The National Pulse

Ricardo McKenzie, MEC of Mobility in Western Cape: “

Thembisa Fakude - Senior Research Fellow at Africa Asia Dialogues

The President shared his concern surrounding the levels of fitness in policing considering the work they must do as first responders in communities. To help us unpack the monitoring of police fitness, we are joined by… Guest: Mike Bolhuis - Independent Crime Analyst

The recent accomplishments in rugby and cricket have not only brought glory to South Africa on the sports stage but have also opened up exciting opportunities for tourism and economic growth. Our guest, Thandiwe Mathibela helps us explore these connections as she will also unpack the multifaced impact of sports on the nation’s brand and its tourism industry.   GUEST: Thandiwe Mathibela, General Ma...

Choreographer and presenter Somizi Mhlongo has apologised to the late Bulelwa 'Zahara' Mkutukana for not being there when she needed him the most and has also reminded South Africans that making silly jokes is inappropriate when one is going through difficult times. Let’s now speak to Zahara’s friend who attended her memorial service that took place at the Rhema Bible Church in Randburg, north of...

We have been running a series of conversations surrounding the latest report emerging from the Public Service Commission surrounding non-compliance and payment of invoices to suppliers within 30 days. Earlier this week, the spokesperson for the Gauteng Premier, Sizwe Pamla said that the Premier would challenge the findings of the report citing that the estimated invoices and cost of those outstand...

A Zimbabwean delegation is in South Africa for a four-day visit to benchmark how Pretoria managed to establish a single Border Management Authority. The visit comes days after the two countries engaged in a public spat after South Africa announced that it had intercepted over 400 children who were being trafficked from Zimbabwe. Harare is also working on a bill which, once enacted by parliament, w...

Earlier on today, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) released its 2023 South African Reconciliation Barometer survey report. The results show that 81% of South Africans agree that national leaders are not concerned about what happens to ordinary people and 79%  believe that leadership cannot be trusted to do the right thing. This is very worrying, considering the fact that the high...

There is a growing trend of people turning to technology to resurrect their deceased loved ones in China. According to several reports, the process of digitally resurrecting the dead involves collecting vast amounts of data about the deceased individual, including photos, videos, voice recordings, and written materials. This data is then fed into an AI system that uses deep learning algorithms to...

ANC veteran Mavuso Msimang has withdrawn his resignation from the party after meeting with the party’s Secretary General Fikile Mbalula. According to the ANC, Mbalula regrets that he made comments that impugned the integrity of Msimang after he suggested that Msimang “was vulnerable to taking a bribe from a newly established political formation ‘Change Starts Now’ that was recently launched by Rog...

President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to appeal the North Gauteng High Court's decision to set aside the certification of King Misuzulu kaZwelithini as the head of Zulu monarch. In a press statement, "the President has called on all members of the Royal family to continue working for the interest of His Majesty's subjects". What are the implications of this decision on the investigative committee? To t...

COSATU in the Western Cape is calling on Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi to enforce the ban on the transportation of farmworkers on trucks. This follows a horrific and fatal accident  which claimed the lives of three farmworkers   and 70 others injured near Philadelphia on Tuesday. Guest: The Provincial Secretary of COSATU,  Malvern De Bruyn

Once again, we tell you more about MTN SA’s new fibre offering that was launched not so long ago. According to Bertus Van der Vyver, MTN Fibre is redefining the way their customers connect and communicate in an increasingly digitised world. GUEST: Bertus Van der Vyver, MTN SA GM: Residential  

The Public Servants Association condemns the Limpopo Department of Health’s failure to approve R3.9 million overtime payments to more than 900 employees, including nurses and pharmacists. The Employees were requested to work overtime, which exceeded 30% of their monthly basic salaries, owing to service-delivery demands and noting that the Department has a severe staff shortage.   Guest: John Teffo...

The Ministry of Human Settlements is currently hosting a two-day affordable housing forum with the Republic of Kenya. The Forum is part of the bilateral relations agreement signed last year. The Forum brings together industry leaders and government to exchange their expertise on the challenges facing the nations on affordable housing and opportunities to develop sustainable public-private solution...

Countries attending COP28 in Dubai have reached a breakthrough climate agreement that will see them transitioning from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner. We understand that it is the first time a global climate deal has specifically called to curb the use of fossil fuels. Joining us to explain what this agreement entails is…. GUEST (Dubai): Thando Lukoko, National Node Coordinat...

Members of Parliament in the UK have voted in favour of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing as some Conservative hard-liners who are opposed to the bill in its current form, argue that the policy does not ensure that people who arrive in the UK without permission can be deported, as it would allow them to challenge their expulsi...

The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements has demolished over 200 shacks that were built on illegally invaded land in Palm Ridge. In December last year, the invaders took occupation of the department’s serviced stands that were meant for its Ikageleng Rapid Land Release Programme. According to the department, the invaders also illegally connected themselves to electricity, water and the sewer sy...

Tributes continue to pour in for Bulelwa Mkutukana, also known as Zahara who passed away last night at the age of 36. Online,  conversations swiftly moved back to how music deals are constructed, the role of record labels concerning advances, and how artists are often left with very little after the success of their albums. In this discussion, we wanted to unpack these dynamics with a guest who ha...

Accused, Zandile Mafe will not stand trial for his involvement in Parliament Fire that took place on 2 January 2022. While the Western Cape High Court ruled he is not fit to do so due to the psychiatric report findings, Zandile Mafe has to undergo this process twice at different facilities.  Today, we wanted to have a conversation about what constitutes mental fitness to stand trial and what psych...

Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced the commissioning of a 2500 Megawatt nuclear project to boost the generation capacity of the state-owned enterprise, Eskom. In a media briefing held earlier today, Ramokgopa outlined that his ministry had met all the requirements of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to proceed with opening a bid. Let's listen in on why the Minist...

In a breathtaking gesture of loyalty and affection, Godfrey Maboi and Paulinah Mogale exchanged vows in a wedding ceremony in Far East Rand Hospital. They said their 'I dos' after 28 years in their relationship in the presence of their family members and the hospital staff.  Guest: Couple, Godfrey Maboi and Paulinah Mogale  

Our next guest has moved from civil society into politics because he believes that leaders in business and civil society need to move closer to electoral politics given the challenges the country faces. A new political movement was launched this past weekend called Change SA Now and it aims to build a coalition of like-minded organizations. The new movement boasts members such as Roger Jardine (fo...

We look at the City of Cape Town’s new outdoor advertising and signage bylaw that has been met with mixed reaction. According to Suzette Little from the GOOD party, the new by-law makes it illegal for members of the public to display Palestinian flags and signs.   GUEST: Suzette Little, GOOD Party caucus leader in the City of Cape Town