The National Pulse

Guest: Cllr. Khaya Ngqisha

    News 24 broke a story today about actor and comedian, Anton Taylor’s home being raided by the hawks after a satirical video he posted about KZN Police Commissioner, Lt. General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and suspended police Minister, Senzo Mchunu. This is what a part of the video sounds like…   GUEST: Anton Taylor, Actor and Comedian

Following General Fannie Masemola’s revelation that the 121 dockets that were removed from the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team will be sent back to the province, we hear from Professor Nirmala Gopal on how we should interpret this latest development and what it all means in the battle against crime. GUEST: Professor Nirmala Gopal, Criminologist from the University of KwaZulu-Natal

Three European countries, namely; France, Germany and the United Kingdom have triggered the process to reimpose sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. The three countries known as the E3, are accusing Tehran of violating the 2015 nuclear deal commitments. However, Iran’s foreign ministry has condemned the move by these three nations, calling it a provocative and unnecessary escalat...

Some music composers and producers are calling on the Southern African Music Rights Organisation’s (SAMRO) Board to step down, following revelations of financial mismanagement. There are those who feel that some members of the board are overpaid and they are undeserving of their benefits. GUEST: Mzwakhe Mbuli, SA artist

Electricity tariffs for the next two years have been hiked after the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) said it found errors in its price determination announced in January. Joining me on the line now to provide more information on this is… GUEST: Tshepo Kgadima, Energy Analyst

Yesterday, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) held a press briefing on governance and operational challenges faced by the organisation. Worryingly the organisation is owed R45 billion in outstanding student loans. The organisation’s board chairperson, Karen Stander also revealed that a critical trust deficit exists between NSFAS, higher education institutions, student bodies,...

As we come to the end of South Africa's Women's Month- in our #G20 feature today, we turn our attention to a powerful gathering that puts women at the centre of Africa's economic future, the Women to Africa Summit. Standard Bank, in collaboration with the G20 Empowerment of Women Working Group, will tomorrow ( 29 August 2025) host a summit that is set to bring together policymakers, business leade...

Following Russia’s overnight attacks on Kyiv, some global leaders are warning that this latest development clearly shows Kremlin’s contempt for peace negotiations. We understand that fourteen people including children have been killed and dozens more injured post Russia’s latest attack. GUEST: Prof Chris Isike, Professor of African politics & International Relations at the Un...

The EFF has instructed its lawyers to challenge the Equality Court’s ruling that found its leader Julius Malema guilty of hate speech. The party has described the judgement as a grave distortion of history, philosophy and the nature of political speech in a democratic society. Yesterday, the Equality Court found that Julius Malema’s 2022 speech at a political event in Cape Town include...

Guest: Department of Higher Education and Training, DDG: TVET – Mr Sam Zungu

Earlier today, the Equality Court in Cape Town found EFF leader, Julius Malema, guilty of hate speech. Let’s get more on this with… GUEST: Willie Aucump, DA National Spokesperson

Westbury residents have vowed to continue with their protest action until their demands are met. Disgruntled community members in the Johannesburg suburb took to the streets today and barricaded roads with rocks and burning tyres over water outages. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Melissa Davids, Westbury Community Leader

The Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebels have restarted peace talks in Qatar, following reports of violence in the DRC’s conflict ridden east. We understand that the meeting in Doha will among other things review the implementation of a truce agreement that was signed last month. So what went wrong with the initial peace deal and what needs to be fixed going forward?   GUEST:...

We unpack the 27th Interpol African Regional Conference that is currently underway in Cape Town. During this two-day gathering, delegates from Africa’s 54 countries will discuss strategies to combat illicit networks that are causing harm to various communities across the continent. Joining us to explain the significance of this gathering is…… GUEST: Andy Mashaile, retired membe...

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) says strong action must be taken against all those behind the spread of false information about the state of affairs in the country. The union’s president Mike Shingange is of the view that South Africa cannot be sanctioned for manufactured lies that are aimed at aiding Donald Trump’s disinformation campaign ‘agains...

Earlier on today, the Independent Electoral Commission briefed members of the media on preparations for next year’s Local Government Elections. During the briefing, the organisation revealed that the local government elections are likely to take place between November 2, 2026 and January 31, 2027. Interestingly, the commission also announced that they have registered 34 new political parties...

Let’s get reaction on the postponement of the Madlanga Commission Hearings as well as what the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, had to say about this earlier. I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Naledi Kuali, Defend Our Democracy Executive Director

Since late yesterday, there’s been reports that Rise Mzansi, the GOOD Party, and Build One SA are set to announce a merger into a new centrist political party ahead of the 2026 local government elections. Discussions are said to be ongoing, focusing on ideas rooted in unity and enhanced service delivery. … joins me on the line to discuss this potential merger… GUEST: Dr. Ntsike...

Earlier on, I spoke to the Statistician-General of South Africa, Risenga Maluleke, about the release of the results of the Victims of Crime report from the Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey 2024/25. The report provides information on crime from the perspective of households and individuals, including public perceptions of crime and feelings of safety. Let’s get an understanding of...

SA Harvest, one of South Africa’s leading food rescue organisations, has been recognised for its efforts in tackling food crisis in the country. The organisation has been awarded the premier Judges’ Spotlight Award, the highest accolade at the Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards 2025. This accolade recognises its pioneering reverse-logistics model that rescues surplus food and rerout...

The Constitutional Court has thrown out an appeal by the Lungu family, which means that Zambian authorities can now repatriate the body of former President Edgar Lungu and give him a state funeral as per their wishes. Lungu’s family wanted to bury him privately in South Africa and also wanted to be in charge of the funeral arrangements, unfortunately this won’t happen anymore post toda...

We unpack the latest report on crime in South Africa which shows that housebreaking/burglary has consistently been the most common crime experienced by households in the country, followed by home robbery. It doesn’t end there as the report also suggests that male-headed households and those living in KwaZulu-Natal province were most affected. Joining us to unpack the outcomes of the report i...

In conversation with Brand SA about the 20th India-Africa Business Conclave that is currently underway in India. South Africa is the official country partner for Conclave, which creates an excellent opportunity to deepen relations with one of its most important partners, India, while creating new opportunities for trade and investment. GUEST: Neville Matjie, Brand SA’s CEO &nb...