The National Pulse

Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs is visiting the Beitbridge border post on a fact-finding mission. There have been many challenges experienced at the port of entry, with many travellers crossing the border, some with fake Covid-19 certificates. GUEST: The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, Adv Bongani Bongo

Two Malawian Ministers have succumb to COVID-19 in JUST ONE day. Malawi's Local Government Minister Lingson Belekanyama and the Minister of Transport and Public Works Sidik Mia, have died from COVID-19 Tuesday. GUEST: Malawi's Minister of Information, Gospel Kazako

What has become of gang-ridden areas in the Western Cape since the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to assist police in curbing gang related violence in areas such as the Cape Flats? Did the deployment of soldiers stabilise such affected areas? Over the years South Africa has witnessed mass protests against gangsterism and drugs by disgruntled coloured communities in...

We continue our coverage on the financial challenges facing the Amathole District Municipality in the Eastern Cape. The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Faith Muthambi has called on stakeholders of Amathole District to find solutions to the financial and budgetary problems contributing to the municipality's inability to pay workers. So what...

As the marking process is now in full swing across all nine provinces. We are now joined by the Director General of the department of basic education, he is currently visiting three marking centres in the Limpopo Province and we are told that he is going to have one-on-one meetings with examination personnel on the ground. You may recall that yesterday, the national department of basic education g...

The National Taxi Alliance (NTA) is urging the government to prioritise taxi operators and taxi rank officials when the country receives a Covid-19 vaccine. They are arguing that the taxi industry carries 70% of commuters daily, putting its workers at high risk of contracting the virus. They are also of the view that those working in the industry should be seen as essential workers. Guest: Alpheus...

The Independent Electoral Commission has approached the Electoral Court to allow it to postpone the latest rounds of by-elections. This follows the implementation of adjusted level 3 lockdown restrictions which have re-introduced prohibitions on political activities. Guest: Sy Mamabolo, Chief Electoral Officer

World News: We hear from Mark Klusener on why Turkey's competition authority has decided to open an investigation into WhatsApp over a new policy update that requires users to share more data with its parent company, Facebook. This move has been widely criticised by the international community Guest on the line (Turkey): Mark Klusener, Executive Producer for TRT World News in Turkey

Popular messaging app WhatsApp has received mass criticism from users for updating its privacy policy. The new terms compel its some two billion users to agree to share their data, such as their personal information and location, with its parent company Facebook and its subsidiaries. The decision has since seen users moving to rival messaging Apps such as Signal and Telegram. GUEST: Advocate Pansy...

The cash-strapped Amathole District Municipality in the Eastern Cape says it needs urgent government financial assistance. This after the municipality announced that it would be unable to pay salaries of workers, councillors and traditional leaders for the months of February, April, May and June. 1 641 municipal workers and 56 councillors and traditional leaders serving in the council will be affe...

Some doctors across the UK have been vaccinated against the Covid-19. But some of the locals there are still hesitant to get vaccinated due to mounting fears and panic on the side effects of Covid vaccines. This afternoon we will speak to a UK-based doctor, Dr. Craig Oranmore-Brown, one of the frontline health and care staff who were recently vaccinated against Covid19... GUEST: Dr. Craig Oranmore...

The ANC wants a review of laws surrounding the sale of alcohol in the country as they believe this will somehow assist in curbing violence and crime. This was revealed by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week when delivering the party’s January 8 statement. Guest: Dr Susan Goldstein: Deputy Director @ Priceless & Board member of the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance

World News: In conversation with Professor Mammo Muchie on why the talks between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan on the filling and operations of Ethiopia’s dam on the Nile River have failed. Tensions have been high in the Nile basin ever since Ethiopia broke ground on the dam in 2011. Guest: Professor Mammo Muchie, African analyst & Research Professor on Innovation studies at Tshwane University of Tech...

COVID-19 has drastically changed the cost, logistics and cultural practices conducted at funerals and cremations. The pandemic has highlighted the persistent struggle against the ever-increasing demand for burial space due to the surge in Covid-19 deaths. This problem has forced major cities to find a balance between providing accommodation for the living and the dead. Other factors exacerbating t...

Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Xolile Nqatha, who reportedly was supposed to attend a homecoming ceremony of 25 initiates at Kubusi Village in Qumbu, cancelled his visit to the area. Under the new Covid-19 regulations families are prohibited from hosting Traditional Homecoming celebrations until further notice. GUEST: Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Tradit...

Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Xolile Nqatha, who reportedly was supposed to attend a homecoming ceremony of 25 initiates at Kubusi Village in Qumbu, cancelled his visit to the area. Under the new Covid-19 regulations families are prohibited from hosting Traditional Homecoming celebrations until further notice. GUEST: Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana, Chairperson of Contral...

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) says the procurement and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine should be done in a transparent manner. The association has commended the country for securing the vaccine and committed to working with government to ensure that healthcare workers are immunised GUEST: Dr Angelique Coetzee, chairperson of the South African Medical Association, SAMA

We dispel the great 5G coronavirus conspiracy, asking - could this be informed by a lack of understanding of how the cellular system works, blended with the overall global panic of the pandemic? The unfounded claim is that there are dangers associated with 5G networks and that they are making people sick, by driving the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Guest: Arthur Goldstuck, CEO & founder o...

Professor Lesiba Teffo shares thoughts on what to expect from the ANC January 8 Statement. For the first time since the governing party was unbanned in 1990, there will be no mass rally due to the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic. The statement will be delivered by the ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa at 19:00 today. Guest: Professor Lesiba Teffo, political analyst based @Unisa

As we continue to bring you more news on Covid19. Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union is worried that government is failing to hire more health workers despite the growing number of infections and they are also complaining that nurses are overworked, underpaid and afraid for their lives because they are still expected to work without PPEs. Guest: Lerato Mthunzi, President of the Young Nurses Indaba Tr...

Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has condemned opportunistic elements seeking to hijack the plight of poor people of Masiphumelele and Taiwan informal settlements, in Cape Town, whose shacks were destroyed by fires recently. On Tuesday Minister Sisulu had a heated exhange with a human rights activist during her walkabout of the Taiwan settlement. In a video, which ha...

Yesterday, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize announced that our country has reached a grim milestone as we breached the 20 000 mark for new cases. The continued surge in COVID-19 cases comes amid concerns over government’s vaccine rollout plan. As a nation - what is it that we are not doing right at the moment? Guest: Professor Mosa Moshabela, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation...

Joe Biden has been officially certified as the next President of the United States. Despite violent protests from Donald Trump supporters storming the US Capitol, forcing a delay in the electoral vote certification. On the other hand, outgoing President Donald Trump has issued his first statement since the protests raged, saying there would be an orderly transition on January 20 even though he tot...

Today marks 26 years since the death of anti-apartheid activist and SACP stalwart, Joe Slovo. Slovo was a steadfast member of the South Africa Communist Party, SACP, from the early 1940's. He was also the founding member of the Congress of Democrats in 1953. He contributed to the drafting of the Freedom Charter, but was unable to attend the gathering in Kliptown because of his restriction order. A...

As promised we're now in conversation with Paseka Letsatsi, the spokesperson for the South African Social Security Agency (sassa), to respond to some of the concerns our listeners raised yesterday in terms of grant payments. Many of you voiced your frustration on the number of delayed and declined or Covid-19 grant applications and R350 payments. GUEST: Sassa spokesperson, Paseka Letsatsi