The National Pulse

  15:20 World News: The United Nations says it expects food insecurity to rise in South Sudan in the coming months. The country is grappling with a surge in violence, despite a pledge to silence guns by President Salvar Kiir and Deputy President Riek Machar when they signed a peace pact in 2018. The United Nations says two thirds of the population will need aid to survive. Head of the UN Miss...

Today we focus on rural economy, asking, has it been forgotten? There is no doubt that the rural economy holds considerable potential for economic growth, employment creation and promotion of decent work if the right policies are in place. In our country for instance, Vision 2030, states clearly that rural communities must have better opportunities to participate fully in the economic, social and...

FNB YOUR MONEY FEATURE: As you know that FNB is here to help you through your Money Management journey and to share key principles to manage your money wisely. Today we are joined by Ester Ochse and Robert Gwerengwe and they are both going to help us unpack challenges faced by middle class/income households.   Guest: Ester Ochse, Head of FNB Money Management Product   Guest: Robert Gwere...

Tesla Chief, Elon Musk has launched his hostile takeover bid for Twitter. Musk has reportedly offered to 100% of Twitter’s stock. Twitter’s shares jumped 12-percent in premarket trading after Musk offered $54.20 per share in cash. Musk is currently the majority shareholder. He rejected an offer to join the social media company’s board last week, sparking rumours of a possible hos...

Over 300 people have died in KwaZulu-Natal since the beginning of tropical rains earlier this week. Many families are yet to identify bodies of their loved one, as they continue to pile up in mortuaries. The South African Funeral Practitioners Association is urging families to delay funeral proceedings for loved ones as the ground is still wet and not conducive for burials. This however, is creati...

Earlier on today, Health Minister Dr. Joe Phaahla announced that public comments on the proposed Covid-19 regulations have been extended until the 24th of April. On the other hand, the Western Cape government is not in support of the proposed regulations, arguing that the regulations reflect a COVID-19 bias and should therefore not be applicable to all Notifiable Medical Conditions (NMCs) –...

Gauteng police have apprehended a Zimbabwean national in Hillbrow for allegedly being in possession of ID documents, COVID19 certificates, bank cards, licenses, hard drives and other sensitive documents. To tell us more about this arrest is…..   Guest: Captain Mavela Masondo, Gauteng police spokesperson

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that his country has struck a deal with Rwanda under which some people seeking refugee protection in Britain will be transferred to the central African country while awaiting processing. However - refugee organisations have criticised the plan as cruel, questioned its cost and efficacy, and raised concerns about Rwanda's human rights recor...

The KwaZulu-Natal floods that have claimed more than 250 lives and destroyed infrastructure have raised questions around what exactly makes KwaZulu-Natal so prone to mudslides, infrastructure and environmental damage during heavy rains compared to the rest of the country. Government officials say this is the worst infrastructure damage the province has ever seen. Granted this is a natural disaster...

Over 100 schools have been damaged by the floods in KZN. Over seven pupils and one teacher have drowned. The department says it is still being updated on the impact of these floods on schools. KwaZulu-Natal has been hit by torrential rains that have claimed 59 lives and displaced many. We are now joined by.  MEC Kwazi Mshengu

Trucks heading to KwaZulu-Natal have been urged to delay their trips as looters target stranded trucks before the Mariannhill Toll Plaza. The Road Freight Association has also warned that access roads around the Port of Durban have been damaged, with container yards, truck depots and trucks themselves caught in the flood damage. According to Sanral, several roads are still closed as many of them a...

According to UN agencies, the threat of famine is very real in Somalia and South Sudan and urgent action is needed now to avoid a catastrophe. The alert from the World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) followed the latest food security assessments which showed that six million people in Somalia will face acute food insecurity in the coming months, unless the rains co...

We’re continuing with a conversation we started yesterday on what constitutes a customary marriage. An article published over the weekend about media personality Pabi Moloi and her ex-partner’s dispute following the end of their relationship. According to media reports, Ruan Adams says he is entitled to half of Moloi’s estate as they were in a customary marriage after he paid lob...

We continue to focus on the floods in KZN. We’re now joined by Bongeka Mjwara from Westridge in Durban who has been affected by the floods and we are also joined by Siyabonga Dlamini who has been assisting neighbours affected by the floods in Quarry Heights area, Durban.     Bongeka Mjwara    

Eskom load shedding update: Following their media briefing this morning, Eskom has warned that South Africans should brace themselves for at least 100 days of rolling blackouts during the coming winter months. Previously, the power utility projected that there would be 61 days of possible load shedding during winter, due to the parastatal’s ongoing maintenance programme, however - things hav...

The floods continue to wreak havoc in KwaZulu-Natal. Infrastructure has been damaged and more rains are expected. One of the areas affected by the floods are graveyards. Social media has been flooded by photographs of people’s remains that have been swept off by the water. But what are the cultural and spiritual implications of having people’s remains scattered all over the city? We&rs...

Emergency services have been working throughout the night and continue rescue operations in KwaZulu-Natal following heavy rains and flash floods that have claimed at least 20 lives and left many homeless. People have been urged to stay indoors and those living in low lying areas have been asked to seek alternative accommodation as more rain is expected. We are now joined by KZN’s Emergency M...

Update on KZN floods: eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda says they are waiting for the national government to deploy the army to assist areas affected by deadly floods. The mayor also revealed that they are currently assisting families that have been affected through intervention from social development and disaster management services.   Guest: Mxolisi Kaunda, eThekwini Mayor

The European Union has announced that it will wind down some of its training of Mali’s forces due to continued cooperation between Russian mercenaries and Mali's authorities. The international missions have been supporting local forces in Mali and other countries across the region to tackle widespread Islamist insurgencies. So what does this latest move mean?   Guest: Dr Chidochase Nyer...

The Ukrainian ambassador to South Africa Liubov Abravitova has alleged during a tweet that South Africa has not requested any meeting with her since the beginning of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. South Africa’s head of diplomacy, Clayson Monyela has however disputed the tweet, saying South Africa has reached out and made a request for president Cyril Ramaphosa to meet with the Ukr...

There is a current trend in high schools where pupils bake and sell cannabis infused edible treats. In a recent incident, 11 pupils from Randfotein High School and Mamellong Secondary School in West Rand were hospitalised after falling sick while at school. It was determined they had all consumed space cookies sold by a fellow pupil. Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has condemned the incident...

A conversation was trending on social media this weekend following a story about a dispute between media personality Pabi Moloi and her ex-partner. According to the article, Moloi is denying ever getting married to the man, while he claims he paid lobola and is therefore entitled to some of her estate. The conversation we want to have however, is whether or not there is a clash between what Africa...

A lot has been brewing in the world of Twitter. Tesla Founder Elon Musk has rejected Twitter’s offer to join its board. Musk recently bought a large stake in the company, making him the biggest shareholder. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal tweeted earlier, saying this is for the best. He says the company will remain open to Musk’s input as they always are with any other shareholder. We are no...

Former eThekwini Mayor, Zandile Gumede has been elected as the chairperson of the eThekwini region. She was elected in absentia as she observes the ANC’s step aside rule. Gemede received 210 votes while her opponent Thabani Nyawose received 181 votes. Gumede’s election follows the election of murder accused Mandla Msibi in Mpumalanga as treasurer. He was later reminded of the step asid...