The National Pulse

Nersa has granted Eskom permission to increase its tariff by over 15% for the 2021/2022 financial year. The increase will improve the power utility’s financial status as they will be able to raise R10-billion in allowable revenue. Joining us to explain Eskom’s latest price increase is… Guest: Hasha Tlhotlhalemaje, Eskom's general manager for regulation

On World News today, we discuss - How to challenge draconian lockdown regulations in South Africa: “Lessons from Switzerland.” In June this year, Switzerland will hold a referendum on whether to strip the government of its power to impose new lockdown measures. The campaign is spearheaded by the Swiss campaign group called Friends of the Constitution. Bringing it home, lockdown rules imposed on So...

Three workers are missing following an explosion at one of ArcelorMittal's plant in Vanderbijlpark, Johannesburg. The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa say Arcelormittal has NO rescue team on site and that workers have reportedly volunteered and are risking their lives to go and try and retrieve workers from under the collapsed building. GUEST: Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, NUMSA National S...

The South African National Editor's Forum (SANEF) says it is deeply concerned and disappointed by the ethical breaches in the opinion piece by veteran investigative journalist, Jacques Pauw. The opinion piece was published by the Daily Maverick last week Friday. In it, Pauw talks about his apparent arrest and detention by the police at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. Pauw accused three officers o...

The 34th African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Ordinary Summit elected two new judges as members of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights last week. Former commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza has been appointed as judge of the African Court on Human and People's Rights. The continental court established by African countries to ensur...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on all South Africans to support government and frontline healthcare workers to ensure a successful vaccination programme against COVID19. Ramaphosa and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize have received the Johnson and Johnson COVID19 vaccine at the Khayelitsha District Hospital in the Western Cape after a healthcare worker at the hospital received the jab. 80 thousan...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the launch of South Africa's Covid-19 vaccine rollout programme that started at the Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town, represents a significant milestone in the country's history. Ramaphosa and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize received doses of the vaccine today along with a group of healthcare workers. Speaking after receiving his vaccintation, President Ramaph...

Earlier today, the South African Human Rights Commission released the findings of its investigations into the sewage problem at the Vaal River. The Commission found that the impact of the discharge violates a number of constitutional rights which includes the rights to: human dignity, freedom and security of the community. Guest: Maureen Stewart, Vice Chairperson of Save The Vaal Environment

About three hours ago, members of R2K in Gauteng picketed outside the department of health offices calling for vaccinations for all. They are also demanding that Covid19 Vaccine roll-out must be accompanied by full transparency as this will assist in holding government to account. Guest: Bongani ka Mthembu, R2K Gauteng Coordinator

World News: As South Africa opened its land borders, the Kingdom of Lesotho has warned its citizens to wait for official communication regarding travel restrictions, reminding them that the current COVID-19 restrictions only allow essential travel. Hardest hit are commuting students who will now need to make alternative residential arrangements until normal travel is allowed from the Lesotho side....

Mckenzie Ratselane who is the husband of Lesedi FM current affairs presenter, Dimakatso Ratselane has been arrested in Ennerdale for the brutal attack. Ratselane who is a suspect in this matter had been on the run after he allegedly brutally attacked and stabbed Dimakatso. For more on the story we speak to Dimakatso's younger sister Mpho Folotsi... GUEST: Mpho Folotsi, the younger sister of Lesedi...

The Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane met with Solidarity and AfriForum over their concerns on the B-BBEE criteria for the Covid-19 tourism relief fund. The meeting follows a letter from the attorneys of Solidarity and AfriForum, in which they had threatened legal action against the roll-out of the Tourism Equity Fund, claiming "it is exclusive on the basis of race, and discriminates w...

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in Limpopo is accusing the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) of being selective in its investigations of state entities in the province that have been implicated in fraud and corruption related to the procurement and distribution of personal protective equipment, arguing that by so doing, the SIU is contravening its Constitutional mandate and th...

Umalusi, the council in charge of quality assurance for education in South Africa has approved the release of the 2020 Matric results, despite leaks that occurred during the exam period. According to them, there were no systemic irregularities reported which might have undermined the overall credibility and integrity of the exams. Guest: Professor John Volmink, Chairperson of Umalusi

Constitutionally speaking – what does it all mean? Following Zuma’s refusal to appear before State Capture Inquiry, we hear from Michael Osborne about what this means and what’s likely to happen next within the prescripts of the law. Guest: Michael Osborne, Constitutional Law expert

The Zondo Commission will recommend to the Constitutional Court that former president Jacob Zuma be imprisoned for contempt of court for defying an order by the higest court forcing him to appear before the commission. The Chairperson of the Commission Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said that if Zuma is allowed to ignore his summons to appear there will be lawlessness and chaos in the courts w...

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has been criticized on social media for reportedly saying an "educated man won't rape" during one of her address to pupils at a school in Pretoria today. Motshekga was among government officials who visited schools across the country on the first day of the 2021 academic year, to check on the resumption of classes. Minister Motshekga says her comments were...

Still on the Zuma story, we now give you political analysis on this and joining us to explain the political ramifications of Zuma’s actions is…..Mcebisi Ndletyana, Professor of Political Science at the University of Johannesburg

On Saturday, Donald Trump was acquitted of inciting an insurrection. Trump was cleared because two-thirds of the Senate would have needed to find the former president guilty for him to have been convicted under the US constitution. What was interesting to see though was that seven Republicans joined Democrats in voting to convict the president. Joining us to explain what Trump’s acquittal means fo...

Aldrin Sampear speaks to Xitsonga poet Masingita Shibambu, who was a praise singer for President Cyril Ramaphosa in the 2020 State of the Nation Address. GUEST: Masingita Shibambu, Who Is a Poet

The Basic Education Department says learners of all grades will return to schools from Monday, Naptosa agrees GUEST: Basil Manuel, Executive Director of Naptso

We stay with the story of Eastern Cape Health MEC, Sindiswa Gomba and nine other accused persons, who have been released on bail after appearing before the East London Regional Court today. The ten accused are facing charges of corruption, money laundering, fraud and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act linked to the Buffalo City Municipality, Nelson Mandela Funeral scandal. The e...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended the Special 350 COVID-19 Grant by a further three months. President Ramaphosa made the announcement at the State of the Nation address, SONA, last night. Many of you have experienced challenges regarding the R350. So we have invited SASSA to further explain the extension and how the organisation will tackle the challenges to ensure that every deserving person...

The case of malicious damage to property and crimen injuria against Noma Mngoma, the estranged wife of former minister Malusi Gigaba, has been postponed until the 26 of March this year. She appeared briefly in the Pretoria Regional Court this morning. She was arrested in July last year by the Hawks regarding claims that she had damaged an expensive German four by four vehicle - that reportedly bel...

Eastern Cape Health MEC, Sindiswa Gomba and nine other accused persons, have been released on bail after appearing before the East London Regional Court today. The ten accused are facing charges of corruption, money laundering, fraud and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act linked to the Buffalo City Municipality, Nelson Mandela Funeral scandal. The eleventh suspect didn’t appear...