The National Pulse

It seems like hard days lie ahead for the doctor who blew the whistle on the poor state of Gauteng's public hospital. Pediatrician at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Dr Tim de Maayer wrote an open letter last month and addressed it to Gauteng Health Department officials, painting a bleak picture of public hospitals in the province, asking if they would take their children to these hosp...

A man has been arrested and a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and pointing of a firearm has been opened. This is after a video of an old white man assaulting a 16 year old while holding a gun went viral on social media. It is alleged the man attacked the 16 year old after he intervened when he pointed a gun at older boys who asked to use salt he was using at a food outl...

The Khayelitsha Crisis Response Summit was held earlier today in the Western Cape. Police Minister Bheki Cele along with other community and law enforcement stakeholders were in attendance. The streets of Khayelitsha have become warzones, with several mass shootings taking place in recent months. Today, the summit heard that there were 26 victims of mass shootings in Khayelitsha since Ma...

Malnutrition rates across east and south-eastern Ethiopia have soared in recent months as drought, displacement and conflict take their toll with about 1-hundred-and-85-thousand children now estimated to be suffering from the most deadly form of malnutrition. Children are bearing the brunt of a harrowing and multifaceted crisis in Ethiopia. A prolonged, expanding, and debilitating drought is grind...

Auditor General Tsakani Maluleke says there is very little sign of things changing in the state of South African municipalities. Only 16% of the country's 257 municipalities received clean audits. So what will it take for South Africa to see some improvement in local governance?   Guest: Pranish Desai, Data Analyst at Good Governance Africa.  

Parliament has rejected the nomination of Reverend Frank Chikane for that post of inspector-general in the intelligence. Two thirds majority is required according to the Intelligence Services Act for a nomination to get approved. The Democratic Alliance as well as EFF opposed the nomination. Guest: Political Analyst, Professor Dirk Kotze

Following yesterday’s interview that we did with the Public Service Commission regarding the outcomes of their research study on the investigative analysis into the performance of the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights. Today we speak to the Chief Land Claims Commissioner, Nomfundo Ntloko-Gobodo and she will talk to us about where things are at the moment in relation to land claim...

The Auditor General has painted a grim picture in local governance. Only 16 percent of South Africa's 257 municipalities received clean audits. This was revealed in Auditor General Tsakani Maluleke's latest audit report. She says there is very little sign of things turning around in the state of South African municipalities. 22 of those clean audits come from the Western Cape. The Free State and N...

The Helen Suzman Foundation intends to launch a legal challenge against government’s decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit. The foundation is arguing that permit-holders have contributed immensely to South Africa's economy and most of them have built lives and careers in this country and they cannot just be ditched just like that.     Guest: Nicole Fritz, CEO of the...

Why are we seeing more millionaires leaving the country and where are they off to? According to the latest Henley Global Citizens Report, South Africa is experiencing yet another exodus of millionaires. The reasons for their departure range from concerns about issues such as safety, rolling blackouts, corruption, and economic stagnation.    Guest: Andrew Amoils, Head of Research at New W...

Yesterday, the United Kingdom cancelled first flight that was scheduled to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda following an intervention from the European Court of Human Rights. The flight was scrapped despite British government officials insisting that the plane would take off no matter how many people were on board. So what does this latest development mean for these two countries?     Gue...

A victory for the Tobacco industry. The Supreme Court of Appeals says there was no scientific justification for the continuous ban of tobacco during hard lockdown. It says government was wrong to ban the sale of cigarettes. The Western Cape High Court had initially rules the ban was unconstitutional, however Minister of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma appe...

One.org. Movement is calling for G7 leaders to intentionally deal with hunger and food insecurity that’s been exacerbated by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The organisation says there is crisis of food insecurity and hunger and it mainly affects Africans. The G7 summit will take place later this month in Germany and the ONE.Org Movement says this summit should prioriti...

Earlier on today, the Public Service Commission briefed the media about the findings of its quarterly report which focused on governance matters in the Public Service. Post the release of this important report - we look at the findings of their research study on the investigative analysis into the performance of the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights. The commission’s study has found t...

Suspended Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane has responded to her suspension by President Cyril Ramaphosa. She has given the president until 5pm to reverse the suspension or face legal action. Ramaphosa suspended Mkhwebane last week pending the outcome of a parliamentary impeachment process. Mkhwebane says her suspension is illegal. Does Mkhwebane have a point? Has she got any more lega...

What value does Comair have in assets across the continent and how does its liquidation affect prices in the aviation industry? The South Gauteng high Court in Johannesburg in provisional liquidation in a bid to preserve the aircraft’s assets. All stakeholders have until the 26th of July to give reasons why the provisional liquidation shouldn’t be made final. Comair accounts for a...

Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela has revealed that hijackings, kidnappings and murders top the list of serious offences committed in all districts of the province, including Tshwane, Joburg and Ekurhuleni metros. He revealed this earlier on when he was presenting the provincial crime statistics.   Guest: Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela &n...

Nomusa Precious Gabuza who is a teacher by profession has been sentenced to three years of correctional supervision and four years’ imprisonment for contravening the Local Government Municipal Electoral Act 2000. According to the National Prosecuting Authority, Gabuza pleaded guilty to voting 24 times during the local government elections that took place in November last year. So what lesson...

After nine years of fighting terrorism in Mali. Yesterday, France started withdrawing its troops from Mali ahead of a final withdrawal from the Sahel nation. You may recall that amid hostile relations with France, last month, Mali’s military government revoked the defense cooperation treaty agreement governing the status of French forces and ordered the French troops as well as the European...

Are IPPs and renewable energy sources really going to save us from Load-shedding? A report from an energy and economics advisory firm, Meridian Economics says 96 percent of load-shedding could have been avoided if government has not stalled the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme in 2016. The firm released a two part report. It says declining plant reliability as...

Sibanye-Stillwater employees are back at work today after an agreement between the mining company and its employees signed. The agreement ends a three month long wage deadlock. Employees were demanding a R1000 increase per month, but the company said it is unaffordable and unsustainable, offering R850 instead. Now, categories four to eight mineworkers will receive an increase of R1000 in year one...

Thamsanqa Milela from the South African Youth Council Free State explains why his organisation is not in support of the province’s Top 50 Most Inspirational Youth program which is being promoted by the Office of the Premier. They are arguing that this programme does not respond to the needs of young people in the province.   Guest: Thamsanqa Milela, Spokesperson of the South African You...

So where should Eastern Cape children with autism go to access basic education? Hundreds of autistic children have been left idle with nowhere to go as the education department in the province only has space for 150 pupils when there are over 800 autistic children in the province. Many parents have had to look at private education for their children, but what happens to those who cannot afford it?...

The Home Affairs Department has deported Lithuanian actress, Ms Ieva Andrejevaite, who sought to abuse South Africa’s refugee management regime when she fabricated a story of wanting to apply for asylum because of the war in Ukraine. After lying about her personal circumstances, Ms Andrejevaite has been declared an undesirable person by immigration officials, which means that she is now proh...

we examine the first round of France’s Parliamentary Elections. A new left-wing alliance has made big gains in the first round and according to official results, the left-wing NUPES alliance backed by Jean-Luc Mélenchon is neck and neck with Emmanuel Macron’s coalition. Opinion polls suggest Macron's centrist camp could win over 250 seats in the lower house, while the left...