The National Pulse

guest : Basil Manuel

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) says it has been inundated with calls from matriculants and parents ahead of the release of the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations results next week. SADAG Project Manager for Education Roshni Parbhoo-Seetha is urging parents to pay attention to their children’s behaviour. GUEST: Roshni Parbhoo-Seetha, SADAG Project Manager fo...

    Universities South Africa (USAf) announced a significant change to the admissions timeline on Saturday, confirming that public universities will only release application outcomes to prospective first-time-entering students after the official release of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results to pupils and schools…   GUEST: Dr. Phethiwe Matutu is the Chief Executive...

    Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, will this evening announce the overall results and award the top achieving learners across the country from the Matric Class of 2025. The Minister had this to say about the class of 2025…     GUEST: Professor Mary Metcalfe, Education Specialist And Professor Of Practice At The University of Johannesburg

The National Freedom Party has reaffirmed its decision to with draw from the KwaZulu-Natal’s Government of Provincial Unity. Party leader Irvan Barnes revealed earlier today that the decision was due to administrative challenges and political agreements that were not honoured by the current coalition partners in the province. Other reason being that the province faces a collapse of...

    We look at the ongoing protests in Iran. Demonstrations first began in Tehran last month, triggered by a sharp slide in the value of the rial currency - but have since spread to all 31 of the country's provinces. The country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed that the Islamic republic would "not back down" in the face of protests after the biggest rallies yet in...

    Fires continue to burn in the Kouga Municipality in the Eastern Cape, now mainly in bush areas and away from homes. Forty people who were evacuated yesterday have since returned. Gift of the Givers is helping with relief efforts on the ground. Let’s find out more on this with…   GUEST: Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of NGO Gift of the Givers

    The build-up to the ANC’s 114th Anniversary Rally in the North West continued today after a week of door-to-door engagements in parts of the province. Let’s get a sense of how the party was received in the North West this week and what else can we expect ahead of the anniversary rally. Joining me on the line now is…   GUEST: Mahlengi Bhengu, ANC National Spoke...

    Yesterday, Venezuela released citizens and foreigners from its prisons in what a top government official described as a gesture to seek peace less than a week after former President Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces. Human rights groups were encouraged by the releases, though it wasn’t clear yet whether this might represent the early stages of a government in tr...

    The National Freedom Party reaffirmed its decision to withdraw from the KwaZulu-Natal’s Government of Provincial Unity at media briefing earlier today. Let’s get a sense of possible implications this will have on the KZN provincial government with…    GUEST: Zakhele Ndlovu, Political analyst based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal

    Today, January 8th 2025, marks 114 years since the African National Congress was founded, making it the oldest liberation movement on the African continent. Let’s look back at the past, the present and future of this liberation movement with…   GUEST: Professor Steven Friedman, Political Analyst from the University of Johannesburg

  Post the forceful overthrow of the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, President Donald Trump has threatened countries across the globe with possible U.S military action. He recently renewed his calls for a US takeover of the Danish territory of Greenland, citing US security interests, and threatened military action in Colombia for its role in cocaine trafficking. So who can stop “Th...

    A law enforcement operation in Limpopo has seen more than 1000 illegal foreign nationals being arrested. The operation comes after a recent spike in undocumented migration in the province. According to the Premier of Limpopo, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, the enforcement action is aimed at upholding the law, not targeting foreigners.   GUEST: Dr Phophi Ramathuba, Limpopo Premier

    Security was beefed up at the US Embassy in Pretoria as a coalition of South African trade unions, political groups, and civil society organisations picketed outside the building today. The picket is against US attacks on Venezuela. Let’s find out more with…   GUEST: Muhammed Desai, from the South Africa Latin America Association

The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Thami Ntuli, has formally endorsed the renewal of the contract of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for a second term, following a meeting with the South African Police Service National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola. According to Ntuli, General Mkhwanazi has earned widespread recognition for his decisive and hands...

    Dr John Foster-Pedley shares his thoughts on “How to live a life that rhythmically moves from success to significance”. He is of the view that we all have it within ourselves to be significant.   GUEST: Dr John Foster-Pedley, an Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading UK, and Dean and Director of Henley Business School Africa

Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to appoint Advocate Andy Mothibi as the country’s new national director of public prosecutions. We hear from Dr Llewellyn Curlewis on whether or not this was a wise decision as Mothibi’s appointment has been met with mixed reactions.   GUEST: Dr Llewellyn Curlewis, Legal expert from the University of Pretoria

    As world leaders continue to react to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the United States of America. Here at home, RISE Mzansi leader, Songezo Zibi has criticised Trump’s military campaign, arguing that it amounted to unlawful regime change.   GUEST: Songezo Zibi, Leader of Rise Mzansi

    COGTA Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa joins us to discuss the deaths of initiates during traditional initiation seasons in South Africa. The deaths are generally not attributed to the cultural practice itself, but rather to negligence and illegal operations. Hlabisa recently convened a high-level engagement to receive updates on initiates’ deaths recorded during the 2025 summer i...

    The Mossel Bay Municipality in the Western Cape says the fire that has been raging has been contained in some areas, including the northern flank in Aalwyndal, the eastern flank in Island View and the southern flank on the N2. Let’s get more details on this with…   GUEST: Sagree Chetty, SABC News Reporter in the Western Cape

    A number of security personnel deployed at airports and other sensitive public sites hit social media platforms to complain about unpaid salaries after an internal Mafoko Security Patrols memorandum confirmed a missed salary payment in December 2025. Mafoko Security has also faced ongoing allegations and litigation linked to unpaid provident fund contributions deducted from workers&r...

    ANC launched a fundraising campaign this morning ahead of the party’s birthday rally on Saturday. Party President, Cyril Ramaphosa and Treasurer-General, Gwen Ramokgopa, kicked off the annual January 8 Presidential Golf Day at Gary Player Golf Course in Sun City. Let’s get a sense of what the ANC President had to say this morning. Joining me on the line now is… &nb...

    In an effort to combat child obesity. The ministry of health in the United Kingdom has announced that adverts for less healthy food and drinks will be banned from appearing on television between 5:30am and 21:00pm. The banned products are high in fat, sugar and salt. The new rules came into force on the first of this month. What lessons can South Africa learn from this announcement?...

    The Civil Society Working Group on State Capture, which The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) is part of, wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa last year, asking him to ensure the implementation of the Zondo Commission's recommendation on improving the process of appointing a National Director of Public Prosecutions. Let’s get reaction on the appointment of Advocate Andy Mothi...

    We unpack the UN Security Council’s debate, with the current focus being an emergency session on the U.S intervention in Venezuela after US forces captured President Nicolas Maduro, creating sharp divisions among members over sovereignty and international law. Interestingly, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking and other charges...