The National Pulse

Yesterday, Parliament announced that it will establish an ad hoc committee to oversee the national state of disaster after flooding caused major devastation in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Eastern Cape. This to ensure that the elected representatives can be directly involved in oversight of the work that is needed to provide relief. Joining us to outline the objectives of the committee is&hellip...

It has finally happened. Elon Musk has bought social media company, Twitter for a whopping R690 billion. Many denied Musk was planning a hostile takeover when he turned down the company’s offer to have him on the board, a move that would have limited his options. Considering Musk’s political, business and social views, what does this mean for the app? guest: Andile Masuku, Co-founder o...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says National Treasury and Auditor General will provide oversight on the spending of relief funds in KwaZulu-Natal after the province was ravaged by floods, claiming over 400 lives. Ramaphosa was speaking in parliament this afternoon, outlining government’s response to the disaster. Political analyst Ralph Mathekga has written an opinion piece, in it he says creatin...

Sibanye-Stillwater has increased its wage offer from R700 to R850 in a bid to end a strike by its employees that has been going on for more than 40 days. Employees have been asking for a R1000 salary increase per month and the company has not been budging. Smaller unions accepted previous offers by the company, however, they only account for about 10% of the company’s workforce while AMCU an...

The news that Sibanye-Stillwater CEO was paid R300 million in 2021 while the company has refused to give its employees a R1000 monthly increase has sent shockwaves across the country. Many have condemned the move by the company, calling it immoral. It is Freedom Day tomorrow and South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the whole world and this speaks to an issue of income gap in t...

We look at the ongoing war between Arabs and non-Arabs in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council in Sudan, the violence in Darfur is threatening the upcoming harvest season and over 18 million people are likely to face acute food insecurity by September because of the combined effects of insecurity, economic crisis and poor harvests. But who is orchestrati...

Black Sash has warned that many South Africans may not receive their Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant payment this month after the Department of Social Development and SASSA halted application processing for April without explanation. The organisation is worried that the department’s published regulations have dropped the income eligibility threshold for the SRD, from the food poverty l...

A Motherwell teacher is in hot water following allegations that she discriminated against a boy she suspected could be HIV positive. The child’s grandmother alleges a teacher at Imbasa Primary School said she needed surgical gloves to touch the boy while teaching him. The school’s principal has apologized to the boy’s family, but alleges he is disruptive and violent towards other...

Centrist Emmanuel Macron has won 58.54% of the second round of the French presidential run-off, beating Marine Le Pen who got 41.46 of the vote. It’s the second time the two rivals are going head to head against each other and Macron has come victorious yet again. Macron says on the list of his priorities is uniting his divided nation. Macron is the first president in twenty years to win a s...

Eskom board member Busi Mavuso has defended herselft following a standoff with Scopa Chair, Mkhuleko Hlengwa in parliament on Friday after she said the issues at Eskom were a result of a mess created by the ANC government. Scopa was unhappy with its visit to Eskom’s Kusile and Medupi Stations. Mavuso has been applauded by many for her criticism of government, however, some say her views are...

Over 20 emergency vehicles have been damaged while private ambulances have been stoned in the Eastern Cape as emergency services workers in Amathole District Municipality and Buffalo City Metro  embarked on a strike ealier today. They are striking over poor working conditions and understaffing at the two municipalities. The Eastern Cape Health Department says the strike is unprotected, while...

Following last week’s heated exchange between Scopa Chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa and Eskom board member Busisiwe Mavuso. We are joined by Hlengwa to tell his side of the story as you may have heard Mavuso speaking to my colleague Stephen Grootes earlier on today. On Friday last week, Scopa was on an oversight visit to Eskom to get the power utility to explain the current round of load-sheddi...

On World News today we ask – what now for Marine Le Pen? French President Emmanuel Macron has been re-elected for a second term. The incumbent president received about 58 per cent of the vote, while far-right challenger Marine Le Pen got around 42 per cent. Yesterday, Le Pen vowed that she will not abandon the French people after losing out to Emmanuel Macron in the second-round vote and als...

Chief justice and chairperson of the state capture commission Raymond Zondo has approached the high court for another extension for the final delivery of the state capture commission report. Zondo feels that the final instalment of the report will be ready by mid-June.  Guest on the line: Karyn Maughn, Senior Legal Journalist @News24

A survey by the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit at UCT has found that getting or keeping a job is the main reason why vaccine hesitant South Africans get their Covid-19 jabs. Authors of the study say work mandates can be used as the best remaining strategy to encourage vaccination, however, employers should thread with caution in their implementation. When the survey was done...

Advocacy group, Real Reform for Early Childhood Development in South Africa says a recent index on early childhood development show South Africa is failing its pre-school children. The Thrive by Five Index tracks early childhood outcomes. It found that 65% of South African children, aged between four and five, are not able to meet early learning and physical growth standards. It specifically looke...

In conversation with Poppy Khoza about the state of aviation safety in South Africa. I’m sure many of you are worried about the number of air safety incidents that we have witnessed recently, where several planes had to be grounded due to safety concerns. The SA Civil Aviation Authority is currently hosting the National Aviation Conference in Sandton and one of the key issues they are going...

We look at the “Save Mother Tongue Campaign March” which is due to take place tomorrow. The campaign seeks to promote the preservation and protection of mother tongue languages. So what are the benefits for a South African citizen who can speak more than one language? Call us and share your thoughts….. Guest: Kid Sithole Chairperson of Ilifa Le...

THE INNERVIEW: Today we speak to former President of Malawi Dr. Joyce Banda about issues relating to governance and leadership, asking - why are we seeing few female presidents on the African continent or globally for that matter, and why are women so often overlooked or undervalued? This as we attempt to understand the dynamics of gender equality and how it affects Africa’s development, and...

Your Money FNB Series: Understanding that each person’s needs and wants are different. Today we talk about the importance of budgeting as it helps you control your spending. Guests: Ester Ochse, Head of FNB Money Management Product Dhashni Naidoo, Consumer Education Programme Manager  FNB

A group of staff members who worked in the office of former defence Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula allege they are being booted out of their jobs by new defence minister, Thandi Modise. They say they were permanently employed in the office of the former minister but have now lost their jobs after the department claimed the conversion of their contracts was questionable. Guest: Ntethelelo Khumal...

Should we be worried that South Africa has recorded a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases and the positivity rate, the highest in three months? Well, according to Professor Shabir Madhi, the increase in the positivity rate should be interpreted with caution especially when trying to make comparisons with the past. He joins us now to elaborate further on this…..   Guest: Prof Shabir Madhi,...

We hear from Khensani Mahlangu on how KZN’s devastating floods have affected the SANBS blood donation campaign. According to her - the province is one of their major collection areas in the country and the floods have somehow contributed to blood shortages. She joins us now to give us more details on this…. Guest: Khensani Mahlangu, Spokesperson of the South African National Blood Ser...

The president of the International Criminal Court, Piotr Hofmansky has asked Guinea-Bissau to join its ranks as part of demonstrating its commitment to the rule of law, peace and security. But will it be wise for the former Portuguese colony to sign the Rome Statute?  Guest: Dr Fabrice Tambe Endoh: Lecturer, Faculty of Laws and Political Science at the University of Buea in Cameroon  

 Many people have complained about developing new illnesses that they didn’t have before contracting the virus. A new study looking into the impact of Long Covid on human organs has revealed that women are more likely to experience organ impairment caused by Long Covid. It also showed that people still had single and multi-organ impairment a year after infection. To help us understand t...