The National Pulse

The South African Cane Growers Association wants government to stop sugar tax. They are of the view that sugar tax threatens to devastate their industry, both in terms of revenue and employment. Guest: Dr Thomas Funke: CEO, South African Cane Growers Association

Trade unions are calling on the finance minister to abandon government's current fiscal policy of severe budget cuts in social spending. Enoch Godongwana tables his maiden Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament on Thursday. The statement will set out government's spending plans over the next three years. Guest: Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary of the South African Federation of Trade...

According to the Environmental Investigation Agency’s report that was released yesterday. The growth of the Traditional Chinese Medicine market, coupled with the perception of Africa as a potential source of Traditional Chinese Medicine ingredients, is a “prescription for disaster for some endangered animal species, such as leopards, pangolins and rhinos”. Guest: Ceres Kam, Wildl...

Eskom Group Chief Executive, André de Ruyter says he will not resign over the current spate of loadshedding. Briefing the media virtually on the current system challenges, de Ruyter says the power utility's recent new challenge is that some municipalities have not played their role in implementing load-shedding GUEST: William Mabapa, NUM Acting General Secretary GUEST: Frans Baleni, who was...

The Injured Workers’ Action Group (IWAG) together with other stakeholders is calling for the immediate withdrawal of the new Compensation Fund regulations. They are arguing that the recent regulations published by the Commissioner are irrational and if implemented, have the potential to damage the rights of workers, harm medical service providers and impact employers negatively. For more on...

Ipsos researchers have found that at least two-thirds of stores in four hotspot provinces are selling cigarettes below the minimum collectible tax level of R21.60. That number rises to three in four stores in Free State and the Western Cape. Just how rife is the issue of illicit cigarette trade in South Africa? Guest: Johnny Moloto, General Manager at British American Tobacco South Africa South Af...

World News: We look at Botswana’s Industrial Development Act of 2019 and its Regulations of 2020. It is reported that under this new law, business activities for foreigners will be restricted and those who refuse to obey the law will be prosecuted. Guest: Bakang Tiro, Reporter for the Patriot Newspaper in Botswana

Energy Analyst Chris Yelland says firing Eskom's CEO André de Ruyter and the company’s entire board will not solve issues around load shedding. Yelland says the Department of Mineral resources and Public Enterprise should shoulder the blame for the power utility’s current woes. GUEST: Energy Analyst Chris Yelland

Police in Gqeberha are investigating an incident in which three children died after eating noodles bought from a shop in New Brighton in the Eastern Cape. The children aged four months as well as seven and 11 years had accompanied their grandparents on a visit to relatives in New Brighton when the incident happened. Police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu says the children complained of stomach c...

The Rastafarian community of Kimberley is complaining of alleged police harassment with regards to the possession of marijuana. Earlier today the Rastafarian community marched to Kimberley Magistrate's Court demanding for the free use of marijuana in public spaces. They also want marijuana to be free for all trade. GUEST: Kabelo Mojanaga, Provincial Secretary for the Cannabis Development Council o...

How does the parole process work in South Africa and what programmes must an offender complete before being considered for parole? As we interrogate South Africa’s parole system, we speak to Correctional Services Spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo. This following yesterday’s confirmation by the department of correctional services that Oscar Pistorius is being considered for parole after...

In conversation with Tumelo Mabolwane who is extremely disappointed by Eskom's move to Stage 4 load shedding, which comes just as many matriculants, are currently busy writing exams. Earlier today, Eskom confirmed that load shedding will continue throughout this week, until 5am on Saturday. Guest: Tumelo Mabolwane, Grade 12 learner from DZJ Mthebula Secondary School in Limpopo

World News: Yesterday, Iraq’s Prime Minister survived an assassination attempt with armed drones that targeted his residence. The drone attack on the Baghdad residence of Mustafa al-Kadhimi follows weeks of tension between the country’s government and Iran-backed militias. For more on this, we are joined by……   Guest: Ibrahim Deen, Senior Researcher at the Afro-Middl...

Traditional leaders organization, Contralesa have attributed the ANC's poor performance at the polls to the lack of engagement with royal leaders. This after the party dipped below the 50-percent mark in the local government election results, for the first time in South Africa's democratic history. For more on this, we're joined on the line by Contralesa President, Kgoshi Mathibela Mokoena  ...

Eskom has announced it will be implementing Stage 4 loadshedding this afternoon until 05:00 on Saturday. Thereafter Stage 2 loadshedding will continue until 05:00 on Monday. GUEST: Energy analyst, Adil Nchabeleng

Lance Joel from SALGA explains how coalition framework works as well as the grounds for regulation and the procedure to be followed in hung councils. This after the IEC announced yesterday that no party achieved a majority in 66 municipalities, resulting in a record number of hung councils. Guest: Lance Joel, Chief Operations Officer at SALGA

World News: As Ethiopia’s conflict is spreading, world leaders are calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Eastern African country. This as Ethiopia’s Tigray forces are joining with other armed and opposition groups in an alliance against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to seek a political transition. Guest: Izak Khomo, former Producer of Spot Light Africa at Channel Africa

The National Freedom Party, NFP is taking the IEC to court over the eDumbe Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, results. This follows the IEC's alleged reluctance to accede to the party's demand for a recount. NFP secretary-general Canaan Mdletshe says they are convinced that they have won eDumbe. GUEST: Canaan Mdletshe, Secretary-general of the National Freedom Party, NFP

We continue with our local government elections theme and this time around though we are joined by Precious Lugayeni who is going to help us understand the country’s current political landscape post the municipal elections. Guest: Precious Lugayeni, Independent Political analyst

The IEC is set to announce the results of the 2021 municipal elections this evening. The overall election results are worked out at centralised election results operation centres (ROCs) under the control of the Electoral Commission: one national ROC based in Pretoria, Tshwane, and one provincial ROC in each province. Guest: Dr Mike Sutcliffe , Director of City Insight & former eThekwini Munici...

Businessman Dr Ruben Richards, who was contesting as an independent candidate in the local municipal elections has won control of governance of the Cederberg Municipality in the Western Cape. The DA has lost its majority in the municipality dropping from 55.2% in 2016 to 20.7% in the 2021 municipal elections. Dr Richards along with others from the area started the Cederberg First Residents Associa...

There are now 65 hung councils in the country with 12 councils still to be calculated in this year's Local Government Elections. A hung council is one where no single party has the majority of seats. So what will be the oversight roles of MECs in these hung councils in context of Section 139 of the Constitution when a provincial government intervenes after assessing and concluding that a municipal...

The Democratic Alliance made history in KwaZulu-Natal in this year's municipal elections. The party won the uMngeni Local Municipality in Howick, the DA's first outright municipal win in the province. GUEST: Newly elected uMngeni municipality mayor Chris Pappas

As the Electoral Commission is preparing to announce the final results – we assess the performance of different political parties and also look at how coalition governments are going to be formed moving forward.   Guest: Nkosikhulule Xhawulengweni Nyembezi, Political analyst from the Election Monitoring Network

The search for survivors continues at the site of the building collapse in Ikoyi, an upper-class area of Lagos state in Nigeria. So far, the disaster has killed at least 34 people, while nine have been pulled out alive. Sadly though - many more are still trapped inside the rubble. Guest on the line (Nigeria): Eniola Daniel, Reporter with Guardian in Nigeria