession: “ N3 Toll Gate update