The National Pulse

Commissioner at the Competition Commission Thembinkosi Bonakele says negotiations with MTN and Telkom are at an advanced stage and a conclusion can be expected soon. Bonakele says the administrative delays in spectrum allocation - which can ensure further price reductions - comes at a high cost to the economy. His comments follow an announcement on a settlement agreement with Vodacom which agreed...

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, NUMSA today approached the South Gauteng High Court to make an urgent application on behalf of striking Lanxess Chrome Mine workers in Rustenburg. The union wants to be able to provide food to workers, who staged a sit-in underground since the 11th of February this year. It was reported that the company would not allow the union to give the strik...

eThekwini city manager, Sipho Nzuza has been granted R50 000 bail following his arrest this morning. Nzuza is the latest senior official in eThekwini to be arrested in connection with the multi-million rand Durban Solid Waste tender scandal. Guest: Xolani Dube, Researcher and political analyst from the XUBERA Institute for Research and Development

About a week ago, the Healthcare Stakeholders Forum postponed its picket which was scheduled for the 27th of Feb and following that, the forum has since decided to boycott any further engagement with the Council for Medical Schemes which includes their participation in the advisory committees to be set up in terms of Circular12 of 2020 that the Regulator is putting in place. They are suggesting th...

Still on Covid19: On Sunday, about 16 million people were placed in lockdown in the Lombardy region and 14 more Italian provinces after the country’s coronavirus cases spiked. So how does this affect the country’s socio political conditions? Guest: Professor Vito Laterza, Associate Professor at the University of AGDER in Norway

How the world could be shaped by the coronavirus. In conversation with Brett Lyndall Singh, a South African medical doctor who has been studying and working in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province for nearly nine years. The city has the highest number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection among prefecture-level cities. Guest: Doctor Brett Lyndall Singh, member of the anti-epidemic team specialis...

Eskom has just announced that load shedding will move to Stage 4 from 2pm this afternoon after Koeberg Unit 1 tripped. Apparently the unit has been disconnected from the grid due to a fault on the turbine side, however the nuclear reactor remains safe. Guest: Sikhonathi Mantshantsha, Eskom spokesperson

Meanwhile the DA in Gauteng says it is seeking legal advice on whether it should take to court, a review of the decision to dissolve the Tshwane Council. The party argues that Gauteng COGTA MEC, Lebogang Maile and the executive council had no grounds to place the metro under administration. The DA has accused the ANC of causing dysfunction in the City. Guest: Mike Moriarty, DA Gauteng provincial C...

Eight francophone African states have agreed to start using a new currency, the Eco, which is scheduled for launch in June this year. The eight states are members of the economic community of West African states (ECOWAS), a wider regional economic community, which also has a plan to introduce a single currency in 2020. Guest: Gideon Chitanga, political analyst

The first case of coronavirus has been confirmed in South Africa. A 38-year-old man has tested positive for the (COVID-19) virus in KwaZulu-Natal. The man recently travelled to Italy and has been in self-isolation since. Guest: Professor Mosa Moshabela: the Dean and Head of School: Nursing and Public Health

The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) is hosting a National Gender Machinery Summit at the Old Assembly Chamber, in Parliament today. The Summit will take stock of the achievements of the national gender machinery and conduct an audit of the challenges currently facing the national gender machinery. The NCOP says despite the notable strides made in women's empowerment and gender equality in the...

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola says all South Africans need to work together to deal with the challenges facing the country, including concerns about the parole system. This follows a recent spate of murders of young children allegedly committed by parolees. Minister Lamola will meet with high-ranking officials in the Department of Correctional Services and secretaries of...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is interested' in the possible sale of Eskom power stations to private companies to run. Briefing of the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) yesterday Ramaphosa said having more power producers generating electricity and selling to Eskom would "encourage competition" Guest: Zamikhaya Maseti, Political Economist

We now tell you about Money Smart Week SA (MSWSA) which is a public awareness campaign that enhances financial literacy by taking financial education to the people. It delivers expert advice by qualified professionals to help people make more informed financial decisions. Ultimately, this will enable South Africans to take control of their finances and safeguard their future. Guest: Lyndwill Clark...

March being Human Rights Month, we speak to the Foundation for Human Rights. The Foundation in partnership with the Department of Basic Education is conducting training in values of education, Human Rights, LGBTIQ+ ,Constitutional Values, Social Cohesion (Xenophobia, Afro-phobia, racism) with learners from around Gauteng (but will also be going to the eight other provinces). The training is aimed...

There has been a marked increase in the number of South African families who applied for refugee status in Australia, citing that their lives are at risk – however the Australian government has denied the families' applications. You may recall that in 2018, the Australian Home Affairs minister Peter Dutton had suggested that white South African farmers should be considered under the country's huma...

The Foundation for Equality before the Law recently penned an open letter to Justice Minister Ronald Lamola alerting him that the provisions of Article 9 of the Constitution which provide for equality before the law are, in essence, being disregarded by the National Prosecuting Authority. According to the foundation “millions of rand are being wasted by the NPA due to ineffective planning and poli...

The Inspecting Judge of Correctional Services, Judge Edwin Cameron, says he is concerned about the spike in deaths in correctional facilities at the hands of officials. In the period September 2019 to February this year, seven deaths were reported. A delegation from the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services, JICS, appeared before parliament's subcommittee on Correctional Services to prom...

Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) management says it is hopeful that academic activities will resume tomorrow at its Pretoria West Campus. This after the university's meeting with students' representatives late yesterday after chaos broke out during fresh protests at the Pretoria campus. Students are calling for management to speed up issues related to students' accommodation, NSFAS payments...

77% of babies on medical-aid are born by caesarean section, this according to a new study by the Council for Medical Schemes, CMS. According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, C-sections should only represent 10% to 15%. C-sections are more expensive than normal births - costing up to R42,000 a delivery. For more on this we now speak to the CMS who are seeking urgent steps to reduce the incide...

A stakeholder meeting to end a stand-off between the City of Cape Town and a group of foreign nationals - is due to take place this afternoon. The group which has been camping out in the CBD since October, was moved from the pavement outside the Central Methodist Church at the weekend but remained in the area. Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith says negotiations are underway...

On Friday, the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, Lindiwe Sisulu, will convene a Human Settlement Indaba, the first to be held in the 6th administration. According to the ministry, the Indaba will strengthen strategic partnerships with sector stakeholders to realise spatial transformation, adequate housing and security of tenure through the provision of 1 million housing opportun...

We look at the Gatvol Capetonian’s hunger strike: The Gatvol Movement is incensed that the government is resting on its laurels while communities bleed on the Cape Flats. Guest: Fadiel Adams

World News: On Saturday night, Congolese soldiers clashed with raiding militia fighters from the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) and this has left 20 people dead. To explain what’s going on in Ituri province, Guest: Musa Mdunge, International relations political analyst

Today, the University of KwaZulu-Natal launched a ground-breaking Campus Health ‘War Room’ in a bid to lend a hand in the international efforts of fighting the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. According to the university, the plan offers a coordinated cohesive strategy for preparedness. For more on this, Guest: Professor Mosa Moshabela: the Dean and Head of School: Nursing and Public Health