The National Pulse

Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu says the his office has been subjected to audit R230 billion out of the R500 billion Covid-19 relief fund. Releasing a special report on the financial management of Government's COVID-19 initiatives earlier on, the Auditor-General says the multi-billion rand Covid-19 relief package landed in an environment with many control weaknesses GUEST: Auditor-General Kimi Makwet...

Eskom has just announced that load-shedding will move from Stage 2 to Stage 4, due to exceptionally high demand. The power utility also said load-shedding will persist throughout the weekend as their teams work around the clock to return as many of these generation units to service as possible Guest: Sikhonati Mantshantsha, Eskom’s spokesperson

On World News today we ask, how solid is Sudan’s peace agreement? On Monday, Sudan’s transitional government signed a peace agreement with key rebel groups. The agreement was hailed by many as a significant step towards resolving deep-rooted conflicts in North Africa. But will this peace deal stand the test of time? Guest: Dismas Nkunda, the Executive Director of Atrocities Watch Africa

We revisit the issue of corporal punishment. Following the arrest of three Mpumalanga teachers who are accused of assaulting pupils. You may recall that late last year, the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruled that the common law defence of ‘reasonable and moderate chastisement’ was unconstitutional, effectively banning all corporal punishment of children. Also the South African Schools Act...

BSS: The DA in the UMsunduzi Municipality in Pietermaritzburg has accused municipal officials of claiming about R10 million in overtime pay since the start of the national lockdown. The party is concerned by the exorbitant figure since the municipality was operating with skeleton staff due to Covid-19. The DA has called for a breakdown of how the overtime pay was accumulated. GUEST: DA Msunduzi co...

We are now in conversation with Home Affairs Minister, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, who last week announced some of the services that will resume countrywide under alert level two of the lockdown. A lot of countries, including South Africa has closed borders and halted international air travel in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus. On the 18th of August the country went into alert level-two of t...

The National Assembly is currently holding a debate on the scourge of farm murders. Over the weekend are large number of bikers converged at the Union Buildings and Parliament calling on government to help prevent farm murders. So far 49 farm murders have occurred during the 2019-2020 financial year, according to the latest crime statistics released by Police Minister Bheki Cele, last month. And r...

As we tackle the issue of farm murders, we hear from the African Christian Democratic Party simply because they want government to declare farm murders as priority crimes. The party was reacting to the death of a farming couple from the Normandien area in northern KwaZulu-Natal when making this call. Guest: Rev Kenneth Meshoe, Leader of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP)

On World News today, we discuss Paul Rusesabagina’s arrest: You may know by now that Rusesabagina, portrayed in the film “Hotel Rwanda” as a hero who saved the lives of more than 1,200 people from the country’s 1994 genocide, has been arrested by the Rwandan government on terror charges. Commenting on his arrest - Rwanda’s police said, the internationally honoured hero is suspected to be the found...

I’m sure a lot of you are wondering as to what’s happening to our weather – why are we not celebrating Spring Day today? Well, according to SA Weather Service things will only change later in the week as temperatures are expected to reach 25℃ and above. Guest: Puseletso Mofokeng, Senior forecaster at the South African Weather Service

What’s behind Nehawu’s planned strike and is there a lack of personal protective equipment in South Africa? We hear from Nehawu and SAMA. This after Nehawu has threatened that they will instruct their members to down tools as soon as next week if the government fails to implement their demands on salary increments and protective Covid-19 measures Guest: Zola Saphetha, General Secretary of the Nati...

President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered investigations into the alleged theft of funds meant for the procurement of provision for the fight against COVID-19 in the country. A media expose carried in local outlets in the country reported how the government medical procurement officers handpicked companies and gave multibillion-dollar contracts to the politically connected. Guest: Sarah Kimani - SABC’s...

The eThekwini Municipality has unveiled a new strategy that is aimed at addressing grave space shortages in Durban. This new plan will have about 8000 new graves available. According to the municipality, land has been identified specifically for burial space; specialists are currently busy with environmental impact assessments and geo-technical assessments to ascertain if the land is suitable for...

Today on Beyond Innovation we talk eye technology. We focus on cornea transplant, how and why it is done. This is a surgical a procedure to replace part of the cornea with corneal tissue. This procedure can restore vision, reduce pain and improve the appearance of a damaged or diseased cornea. Guest: Emeritus Professor Trevor Carmichael - former Head of Department in the Department of Ophthalmolog...

In 2016 Fransman was accused of sexually assaulting his former personal assistant while the ANC was holding its January 8 celebrations in the North West. The case was withdrawn in the Kimberley Magistrates Court, in September 2019. So what has become of Mr Fransman's political career and what is he up to these days? He now joins us on the line, to elaborate further... GUEST: Former Western Cape AN...

The Constitutional Court has dismissed, with costs, an application for leave to appeal by public protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, in the controversial Estina dairy project In the Free State. This is the third court to dismiss her appeal. The High court followed by the Supreme Court of Appeal also set aside her findings on the Vrede dairy farm, which looked into allegations of corruption at t...

Following Eldorado Park’s unfortunate incident, after a 16-year-old boy with Down syndrome was shot dead, allegedly by a local policeman. We speak to Ganief Hendricks who is of the view that Coloured issues are largely ignored in South Africa and he is calling for the appointment of a commission of enquiry into the discrimination against the Coloured community. Guest: Ganief Hendricks, Leader of A...

World News: Shinzo Abe has announced his resignation due to ill-health, ending an eight-year term that made him the longest-serving leader in his nation’s history. Abe was due to serve as leader until September next year. So what’s going to happen next - will his departure shake the country’s political landscape? And what type of legacy is he leaving behind? Guest: Dr Cobus Van Staden, Senior rese...

The ANC Provincial Executive Committee in KwaZulu-Natal has asked all its members accused of serious crimes or corruption to step aside until their appearance before the party’s Integrity Commission. But the main question really is - why did it have to take so much public pressure for this happen? Guest: Nhlakanipho Ntombela, ANC Spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal

The National Taxi Alliance has urged Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to allow long distance taxis to load at 100% capacity. The organisation is very disappointed that under the amended transport regulations - government did not change its stance on the 70% loading capacity. Guest: Theo Malele, spokesperson of the National Taxi Alliance

In its bid to have a better understanding of just how many South Africans have died of Covid-19. Government wants the bodies of all individuals who died of natural causes to be tested for Covid-19 before burial. Joining us to explain the rationale behind this decision is….. Guest: Deputy director-general at the Department of Health, Dr Anban Pillay

We now look at the challenges facing women when it comes to access to land today. This as the Progressive Women's Movement of South Africa is set to hold a virtual Dialogue tomorrow afternoon, under the theme: "Realizing Women's Rights to Land Ownership and Financially Enabled production". The conversation seeks to raise key issues relevant to women emancipation through mobilizing for land ownersh...

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts, SCOPA yesterday had to postpone a meeting with Eskom board members after being told last minute via SMS that the board could not attend due to a critical internal meeting. Interim board chairperson, Professor Malegapure Mokgoba, sent a message to SCOPA chairperson excusing the board's attendance. But, two board members who attended said they had no knowle...

The ANC Integrity Commission has summoned Ace Magashule to an urgent meeting over his comment that he will never step aside over a mere allegation of corruption… GUEST: Political analyst, Professor Lesiba Teffo from UNISA

15:20 On World News today: We speak to Zimbabwean human rights lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa who was recently told by a Magistrate Court in Zimbabwe that she can’t represent her client Hopewell Chin’ono, a prominent journalist who has been exposing grand corruption in Zimbabwe. Guest: Beatrice Mtetwa, Zimbabwean lawyer