The National Pulse

We look at the U.S-China balloon wars. This after Beijing revealed this afternoon that since last year, US balloons have illegally flown above China more than 10 times without any approval from Chinese authorities. On Friday and Saturday last week, the U.S shot down flying objects over North American airspace and we understand that the country has been on high alert since its military destroyed a...

Following Randall Williams resignation as the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane. DA’s Gauteng provincial leader, Solly Msimanga has praised Williams for his work in putting the needs of the residents first in an often turbulent political environment. Stating his reasons for his sudden resignation, Williams said that he did not want the “political instability that has taken place in Johannesbu...

The ANC has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address. It says Ramaphosa’s announcement that he will appoint a minister of electricity in the presidency shows commitment towards solving South Africa’s energy crisis and a sign of a president who listens. Details on what the department’s mandate will be and how it will work with already existing departments will be shared in t...

Roads, bridges and houses are submerged in various parts of eHlanzeni District Municipality due to the persistent rain. Local authorities in Mpumalanga convened a meeting today to devise a response plan as the situation deteriorates.     GUEST: Ranias Khumalo, Speaker of eHlanzeni District Municipality  

We celebrate the Grammy award winners Zakes Bantwini, Wouter Kellerman and Nomcebo Zikode. The three stars won the Grammy for Best Global Music Performance for their hit song Bayede and they have brought excitement and hope in the country.   GUESTS (Studio): Wouter Kellerman & Nomcebo Zikode  

Top ministers from Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso are calling for the lifting of their countries suspensions from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) and the African Union (AU). The ministers have also proposed a regional partnership to facilitate trade and tackle insecurity in the region. All three West African countries have experienced military takeovers since 2020.   GUEST: N...

It's all systems go for the State of the Nation Address tonight and South Africans are eagerly waiting for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address. As usual, we expect the address to be frank on challenges faced by the country and also to reflect on successes made by the administration since the last SONA. So as we countdown to tonight’s address, we ask – what has been achieved since last year’s SONA?...

Some great news for our very own here at the SABC. Metro FM Talk Host, Ayabonga Cawe has been appointed the Chief Commissioner at the International Trade Administration Commission. Cawe is not only a great radio presenter, but a development economist with extensive experience in in policy advocacy and research. He has worked on a variety of issues in the agriculture industry, rail and labour marke...

SONA BUILD UP: Amnesty International says President Cyril Ramaphosa continues to fail the nation on the delivery of basic human rights. Marike Keller, Researcher for Amnesty International South Africa joins us now to explain how multiple failures by the State, which includes loadshedding, are exacerbating the suffering of people across the country.     GUEST: Marike Keller, Researcher for Amnesty...

The department of education in Limpopo says a group of grade 12 learners at Sefogole Sepeke Secondary School in Tshehlwaneng village, allegedly damaged the school’s property, demanding a new agricultural sciences teacher. The matter has been reported to the police and investigations are currently underway to establish the facts.   GUEST: Mike Maringa, Spokesperson for the department of education i...

The IFP is calling on police minister, Bheki Cele to give clarity with regards to EFF leader, Julius Malema’s claims that he informed EFF Secretary General, Marshall Dlamini about a plan by IFP leaders to assassinate him after a fall-out with regards to coalition governance in KZN between the two political parties. The police refuted the claims, saying they do not discuss safety and security asses...

An Eastern Cape dairy farm may have to halt operations due to the impact of load-shedding on its production costs. The Ncora Dairy Trust Farm has about 4000 milking cows and employs about 100 people to produce milk products it supplies to supermarkets. In December alone, it recorded a production loss worth R2.7 million due to load-shedding. Some of its equipment has been damaged by power outages....

The Constitutional Court has ruled hat the COVID-19 Tourism Relief Fund that favoured black-owned businesses was unlawful. Afriforum and Solidarity had taken the department of Tourism to court to fight against the use of black economic empowerment as criteria for the allocation of funds in the tourism sector. The Department of Tourism  introduced the Tourism Equity Fund as an institution that woul...

Some children are still not able to start their academic year in the Eastern Cape due to damaged infrastructure. Vandals wreaked havoc in some schools and stole equipment, making it impossible for them to reopen at the beginning of the year. SABC News reporter, Abongile Jantjies visited some schools in East London 

The Green Connection says South Africa does not need more fossil fuels – this as they are staging pickets in Cape Town and Nelson Mandela Bay today against TotalEnergies plans to launch operations in South Africa.   GUEST: Lisa Makaula, from the Green Connection  

Tomorrow evening President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the State of the Nation Address. Making government work was one of the key commitments in last year’s SONA – but what made last year’s speech difficult was the ravaging effects of four Covid-19 waves on lives, livelihoods and the economy. So given the fact that the pace of economic reforms remains slow and the constant power cuts are having a...

The death toll from the devastating earthquake in Turkiye and Syria continues to rise as several reports suggest that at least 11 000 people have died. Earlier today, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan visited southern Turkey to see first-hand the destruction brought by a massive earthquake. GUEST: Peroshni Govender, International journalist

The Public Servants Association of South Africa has been picketing outside the Prince Mshiyeni Hospital in Kwazulu-Natal. The hospital has been without water for two days after a water pipe that feeds into the hospital burst. The reservoirs it uses for water emergencies are also without water. Some patients are being diverted to neighbouring hospitals. We are now joined by Mlungisi Ndlovu, PSA Gen...

The South African police service has denied allegations by the EFF that it informed the party about an assassination plot on its Secretary General, Marshall Dlamini after a fall out with the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal. Following our interview with the police earlier, EFF Leader, Julius Malema has responded and says Dlamini got a call from Police Minister, Bheki Cele informing him about a threat on his l...

A software engineer from the Eastern Cape has created an app to help taxi commuters with that complicated fare change mathematics that has everyone avoiding the front seat. CaraCara App has been created to simplify money counting during the commute, to ease pressure on front seat passenger who end up with the responsibility of counting money and giving people their change. It has a built in calcul...

There are only three days worth of blood supply on out blood stocks. That is two days below what is considered a safe reserve amount of blood. The South African National Blood Service has a shortage of blood and is calling on South Africans to donate blood after experiencing high demand for blood from hospitals. It says it will be running blood drives across the country throughout the week and dur...

The United National Transport Union (UNTU) says it plans to take the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) to task over delays in the payment of the 2021 salary increases. This announcement by UNTU comes after the Labour Court ordered the state-owned entity to honour the first portion of a three-year wage agreement. However, PRASA missed the deadline on Friday. To tell us about the union's...

The Gauteng Education Department has deployed psychologists to two schools marred by violence in the East and West Rand. This after a man was shot dead at  Kagiso Secondary School  when he attacked a teacher on Friday. While in the East a grade 10 learner from fatal  Geluksdal Secondary School  in Brakpan was fatally stabbed, we speak more on this with… GUEST: STEVE MABONA - GAUTENG EDUCATION SPOK...

The South African Police Service is denying allegations made by the EFF in a statement earlier today. In the statement, that party alleges it was informed by police about an assassination plot on its Secretary, Marshall Dlamini. This is at the back of a fallout on coalition governance between the EFF and IFP in KZN. SAPS says it know nothing about it. We’re now joined by South African Police Servi...

The Turkish government has confirmed that more than 5000 people had been killed with thousands more injured in Monday's deadly series of earthquakes. While rescue efforts continue, it is not known how many South Africans have been affected. We find out more about the latest developments with... GUEST: Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba – South Africa’s Ambassador to Turkey