The National Pulse

BSS: The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) have called on the sector's leaders to ensure that further measures are in place to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. This as the number of mineworkers, testing positive for the coronavirus, continues to rise daily. There are now 679 confirmed Covid-19 cases at various mines countrywide. However, the Minerals Council of South...

Domestic flights between O.R. Tambo International, Cape Town International and, King Shaka International Airports have resumed. Airports Company of South Africa says various measures have been put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the safety of passengers and staff at the airport. We now speak to the General Manager at O.R Tambo International Airport, Bongiwe Pityi-Vokwana abou...

Parliament yesterday adopted new virtual rules of the House, despite interruptions by the EFF. This was the first time voting was conducted in hybrid platform Guest: Parliament spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo

How do we reduce road fatalities in South Africa? According to a report issued by the Road Traffic Management Corporation – South Africa recorded 12 503 fatalities last year, a 3% fall from 12921 in 2018. However, the Automobile Association says that the total number of deaths on the roads is still too high and would remain a problem until government intervenes. Layton Beard, spokesperson for the...

World News today: The president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro recently announced that his country will for the first time in many years begin charging for petrol. Venezuela's oil industry is in ruins, forcing the government to look elsewhere for its fuel supplies. Guest: Prof Lyall White, Senior Director of the Johannesburg Business School

We unlock President Ramaphosa’s response on the constitutionality of the National Coronavirus Command Council as we know that its legal standing has been questioned. DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach recently asked President Ramaphosa on "which existing Act of Parliament, regulation or provision of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa" did he rely on when he established the NCCC and from which...

Burundi's outgoing President Pierre Nkurunziza has died, the government of the central African nation announced a few moments ago. Last month Burundi elected a new leader, retired general Evariste Ndayishimiye, who was flagbearer for the ruling CNDD-FDD party. Nkurunziza, who has faced accusations of political repression at home and abroad since coming to power in 2005, was due to stay in office u...

Following a reported number of alcohol-related deaths countrywide and a rise in trauma cases in hospitals just a few days into Level 3 restrictions, we ask - did government make the right decision to lift the ban on alcohol? Guest: Lebo Ramafoko, CEO of Tikano Atlantic Fellows

Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts is preparing to subpoena the liquidators of SA Express if they fail to appear again next week. This is after they were absent at today's meeting, where they were scheduled to brief the committee on the progress of the liquidation process. Members felt that the liquidators were undermining the authority of parliament by not informing the committee...

Eastern Cape Covid-19 related deaths are predicted to reach 6,000 in November this year. The prediction is according to a comprehensive report compiled by the Eastern Cape provincial command council. Meanwhile the Health Department in the province has disputed this figure Guest: Eastern Cape health superintendent-general, Dr Thobile Mbengashe

Lawyers for a grade 8 learner, who drowned on a school camp at the beginning of the year, say Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi has never offered them a settlement. Lesufi earlier mentioned that the department was being sued by Enoch Mpianzi's family. He said that the department would likely not oppose the application. Mpianzi drowned after a makeshift raft capsized on the Crocodile River at t...

Labour and employment minister Thulas Nxesi has issued new regulations on Covid-19 that scrap the requirement that employees who have been diagnosed with the disease can only return to work after testing negative for the virus. According to him, this will assist in reducing pressure on the state laboratory Guest: Tibor Szana, Chief Inspector, Occupational Health and Safety at the Department of Lab...

World News today: On Thursday last week, the Burundi constitutional court upheld the presidential election of retired general Evariste Ndayishimiye. According to voter results, Ndayishimiye won the election with 69 percent of the votes. However, Agathon Rwasa, who supposedly won 24 percent of the votes, filed a complaint claiming that Ndayishimiye’s party had committed electoral fraud. Guest : Sar...

Today on Both Sides of the Story we ask - Can anyone define and explain what black man’s mentality is and all that is associated with it – is it regressive or progressive and how does it compare to the so called “white man’s mentality? But most importantly - how do we confront the powerful structural racism, relationships and everyday politics in a world that remains extremely unequal and violent...

Acting AbaThembu King, Azenathi Dalindyebo made a brief appearance at the Mthatha Magistrate court on allegations of assault - with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and pointing of a fire arm. This after allegations that he was part of a group that allegedly assaulted King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo's advisor, Lubabalo Phaphu. NPA regional spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali says the accused is out on war...

Western Cape Minister of Education Debbie Schafer says 13 schools in the province which have registered grade seven or twelve learners failed to reopen today. Eleven of the schools due to confirmed cases of Covid-19. Guest: Western Cape Education Department spokesperson, Bronagh Hammond

The South African Communist Party is calling for the SASSA R350 Covid-19 grant to be made permanent. You may recall that the grant was introduce in April and intendent to last for a duration of six months (which means it will stop in October this year) Guest: Dr Alex Mashilo, National spokesperson of the SACP

World News today: Can Joe Biden beat Trump in the upcoming US election? Aaccording to a new poll in the US, former Vice President Joe Biden has increased his lead over President Donald Trump to 12 percentage points in Michigan, where we are told voters are unhappy with Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Guest on the line (UK) Professor Scott Lucas, Professor of US politics at the Univer...

Post last month’s launch of the Kindness Contagion – we speak to Beth Arendse about the objectives of this noble initiative. The campaign encourages Africans and the rest of the world to share the message of hope, kindness and solidarity across the globe Guest: Beth Arendse, Kindness Contagion Executive Producer and founder of the South African Creatives Industries Incubator

On Beyond Innovation - we ask you - Did you know that Sugar cane help treat chemotherapy side effects? Prof Monde Ntwasa is a Biochemist in Drug Discovery and Development - he led a team of researchers who observed that sugar has properties that could be used to reduce side effects of chemotherapy. This however is not a new phenomenon as it was observed in 1924 by Otto Warburg. Why have scientists...

Tomorrow - ANC struggle stalwart, anti-apartheid activist and former Robben Island prisoner Andrew Mlangeni turns 95. Isithwalandwe/Seaparankoe Tata Andrew Mlangeni is the last remaining Rivonia Trialists. Mlangeni served as an MP in the National Assembly until his retirement in 2014 Guest: Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize, Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women Youth and Persons with Disabilities

The Covid-19 pandemic saw domestic and international flights around the world being grounded due to the virus. As South Africa is now in alert level 3, some domestic flights are set to resume. So what goes into restarting the engines of planes when they have been switched off for this long due to the lockdown? And do pilots need refresher courses before flying people? Guest: Captain Nigel Hopkins,...

SA Express workers are calling on government to force the State-owned Enterprise to pay outstanding salaries before its liquidated next week. Workers at the Airline have not been paid since February this year. Today, the workers marched from SAA Airways Park to the Union Buildings to hand over a list of their demands. Other workers staged a protest outside Parliament in Cape Town. Guest: Nthabisen...

We now tell you more about a sad story of Amahle Nkabinde who has been missing for 10 years. What is even more worrying about this story is that her mother has been given the run-around by the authorities, including the local police who have not been helpful on the matter. On top of that she has been treated with disdain every time she tries to get help. Guest: Zama Ngwenya, mother of Amahle

Prof Francis Petersen who is the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State responds to claims that UFS students are not adequately equipped or supported to study remotely during the COVID-19 lockdown. Guest: Prof Francis Petersen, the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State