The National Pulse

Epidemiologists are warning of a new Covid-19 variant as South Africa head towards an expected Covid-19 fifth wave. Epidemiologist Professor Salim Abdool Karim says South Africans should remain vigilant and practice all precautions as this variant will spread faster than Omicron and will infect more people. What else do we need to know about this variant? We are now joined by epidemiologist, Profe...

World News: The second round of France’s presidential election takes place on the 24th of April. Online polls seem to suggest it will be a tight race between two candidates, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. It is not the first time these two are going head to head, Macron defeated Le Pen in 2017, winning 66% of the vote, but polls now suggest Le Pen stands a good chance this time. But what...

We tell you more about SAMSUNG’s Empowering Tomorrow Bursary Programme which supports learners across the country as they pursue careers destined to turn them into an integral part of the South African economy. Many of the students on the Samsung Empowering Tomorrow Bursary Program come from homes where both parents are unemployed and from families where they are the first or the only indivi...

As South Africa makes progress in its management of the pandemic, a lot of things have changed. It is no longer compulsory for people to produce a Covid-19 test when landing at the airport from other countries. Venues that host events can also ask attendees for vaccine certificates as a precautionary measure. But South Africa has high vaccine hesitancy, especially amongst the youth, so how do we e...

Police minister Bheki Cele and Home Affairs minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi are back in Diepsloot after a week of protests by community members. Cele deployed a new in the area following the murder of several people last weekend. A Zimbabwean man was killed by a mob on Wednesday night. Police conducted random searches in the area today, requesting ID proof. Some people allege officers asked them to p...

It’s all systems go for the ANC eThekwini regional elective conference that is due to take place tomorrow at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban. The much-anticipated conference is set to be a two-horse race between Zandile Gumede and municipal speaker Thabani Nyawose. They will square off for the position of regional chairperson. But what are the current poli...

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa asking him to establish a multi-party committee that will address township issues. The party also wants the committee to protect South Africa’s sovereignty. UDM’s request follows recent protests in Diepsloot. For more on this, we are joined by…..   Guest: General Bantu Holomisa, UDM leader

THE INNERVIEW: Today we are joined by Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane to talk about her legal battles that appear to threaten her current position as the country’s Public Protector. It is public knowledge that Mkhwebane is currently fighting for her job as she has asked the courts to force the National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to halt her impeachment process, and to prevent Pres...

FNB YOUR MONEY FEATURE: Today we focus on how to establish an online presence for your business. This as part of FNB commitment to educate SMEs and equipping them with the right tools and advice to promote, grow and market their businesses.  

The situation in Diepsloot keeps escalating. The community has been protesting against high levels of crime, lack of police resources as well as loose policing of immigration laws. The protest was sparked by the murder of seven people last weekend. One person who has been identified as Elvis Nyathi was killed by a mob last night. His widow says a group of people stormed into the yard and demanded...

FF Plus is once again calling for farm murders to be declared a priority crime in South Africa. This following another tragic situation after a 69-year-old man was wounded and his 65-year-old wife stabbed to death at their farm in Klipheuwel in the Western Cape.   Guest: Dr Corne Mulder, FF Plus MP and leader of the party in the Western Cape

Was South Africa right in not creating refugee camps for foreign nationals? DIRCO Minister Naledi Pandor thinks so. She says South Africa has never separated communities of Africans from elsewhere living in a refugee camp and the country has always allowed those who come into our country to live within the community.     Guest: Professor Chris Landsburg, Director of the Centre for Africa...

Following several media reports suggesting that U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scheduled to visit Taiwan. China has lodged a protest with Washington, warning that if she does visit, they will take strong measures and the consequences will be borne by the U.S. So what’s likely to play out from this?   Guest: Dr Emanuel Matambo, Research Director at the Centre for Africa-China Studies...

The Judicial Service commission concluded interviews with candidates to fill in vacant positions on the constitutional court. Judge Mahube Molemela is one of the candidates who interviewed for the position. During the interview she made a suggestion for unemployed youth. She says young people should take job opportunities in any industry, regardless of what their qualifications are. But does this...

A Burkinabe court has sentenced former President Blaise Compaoré to life imprisonment for the murder of his predecessor Thomas Sankara. The long-awaited verdict brought to close a six-month trial about the murder of Sankara, who was assassinated during a coup led by his friend and comrade-in-arms Compaoré on October 15, 1987.   Guest: Dr Moorosi Leshoele, Lecturer at the Centre...

Today, EFF is picketing at two separate farms that South African businessman Johann Rupert owns in Stellenbosch and in Leopard Creek in Malalane, Mpumalanga. They are arguing that Rupert is a beneficiary of land dispossession that occurred on this day in 1652.   Guest: Sinawo Tambo, EFF National Spokesperson  

Rwanda has launched the Centre of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), making it the first African country to do so. The country has long placed technology and innovation at the heart of efforts to boost the country's economic development. So what can other African countries learn from this exciting innovation?   Guest on the line (Zim): Lenin Ndebele, head of News24 Afrika Desk

About three hours ago, Reverend June Dolley-Major handed over a memorandum to the Office of the Presidency at Tuynhuys in Cape Town, as part of her One Woman’s Campaign that is asking President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish a committee that will investigate allegations of historical sexual child abuse in churches. She joins us now to give us an update….   Guest: Rev June Dolley-Ma...

Epidemiologists are warning South Africa might get hit by a fifth wave of Covid-19 as the country heads towards winter. South Africans have been warned to continue wearing masks, sanitising, washing their hands and social distancing as the new wave is expected as early as May. Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the termination of the National State of Disaster with immediate effect aft...

The termination of the National State of Disaster with immediate effect has left many with questions. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday that a few measures will remain in place and certain transitional measures will also remain in place for a period of 30 days. This announcement means the pandemic will be managed through the National Health act going forward. The president has invited...

South Africa’s petrol price is going up again. The price of 93 octane patrol will increase by 28 cents a litre, while 95 octane petrol goes up by 36 cents a litre. This means the price of most goods and products is about to go up as well, while salaries remain the same. But how does the taxi industry determine how much to increase its taxi fare by? We’re now joined   GUEST THEO MA...

A 17-year-old teenage serial rapist has been jailed to an effective 30 years behind bars for raping three boys, aged between eight and 10 years, on three different occasions around Katlehong two years ago. The teenager is believed to be the youngest recorded serial rapist in the history of South Africa.   Guest: Themba Masango, Secretary General of NotInMyName  

ActionSA has announced that it will pursue a high court review of the decision of the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members Interests to exonerate Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema for his remarks encouraging illegal immigration. In January last year, Malema called for South Africa’s borders to be opened for the Southern African Development Commun...

We look at the upcoming French elections, asking – will Macron win re-election bid? Voters in France will go to the polls on 10 April to elect a new president. For now, many argue that the April 24 runoff looks likely to pit Macron against Le Pen, a repeat of the 2017 election-decider. And the result is likely to be the same, too, the polls show. Macron has a safe lead in all polls asking ab...

You may have heard in the news earlier today that a group of armed suspects accosted the manager and staff of a Boxer outlet in Sundumbili, north coast Durban. Well what was encouraging though was to see a couple of people being released after this traumatic incident. Joining us to give us the latest……..   Guest: Brigadier Jay Naicker, KZN Police spokesperson