The National Pulse

On World News today we ask, where did Covid19 come from? Earlier today, an international team of experts who were tasked with investigating the COVID-19 pandemic's origins briefed the media about the findings of the first phase of their investigation, and according to them – there is no sufficient evidence to support the claim that Covid19 was circulating in the Chinese city of Wuhan before Decemb...

It is now almost inevitable that Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo Lweala is going to become the first woman and the first African to lead the World Trade Organization after South Korea's candidate pulled out of the race for the job. Okonjo-Iweala spent 25 years with the World Bank as Managing Director and she is widely respected for her effective leadership. To tell us more about Okonjo-Iweala is……. Guest o...

Unions representing healthcare workers in KwaZulu-Natal have expressed concerns about the failure of the Department of Health to officially open the Pixley Ka-Seme hospital at KwaMashu Township. The Pixley Ka-Seme Hospital is said to be one of the hospitals with advanced equipment to cater for the needs of patients. The hospital was expected to be opened in October last year. Guest: Public Servant...

Public Protector says former Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba did not abuse his powers by granting early naturalisation to the Guptas GUEST: Karyn Maughan, Senior Legal Journalist with News24.com

SONA Preview and Business Expectations: Black Business Council share their thoughts on the upcoming State of the Nation Address, which is going to take place on Thursday this week. Guest: Sandile Zungu, President of Black Business Council

Tourism Minister suspends the Tourism Equity Fund after civil rights groups send an urgent letter saying it intends to offer financing to black-owned tourism businesses Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has suspended the Tourism Equity Fund’s (TEF's) activities after it was launched on the 26th of January 2020. This follows after the Afriforum and Solidarity sent an urgent letter to the Mi...

We told you so - says Young Nurses Indaba. Following last night’s announcement that the country will no longer use Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vaccine after it was found to be ineffective against mild disease caused by the variant first identified in South Africa. About few months ago, you may recall that Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union warned South Africa about government’s disastrous vaccine roll out p...

Last night, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize announced that the country has decided to suspended plans to inoculate its front-line health care workers with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after a small clinical trial suggested that it isn't effective against the variant of COVID-19 discovered in the country. To explain what this means moving forward is…. GUEST: Prof Hellen Rees - Chairperson of the...

Twenty-five senior officials from various government departments and two executives are being investigated for fraud and corruption relating to violations of state procurement procedures. The cases relate to the issuing of contracts to non-qualifying service providers and disregarded procurement procedures during the Covid-19 State of the Disaster period. Head of the Special Investigating Unit (SI...

In politics any time is tea time. So what is brewing in Nkandla, what could EFF leader Julius Malema be discussing with former President Jacob Zuma. Social media users are speculating that Malema may try to persuade Zuma to rethink his decision to ignore the Constitutional Court ruling. Or is there something more to the meeting? Should we be concerned? Or is this merely a storm in a tea cup? Well...

This week the bus transportation industry announced many changes as a result of Covid 19 challenges. Unitrans Passenger - the company which owns Greyhound, CITILINER, Mega Bus and Mega Couch said it's its closing operations this month after more than thirty years in the business. While PUTCO announced job cuts for more than 200 employees as it struggles to keep afloat due to lockdown regulations t...

After a few years of intense political rivalry in South Africa, and seeking to remove Jacob Zuma from the union buildings, Julius Malema has reached out to the former President. If the EFF statement on Zuma's constitutional court ruling is anything to go by, Malema may be in a bid to persuade the former President to rethink his decision to shun the constitutional court which ordered to him appear...

We revisit ANC politics in North West and ask what’s behind the party’s instability there? As you probably know by now that what transpired there during the past few days has caused a lot of confusion after Premier Job Mokgoro was suspended by the party’s interim provincial committee but allowed to keep his job as the leader of the provincial government. Guest: Paul Sebegoe, North West ANC Chief W...

In conversation with Arthur Fraser’s lawyer, following his decision to lay perjury charges against the former chairperson of the High-Level Review Panel into the State Security Agency, Dr Sydney Mufamadi, the agency’s acting Director-General Loyiso Jafta as well as Mr ‘Y’ and Ms ‘K’. Guest: Rapulana Kgoroadira, Director at Kgoroadira Mudau Inc

Former public protector Thuli Madonsela has received the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur/ French knighthood from President Macron. Professor Madonsela was honoured in recognition of her work in defence of the rule of law and the fight against corruption in South Africa. GUEST: Prof Thuli Madonsela, chair in social justice at Stellenbosch University’s faculty of law

The National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa, Numsa has been served with a section 189 notice from Unitrans. Unitrans says the company has been negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and may have to close its operations. GUEST: Numsa National Spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, SAHPRA, says it has processed ten applications for the use of Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19. The body briefed Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Health on the use of the anti-parasitic drug. The CEO of SAHPRA, Boitumelo Semete, has so far repeated that there is insufficient data to approve that the drug for use in humans. The drug...

Church leaders are calling for the immediate lifting of the ban on faith based gatherings. They are arguing that if gatherings at places such as casinos and gyms are allowed, why not the church Guest: Pastor MoAfrika WaMaila, Spokesperson of Pastors Against Church Closures

This year marks the 24th anniversary of the Constitution coming into effect on 04 February 1997, replacing the Interim Constitution of 1993. The country will also mark the 25th anniversary since the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa was signed into law. The Constitution was signed into law in Sharpeville, Vereeniging, by former President Nelson Mandela in 1996. The country's Constitutio...

An emotional former ANC MP Dr Makhosi Khoza has told the Zondo Commission of the harassment and death threats she had to endure against her and her children, for her public criticism of the ANC and former president Jacob Zuma. Dr Khoza is appearing before the Commission to give evidence related to Parliamentary Oversight. Guest: Dr Makhosi Khoza

The National Consumer Commission has formally commenced investigations into Food Lovers Market, the Spar group, Pick n Pay, the Shoprite group, Boxer Superstores, Cambridge Foods and Woolworths for alleged price gouging. However they have made it clear that their investigation is not limited to these suppliers and they are calling on consumers throughout the country to monitor the market and to fi...

Few hours ago, the Constitutional Court confirmed 2019’s Gauteng High Court ruling that found that parts of the RICA act are inconsistent with the constitution. Amabhungane challenged RICA act after its journalist Sam Sole’s communications were targeted by state surveillance while he was reporting on the corruption investigation against former President Jacob Zuma. Guest: Cherese Thakur, Advocacy...

Former Ugandan rebel commander, Dominic Ongwen has been convicted of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. He was convicted on 61 of the 70 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes he faced. The charges relate to attacks on four camps for internally displaced people in Uganda in 2004. Guest: Elise Keppler, Associate Director, International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch

Labour unions have approached the Constitutional Court to challenge a Labour Court ruling that declared the 2018 wage agreement invalid and unconstitutional. The Unions say government cannot deviate from their wage agreement simply because of challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. The unions want to appeal the labour court's decision to prevent a salary increase for government employee...

SARS has taken a decision to extend the filing season deadline for provisional taxpayers, saying Covid19 was a key reason behind this decision. Taxpayers who received auto-assessment notices last year but did not yet accept the auto-assessments are encouraged to use this extension period to do so. Guest: Mr Nat Mabetwa, SARS Regional Director, Gauteng