The National Pulse

On 16 August 2012, police officers shot 112 striking mineworkers, killing 34 of them at Marikana, in the North West Province. Fast-forward, today one person has died after police fired rubber bullets at Wits University’s protesting students at the Braamfontein campus. So almost nine years later since the Marikana massacre - why have no lessons been learned? Guest: Eldred De Klerk, Security expert

We hear from the bishop of Namibia, Luke Pato as to why Anglican bishops in our neighbouring country want oil drilling process stopped. According to him, Synod of Bishops has drawn up a petition calling for an immediate halt to the drilling as they argue that the process has not been an open one. Guest on the line (Namibia) the bishop of Namibia, Luke Pato

Wits students have vowed to continue their protest for free education. This follows their protest earlier this morning. The students are calling on the University to allow students to register despite historic debt. Protesting students were dispersed by police with rubber bullets and one student leader has reportedly been arrested. Meanwhile, Wits say they have made available a Wits Hardship Fund...

Chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Vaccines Professor Barry Schoub has condemned reports that some people are fraudulently registering in order to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Schoub says officials are currently looking into the matter. A newspaper report alleges that some healthcare practitioners in the private sector, as well as members of the public, are abusing the...

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the formation of Proudly South African, the country's official buy local advocacy campaign, and the 9th annual and the first virtual Buy Local Summit & Expo between 8-10 March, this year. To elaborate further on the first virtual Buy Local Summit & Expo, we're joined on the line by Ms Jeanine Van Straaten, Executive for Strategy, Stakeholder relations and Le...

Understanding the Commonwealth of Nations: what binds these nations together – what is their common agenda and what are the advantages of being a member of the Commonwealth? Guest: Professor Somadoda Fikeni, associate professor at the Unisa Thabo Mbeki School of Public and International Affairs

The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng has accused the department of education and community safety of not doing enough to ensure that schools are protected in the province. So far a total of 105 cases of school burglaries and vandalism have been opened around the Gauteng province and the DA believes there are more cases than the 105 that have been reported. Guest: Khume Ramulifho, DA Shadow MEC for E...

we look at the latest developments in Mozambique: According to international rights group Amnesty International, war crimes have been committed by all sides fighting in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province and that includes jihadi rebels, government forces and a South African mercenary outfit that provides helicopter support to government troops. So if all the parties are on the wrong side...

Music has long been used by movements seeking social change, here in South Africa music also played a vital role in our struggle for liberation. Although some artists did not see their music as being directly political: the late Miriam Makeba would state "people say I sing politics, but what I sing is not politics, it is the truth". We now speak to South African music legend, Yvonne Chaka Chaka wh...

Shops belonging to foreign street traders have reportedly been set alight in the Durban CBD this afternoon. There are also unconfirmed reports of violent clashes between alleged members of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) and foreigners who own stores. Guest: Durban Metro police spokesperson Superintendent, Zama Dlamini

As we commemorate International Women’s Day – we outline the objectives of a private sector-led Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Response Fund that was launched last month. The proceeds of this initiative will assist government in allocating financial support to the programmes that are based on the National Strategic Plan’s six pillars. To tell us more about this noble initiative is… Guest: Dr J...

The extradition hearing of Enlightened Christian Gathering Church Pastor Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary is expected to begin in Malawi today. South Africa has applied to have the fugitive couple brought back to the country to face fraud and money laundering charges. A warrant of arrest was issued after the Bushiri's fled South Africa in contravention of their bail conditions. At the time they...

Tomorrow, Ivory Coast will hold another important election, four months after the presidential one. What makes this one even more interesting is the fact that for the first time in a decade, the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), headed by former President Laurent Gbagbo, is participating in the polls and they will contest as part of a coalition called Together for Democracy and Sovereignty. But will Gb...

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) say there was no conflict of interest in retailer Steinhoff funding R30 million Rands towards investigating auditing fraud at the company. The NPA say mechanisms are in place to prevent interference during their Investigations. But is this the case? We speak to Constitutional expert, Professor Pierre De Vos GUEST: Dr Llewellyn Curlewis, senior lecturer in c...

Covid-19 is insidious even if you take precautions you can still die from it - Television and Radio Broadcaster Karima Brown has been lauded for her unwavering dedication to the field of journalism in South Africa. Brown passed away yesterday (Thursday) morning from Covid-19 related complications after a lengthy stay in a Johannesburg hospital. In a statement her family says she was driven by a co...

We now speak to Daily Maverick Investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh about Scorpio's latest investigation which casts doubt over whether Radha Hariram, the principal director of Digital Vibes, was actually in charge of the company. The company, Digital Vibes, reportedly secured contracts worth more than R82m from the Department of Health in 2019 to work on a communications plan for the Nat...

Retailer Steinhoff has agreed to give R30m to investigators from the National Prosecuting Authority, NPA and Hawks to assist with a forensic probe into the company's auditing scandal. The NPA and Hawks reportedly don't have the budget to continue their investigations on the fraud committed Steinhoff's previous management and former CEO Markus Jooste. The NPA insists there is no conflict of interes...

Why are South African police under attack? We look at the ongoing murder of police officers. Recently the country has witnessed a spate of killings which have claimed the lives of several police officers and General Bheki Cele has urged the media and members of the public to speak out against police killings. guest: General Bheki Cele, Minister of Police

We hear from Siya Meyiwa (Senzo Meyiwa’s uncle) following today’s announcement that the trial of the five men linked to the murder of the late Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa has been set for October 25 to November 12 at the Palm Ridge Magistrates’ Court. Guest: Siya Meyiwa (Senzo Meyiwa’s uncle)

When is it appropriate to speak about someone who has passed on? When former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe died the commentary was mixed. He was hailed as a freedom fighter but many others saw him as an oppressive dictator. Many of his critics in Zimbabwe were widely condemned for speaking ill of Mugabe so soon after his death. Most of our cultural attitudes to death and mourning at times off...

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has teamed up with six traditional health practitioners to develop safe and standardised traditional medicines for commercialisation in a project funded by the department of science and innovation. We speak to the CSIR about how they will produce safe, quality and efficient herbal products using science and technology and how these products...

South Africa’s Information Regulator has written to WhatsApp regarding concerns it has over changes over the messaging service’s privacy policy. The IR has also raised as a central concern that citizens of the European Union will receive significantly higher privacy protection than people in South Africa and Africa. Advocate Pansy Tlakula says they are very concerned about these different standard...

Earlier today, the Statistician-General, Mr Risenga Maluleke, released the results of the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), 2020. Among other things, the report revealed that about 10,1 million learners walked all the way to their educational institution, which is a decrease from the 11 million observed in 2013. However, the highest percentage of learners who walked to their educational ins...

Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi has announced the establishment of a ministerial committee to review several categories of permits and visas issued since May 2004. He joins us now to give us more clarity on the issue Guest: Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Home Affairs

Staying with the story of scientists who have found that those infected with the Second Variant (501Y.V2) are immune to reinfection from previous and current variants. We now speak to Professor Koleka Mlisana, Executive Manager for Academic Affairs, Research And Quality Assurance At The National Health Laboratory Services GUEST: Professor Koleka Mlisana, Executive Manager for Academic Affairs, Res...