The National Pulse

The Social Justice Coalition and 22 communities from Khayelitsha are marching against the City of Cape Town over the lack of access to basic services. The Cape Town based social movement which campaigns for the advancement of basic rights for those living in informal settlements say there is no point in celebrating human rights when citizens are being deprived of their most basic rights, such as w...

Today marks World Water Day which aims to emphasize the importance of access to fresh water for all and the need to use water responsibly. South Africa is one of the countries where water is a scarce resource. Cape Town faced a serious water crisis in 2018 but has since been able to address that problem. However, millions of people in most parts of the country, especially in rural areas, still do...

Civil society organization AfriForum wants ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa to answer questions about his party's cadre deployment policy at the State Capture Commission. The organization says it has formally applied to the Commission requesting it to subpoena Ramaphosa. It says he was chairperson of the ANC's cadre Deployment Committee between 2013 and 2016 when key appointments were made which are...

A man from Mossel Bay, in the Western Cape has pledged 8 million Rands to Gift of the Givers when he passes on. So what made the 72-year-old man so generous? To shed light on this inspirational and magnanimous gesture, we're joined on the line by... GUEST: Gift of the Givers founder, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman GUEST: Khilona Radia, Co-Founder of the Hospital Heroes

Six suspects, including two police officers have been arrested in Johannesburg on charges of kidnapping and extortion. The Hawks nabbed the suspects, aged between 32 and 48 in Gauteng. GUEST: Hawks national spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale

The Democratic Alliance says government should immediately proceed with the roll-out of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. You may recall that last month, South Africa decided to put its rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on hold after a study showed disappointing results against its new Covid19 variant. To explain why they are making this call though is….. Guest: John Steenhuisen, DA leader

Families of the 144 psychiatric patients who died in the Life Esidimeni tragedy want NPA to move with speed in setting up a date for an inquest into the deaths of their family members. These families have been making these calls since August 2016, and they believe the inquest would provide enough evidence to allow the NPA to prosecute those who were responsible for the tragedy. Guest: Christine Nx...

World News: On World News today, we look at SA-Botswana Bilateral Relations: Botswana President Eric Mokgweetsi Masisi is currently in South Africa on a working visit. South Africa and Botswana enjoy historic and fraternal relations which were cemented during the struggle against colonialism and apartheid. Both countries will use today’s meeting to discuss continental and global issues of mutual i...

Seven suspects have been arrested for cable theft according to Transnet Freight Rail, which has intensified its fight against cable theft. Over the past weekend seven suspects were arrested with cables that were reportedly cut near Haakdoring level crossing in Modimolle. We now speak to Transnet about their security measures to curb the theft, tampering and damaging of essential rail infrastructur...

We now speak to the South African Municipal Workers' Union, SAMWU, who held its first historic National Collective Bargaining conference, in Johannesburg on Monday. The Conference was used as a platform for the Union to craft their posture and demands, this as salary and wage negotiations in both the South African Local Government Bargaining Council and the Amanzi Bargaining Council are about to s...

Today marks the 18th anniversary of the African Peer review Mechanism - APRM. The APRM is an autonomous, self-monitoring governance instrument that member states of the African Union (AU) voluntarily accede. The APRM was established to identify strengths and challenges in governance and socioeconomic development on the African continent. Since its establishment 40 countries have voluntarily accede...

World News: Condolences are pouring in following the death of Tanzanian president, John Magufuli. The 61-year old died in a hospital in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday from heart complications. Vice president, Samia Suluhu Hassan made the announcement on state television. His death comes weeks after his disappearance from the public eye. The country will observe a period of mourning. For more we are no...

Post ukutshalwa kweSilo saMabandla, Ingonyama yaMazulu, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu - we speak to Nomfundo Mcoyi who is going to explain how COVID-19 protocols were observed during iSilo’s final journey. Guest: Nomfundo Mcoyi, founder & CEO of Icebolethu Funeral Group

Yesterday, the Independent Electoral Commission hosted a workshop where they explained how the new Political Party Funding Act will be implemented. The commission also used yesterday’s workshop to assure the nation that the new act will ensure that there won’t be a repeat of irregularities that were reported during the 2019 national election. Guest: George Mahlangu, Chief Executive for Political P...

“Explaining the pivotal role that traditional leadership institutions can play in shaping and crafting policy reforms that can lead to successful completion of the land reform process in South Africa” Guest: Bulelwa Mabasa, Co-editor and Co-Author of Land in South Africa book and also member of the Presidential Advisory GUEST: Marina Mahlangu (of the Mahlangu family that protected King Goodwill Zw...

How has the media covered King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu over the years and until now Guest: Shalo Mbatha, Royal Zulu Historian & Lecture

The department of correctional services will take disciplinary action against a female warder, after a video of her and an inmate allegedly having sex went viral on social media. The incident reportedly happened at a prison in KwaZulu-Natal. GUEST: Correctional services spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo

The Pretoria High Court has reserved judgment in the EFF's application to have the financial documents of President Cyril Ramaphosa's 2017 ANC presidential campaign, also known as CR17, unsealed. The documents were sealed in August 2019. So where did this all start? Well In 2018 then DA leader Mmusi Maimane implicated the son of President Cyril Ramaphosa in questionable financial dealings with con...

World News: On Monday, Libya’s first unity government was sworn in before parliament and many have described this latest development as a historic step that must be applauded as it will assist the country in its attempts to bring peace, following a decade-long conflict that has engulfed Libya since Muammer Gaddafi was overthrown Guest: Ebrahim Deen, Researcher at the Afro-Middle East Centre

The High Court in Pretoria is hearing the case by the EFF calling on the court to order the unsealing of the CR17 bank statements. EFF leader Julius Malema is adamant South Africans have the right to know who funded Cyril Ramaphosa's ANC presidential campaign and whether his donors are benefiting from state contracts. However President Cyril Ramaphosa insists he is willing to lay all his cards on...

Artists from the Northern Cape have marched to the office of the Arts and Culture MEC to demand the release of their Covid-19 relief funds. They say the MEC is yet to sign off on documentation allowing them to receive the much-needed funding for themselves and their production houses. The artists say they've been going hungry and are unable to afford basic food items or pay their utilities since t...

Students have declared a national shutdown over financial exclusion. Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka will meet with Higher Education Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, as part of a multi-pronged mediation effort aimed at finding lasting solutions to the challenges that have seen students declaring a shutdown of universities across the country. This morning Ms Gcaleka met with officials from the...

The National Prosecuting Authority, NPA says students arrested during protests yesterday will appear in the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Friday. Several universities and colleges across the country had no lectures yesterday and at least one institution, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, has suspended lectures for the rest of the week. A student was shot and wounded and several others arrested...

We look at King Zwelithini’s relationship with different political parties in South Africa, and ask – how did he manage to stay neutral? Guest: Zakhele Ndlovu, Political science lecturer @ UKZN

Several countries in Europe have suspended the use of the Covid19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford over blood-clotting concerns. However AstraZeneca claims that a review of safety data for people vaccinated so far has shown no evidence of such Guest: Dr Khanyi Msomi, head of department in the discipline of virology at KZN National Health Laboratory Service and she also...