The National Pulse

The Department of Transport is embarking on an ambitious national project to repair potholes across South Africa (SA). The launch is set to take place in Vereeniging on Monday. Operation Vala Zonke is part of a 16-month campaign, focusing on provincial and municipal roads. The project will be spearheaded by South African National Roads Agency (Sanral), which is expected to work with provincial and...

US Secretary of state Antony Blinken has embarked on a five nation tour of Cambodia, the Philippines, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Blinken began his three-nation tour of Africa Sunday by visiting the Hector Petersen museum in Soweto. Today he met with international relations minister Naledi Pandor. Guest: SABC International reporter Khayalihle Khumalo to find out more...

American WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison after being convicted on drug charges by a Moscow court Thursday. Griner was detained at Moscow Airport in February after Russian authorities found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage . US officials swiftly condemned the decision, expressing that the detention is being used to advance Russia's agenda in the U...

The community of Bekkersdal, West of Johannesburg undertook a protest action against illegal miners and crime, this follows the Kagiso protests, where community members took the law into their own hands while demonstrating against illegal miners yesterday. We interrogate the chances and dangers of these protests spreading across the country, given the recent and active community movements such as...

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the closing of the Presidential Social Sector Summit in Boksburg today, highlighting the importance of civil society in addressing some of South Africa’s issues. The aim of the summit was to address socio-economic challenges such as high unemployment and increasing poverty levels. Commissions on the sidelines of the summit have called for a well-resourced and ca...

Learners at Hluvukani Primary school at Xanthia village, Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga are said to have not attended classes since March because the school has only seven mobile classrooms, following the burning of several classrooms at the school early this year.  The learners are said to be coming to school every day just to play, parents have raised concerns regarding what would happen to their c...

we discuss the operation of extortion networks in Cape Town. The area has been marred by mass murders throughout the year, some of which have been linked to extortion networks. Yesterday, Eskom withdrew services in Khayelitsha after its technicians were threatened and asked to pay a protection fee if they want to operate in the area. The extortion networks have built a parallel security and justic...

A victory for Denel workers. They are breathing a sigh of relief as the company has managed to pay them after months of not being paid. The first payments were made last week Friday and the second payments will be fully paid by end of the week. Solidarity represented about 2000 of the workers

The QuadPara Association of South Africa is appealing to the government and Eskom to rethink their approach to load shedding. The NPO, which advocates for the rights of quadriplegics and paraplegics in the country, says that electricity is needed for a range of assistive devices that are essential to people with disabilities, from charging a power wheelchair to running a pressure-care mattress or...

Seven opposition parties have decided to hold President Cyril Ramaphosa accountable over the Phala Phala scandal. They held a meeting on Wednesday and unanimously to challenge the concealment of the president’s responses to the public protector. They also express dissatisfaction with how the speaker of parliament has handled the issue. So what will they be doing? We are now joined by UDM leader, G...

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has confirmed that a person died of Guillain-Barré syndrome that was causally linked to receiving the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, following a prolonged hospital stay.  Guillain-Barré syndrome has been identified before as a possible side-effect of the vaccine and as a post-infection complication of Covid-19.  Guest: Dr Mvuyisi Mzuk...

Kagiso Township residents took to the streets early this morning blocking entrances and exit routes in the township. The protestors also demolished and burnt dwelling structures believed to belong to the Zama Zamas in the area. Residents have been hunting down the Zama Zamas since early this morning, in an operation that rapidly escalated, leaving one person dead.

The Russian Federation says the tension over Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan shouldn't be underestimated. The Kremlin says it supports the One China principle and respects the sovereignty of China. Russia described the visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan as “purely provocative,” expressing solidarity with China and accusing the United States of choosing “the path of confrontation” in the...

Residents of Tembisa in Ekhuruleni took to the streets this week in a destructive protest against what they say is against exorbitant electricity prices,  electricity cuts and taxi fare hikes. The protest has resulted in several cars and buildings, including a community centre being set alight, leaving four people dead. Gauteng Gogta MEC Lebogang Maile and Ekhuruleni Mayor Tania Campbell have met...

The impeachment inquiry into suspended Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane continued today. The inquiry heard that Mkhwebane never harassed staff members in her office, but instead, she was tough because she wanted to clear the backlog on investigations. This was shared by Executive Manager Futana Tebele. Tebele was refuting claims made by some of the previous witnesses who gave testimon...

The Constitutional Court has declined that the barring of foreign nationals from being admitted to legal profession is not unconstitutional. The outcome follows a group of foreign nationals, who were fighting to be admitted and enrolled as legal practitioners in South Africa.   Guest: Professor Karthy Govender, Constitutional Law Expert.

What are some of the issues with the plan to construct a gas to power plan by Eskom in Richards Bay? The High Court in Pretoria has reserved judgment in a challenge against the plan. Civil society organisations, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance and groundWork argue there are many loopholes in the power utility’s 3000MW proposed power plant that it wants to construct in the area. The o...

Leaders of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa say their national leadership is interfering in the region’s affairs. They also say they are being targeted for their stance on the recent congress that they want invalidated. The trade union held its 11th congress last month despite attempts to stop it. The Western Cape region is one of two regions that staged a walk out during the con...

Suspects arrested following the gang rape of eight women in Krugersdorp’s West Village have been appearing individually before the Krugersdorp Magistrate Court. The suspects were arrested on charges related to being in the country illegally, and understood that more charges will be added pending the outcome of DNA testing. Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela has stated that...

Residents of Tembisa in Ekhuruleni took to the streets this week in a destructive protest against what they say is against exorbitant electricity prices,  electricity cuts and taxi fare hikes. The protest has resulted in several cars and buildings, including a community centre being set alight, leaving four people dead. Gauteng Gogta MEC Lebogang Maile and Ekhuruleni Mayor Tania Campbell have met...

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has since left Taiwan after a one-day visit that has infuriated China. Pelosi met President Tsai Ing-wen and members of Taiwan’s parliament, assuring them of continued US support for the self-ruled island. The Chinese armed forces have since responded by a “targeted military operation” in the north, south-west and south-east of the island. Following the defiance of Pe...

The socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa has temporarily shut down its operations. The organisation is accusing The City of Johannesburg’s MMC for Economic Development, Nkululeko Mbundu of inciting violence against its employees. It says photographs of its employees were shared online and people were encouraged to follow them home. This was after it settled a case against the removal of...

Police are investigating a case of murder after a student from the Mangosuthu University of Technology was killed, allegedly by her boyfriend on Sunday. 23 year old Xolile Mbatha was stabbed in front of her roommate at one of the university’s residences. Acting vice chancellor, Professor Marcus Ramogale announced Mbatha’s death earlier today, asking for men on campus to stand up against gender bas...

Eskom has temporarily withdrawn services from Tembisa due to protests that started on Sunday. The power utility says it will wait until it is safe for its employees to operate in the area. Resident clashed with police yesterday, leading to the deaths of four people. Parts of the area remain without electricity after a sub-station in the area was set alight. We are now joined by Eskom’s spokesperso...

Guest: General Elias Mawela, Gauteng Police Commissioner