The National Pulse

The South African Medical Association says the NHI bill was developed without regard for recommendations from health experts, especially on issues like benefits and reimbursement models. The organisation says it does not support the bill in its current form and it will need to be amended before it can rally behind it. The parliamentary portfolio committee on health adopted the NHI bill on Friday a...

The North West is the latest province to confirm cholera cases and government monitors developments after it broke out in Hammanskraal last week. Laboratory results of two men from Madibeng and Moretele who presented symptoms came back positive. Residents who experience symptoms are being urged to report to health facilities as soon as possible to get treatment. Foster Mohale.

Police minister, Bheki Cele has raised concern about the increase in cash-in-transit robberies, violent crimes as well as vigilantism. Cele was presenting the crime statistics for the period between January and March 2023. There was a 20.8% increase in cash-in-transit robberies, with Gauteng leading all provinces. Murder is also up,  6200 people were murdered between January and March, a 3.8% incr...

World News: What will it take to end the war in Ukraine? Kyiv says Russia must withdraw all military forces from the territory of Ukraine, arguing that this will assist to navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace. However, Russia is of the view that the conflict is likely to drag on for years as long as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in charge. GUEST (RUSSIA): Andrey Kortunov,...

Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has signed the anti-homosexuality bill into law. Lawmakers in the country said they proposed the bill to protect national culture and values. Uganda officially joins countries with some of harshest laws against homosexuality. We are now joined by Matuba Mahlatjie, Communications and media relations manager at Outright International.

Is Whatsapp formalising its platform and joining other video calling platforms like Teams and Zoom? The app now wants to introduce usernames as well as screen sharing to allow its users to share content on their screens with people they are in a call with. The company says this is an effort to increase productivity. It will also allow a username functionality that will allow users to log into thei...

A joint study by the Department of Basic Education and Unicef reveals that more than 40% of South African households have no books. The study looks at how caregivers engage in play-based learning with their children from birth to six years old. 58% of the caregivers said they do have books at home, however, only 32% used them regularly. This comes just weeks after  ‘Progress in International Readi...

A new Afrobarometer survey indicates that most South Africans want Eskom to be privatised to ensure an effective supply of electricity in the country. Also another interesting thing about the findings of the survey is that electricity ranks third among the most important problems that South Africans want their government to address. Joining us to unpack the outcomes of the survey is …. GUEST: Pres...

The NPA has welcomed the denial of bail by Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi to Senohe Matsoara, Teboho Lipholo, Motanyane Masukela and Tieho Makhotsa in the Thabo Bester escape matter that was heard at the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court earlier today. Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi says he is convinced that there is prima facie case against the accused. For more on this, we are now joined by…..   GUEST: Ph...

What next for Turkiye after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won reelection on Sunday. Erdogan defeated his main challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a runoff vote that posed the biggest challenge to his 20-year rule. After securing a historic third term as the President of Turkiye, Erdogan promised to ease economic difficulties and called for unity and solidarity moving forward. He also pledged to incr...

Agapanthus ‘Black-Jack,’ bred by Andy de Wet and Quinton Bean has been recognised as this year’s Plant of the Year at Chelsea Flower Show that is currently underway in the United Kingdom. Both de Wet and Bean have spent years nurturing selected agapanthus varieties to produce this special plant. The plant has beaten 17 other species in this year's competition. But what makes a particular plant cha...

Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu says the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal could have been avoided, especially considering how long ago the warning around the water crisis in the area was issued. Mchunu was giving an update on the Rooiwal Waste Water Plant. The city of Tshwane has presented a proposal on how to fund the water plant, however, it will need approval from other departments....

The North West department of health is investigating an incident in which new born babies at the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital were placed in boxes instead of cribs. A preliminary investigation reveals this happened on Sunday and the incident was not included in the weekly report. Arrangements to send additional crib beds and incubators are underway to avoid a repeat of the incident. We’re now join...

Earlier on today, the Presidency released a statement, explaining that President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a proclamation that transfers to the Minister of Electricity certain powers and functions entrusted by the Electricity Regulation Act. The proclamation will provide the Minister of Electricity with the powers necessary to direct the procurement of new generation capacity and ensure security...

What now, after the arrest of Rwandan genocide suspect, Fulgence Kayishema – will his arrest improve relations between South Africa and Rwanda? We pose this question as some of you may recall that Rwanda at some point accused South Africa of protecting criminals who wanted to oust Paul Kagame. Kayishema, who is said to have been on the run for more than two decades, was apprehended in Paarl yester...

On Sunday, voters in Turkiye will once again have another opportunity to decide as to who should lead their country in the next five years. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will face opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the runoff as there was no outright winner in the presidential election first round, held on May 14. So who is likely to emerge victorious this time around? For more on...

There is this famous adage that most of you are probably familiar with that says ‘when America sneezes the world catches a cold’. This is largely because America plays a huge role on global financial markets, which is why the rest of the world pays such close attention to developments there. Which is also why this time around we are all concerned that should the U.S fail to fulfil its payment obli...

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Sihle Zikalala has presented his budget vote before parliament yesterday, highlighting government’s budget priorities on infrastructure in the country. He says his department will robustly coordinate the provision of a social facilitation framework to mitigate against community unrests which delay construction projects. The department has made special emph...

Tributes continue to pour in for Tina Turner, the rock 'n' roll icon who passed away at 83. In a career spanning over 50 years, Turner won eight competitive Grammy Awards and has a star on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the St Louis Walk of Fame. She was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016 and received a kidney transplant in 2017. Joining us to help us remember some of her finest moments...

Five hospitals in Limpopo are without water after angry residents from Phiphidi closed supply from the Nandoni Dam that supplies water to the region. The residents are protesting about wat5er scarcity in the area and lack of response from government. They say they have been dependent on smaller rivers and water tanks for water. We’re now joined by Limpopo health spokesperson, Neil Shikwambana.

A witness in the Enyobeni deaths case told the East London Magistrate’s court that a substance was sprayed prior to the tragedy that claimed 21 lives last year. The court also heard that the music continued playing while the children were dying. Owners of the tavern are facing charges of selling liquor to minors. We’re now joined by SABC News Reporter, Sidima Mfeku.

Celebrating the youngest CEO of a multimillion rand media company in SA: At 29 Zahir Minty is the newly appointed CEO of Afribiz Media

The Annual Consumer Price Inflation has eased to 6.8% in April from 7.1% in March. Stats SA data shows that while the CPI did ease in April,  it is still outside the South African Reserve Bank’s target of between 3% and 6%. Food and beverages remained the largest contributors to the CPI.  This is the lowest reading of the CPI since May 2022, when the rate was 6.5%. We’re now joined by Dr Azar Jamm...