The National Pulse

The rate of unemployment in South Africa has risen to yet another historic record as 278 000 more people joined the ranks of the unemployed. Statistician General Risenga Maluleke released the results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the fourth quarter of 2021, and the results show that the number of employed persons increased by 262 000 to 14.5 million, and the number of unemployed persons...

Yesterday, the Pretoria High Court ordered government to move the country's analogue television switch-off date back by 3 months. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has welcomed the ruling and pleaded with those opposed to the move to accept the ruling of the court and desist from further attempts to derail the process of digital migration which will release the much-anticip...

We look at the Amnesty International Report for 2021/22 that assesses the State of the World’s Human Rights. The report has found that “Covid-19 should have been a decisive wake-up call to deal with inequality and poverty. Instead, we have seen deeper inequality and greater instability in Africa exacerbated by global powers, especially rich countries, who failed to ensure that big phar...

Recently, the court of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) ordered suspension of the eight-nation body's sanctions against Mali, imposed in January after the junta delayed elections. Now it has emerged that the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) is considering lifting sanctions in Mali if a compromise is quickly found on the duration of the transition. Guest: Izak...

In one of the most controversial incidents in Academy Awards history, Will Smith stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock after the host made a joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss. Jada sufferes from a condition called Alopecia.  Alopecia is a condition that largely affects  women of African descent. It has been reported since the late 1960s and was previously referred to as &...

The Inyanda National Land Movement led a march to the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) offices in Bisho, Eastern Cape, today. The march also launched a campaign to respond to the poor provision of water, unsafe drinking water, lack of a water supply for small scale farmers and deteriorating water infrastructure in the province. The movement also raised an issue about rac...

guest: Pule Mabe

The Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has decided to join the Commission on Khoi-San matters as they kickstart a series of education and awareness campaigns on the application for recognition of Khoi-San communities. The application process will commence on Thursday this week, enabling communities that meet the Act's criteria to submit a detailed written application to the...

The African Transformation Movement (ATM)’s urgent court application to have its motion of no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa held in secret has been struck off the roll. This means that Wednesday’s motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa will take place openly and not through a secret ballot. National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has welcomed the Western Cape High Cou...

On Human Rights Day we covered a story about the violent clashes between two foreign national groups from Zimbabwe and Lesotho in Robertson in the Western Cape. It was alleged that Zimbabweans are taking jobs from Lesotho nationals on local farms.  The situation is not getting any better in that part of the country. Instead, the violence has spread to a nearby informal settlement in Zwelitsha...

City of Johannesburg Environment Infrastructure Service Department MMC, Councillor Michael Sun gives us an update on what’s been happening in relation to a fire that has been witnessed in an underground tunnel in the Johannesburg CBD.   Guest: Michael Sun, City of Johannesburg Environment Infrastructure Service Department MMC Councillor

Team South Africa, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa is currently in Dubai showcasing the country’s strengths, investment opportunities to potential investors and to attract and secure investments in key priority sectors. Brand South Africa will also use this event to highlight the importance of using the global stage to promote and positively position the South African Nation brand. &nb...

The department of home affairs has applauded the arrest of the foreign criminal who has been manufacturing fake passports and distributing them to undocumented immigrants. The suspect is understood to have had operatives across the country, working at Home Affairs departments. To give us more details in terms of what went down during last night’s sting operation is……   Gue...

Ntuthuko Shoba has been found guilty of the murder of Tshegofatso Pule, the mother of his unborn child. However, he was found not guilty of defeating the ends of justice. The verdict comes nearly two years after the brutal murder of 28-year-old Pule on 4 June 2020. She was shot in Noordgesig and her heavily pregnant body was found hanging from a tree in Durban Deep, Roodepoort. Handing down j...

Public hearings into racism in the property sector have just been concluded in Johanneburg. The three day hearings, which started in Cape Town on Wednesday, came about when the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) received a number of submissions concerning cases of racism in the sector. The hearings were also prompted by a probe it conducted into a complaint lodged against a Western...

The Information Regulator is not happy about how TransUnion handled the recent data breach it suffered - which exposed about 54 million personal details to cyber criminals. The regulator has now directed TransUnion to provide it with a detailed description of the possible consequences of the security compromise and its impact on data subjects.     Guest: Adv Pansy Tlakula, Chairperson of...

The Ethiopian government has declared a humanitarian truce in the war-torn Tigray region and they have also asked fighters loyal to Tigray's fugitive leaders to desist from all acts of further aggression so it can be easy for government officials to work with aid groups to deliver food and water to those in need. The 17-month war has left thousands of people dead, displaced millions, and...

Former President of Botswana reflects on the historical and contemporary factors that account for Africa’s underdevelopment, including the coups that we have witnessed on the continent and the problem of migration in Southern Africa – as most of you have seen how this issue has enabled a xenophobic response and discrimination against Black African immigrants in South Africa. We will al...

YOUR MONEY FEATURE: Welcome to the first editions of a series brought to you by FNB. The intention of this feature is to engage listeners on their Money journey and how to navigate good Money Management behaviors. FNB is here to help you through your Money Management Journey and to share key principles to manage your money wisely. Today we're talking about how financial literac...

Jamaican Anglican priest, Father Sean Major-Campbell explains why he was leading the protest that was calling for the royals Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, to tender an apology to the Jamaican nation for the British Empire’s cruel history.   Guest: Sean Major-Campbell, Jamaican Anglican Priest and Advocate for human rights

As you know that today South Africa is hosting the fourth annual Investment Conference, which is currently underway in Sandton – what you might not know is that there is also another important event taking place in Durban, called KZN Trade and Investment Indaba, World Halal Day. This event forms part of the provincial government’s efforts to rebuild a resilient and sustainable economy,...

Who should take responsibility for our communities being drug infested? Though we may criticize Operation Dudula and their unorthodox methods of attempting to crack down on drug dealers in townships, we cannot dismiss the fact that communities allow drug dealing to flourish regardless of whether foreigners or locals are selling these drugs. Why is it okay for drugs to be sold openly in townsh...

A multi-disciplinary approach driven operation that was conducted by the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation and the tactical operation management services has led to the arrest of two women who were allegedly taking advantage of people looking for romantic partners on social media. These two were part of a “romance scam” in which an unnamed woman was swindled out of al...

Today Mpumalanga Premier, Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane lead a delegation of MECs and Local Government leaders on a visit to the homestead of Ndebele iconic artist, Dr Esther Mahlangu. The visit follows a case of robbery in Mahlangu’s residence in which she was attacked over the weekend. The latest, according to the Premier is that no arrests have been made yet. The Premier also urged communit...

E-hailing services have been on strike since yesterday.  Apart from the e-hailing industry itself, this strike might have some greater implications for society as services come to a halt. Though mainly affecting the transportation side of the service, the strike is also impacting restaurant businesses. The Restaurant Collective has already reported that about 20% of the income gained by sit-d...