The National Pulse

According to latest poll from bigseventravel.com. The travel website recently polled people from around the world in order to find the top 50 'sexiest accents in the world'. Guest: Professor Hermann Giliomee, author of The Last Afrikaner Leaders: A Crucial Test of Power and he is also a member of the movement Gelyke Kanse/Equal Opportunities

Is the world doing enough to protect journalists? As we commemorate World Press Freedom Day, we remember the hundreds of journalists around the world who have died exposing facts and reporting the truth. Guest: Mahlatse Mahlase – SANEF Chairperson

Speaking at the Africa Travel Indaba in Durban yesterday, Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said the free movement of people everywhere in Africa, the easing or dropping of visa requirements and the deregulation of air services will be key in driving the growth of the tourism sector on the continent. So where will Africa be without these restrictions? Guest: Unathi Sonwabile Henama - Lecturer, Depart...

A newly modernised Home Affairs office has officially been opened in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape which aims to improve services. The new office model is equipped with modern infrastructure and technology aimed at digitising the paperwork. Guest: Siya Qawe–Spokesperson, Department of Home Affairs

Today marks the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death – da Vinci was popularly known as the Renaissance master. In celebrating his contribution we ask, what constitutes a renaissance man? Joining us to reflect on da Vince’s life and contribution is….. Guest: Mark Read, Director of the Evarard Read Gallery

The Right 2 Know has welcomed the findings of the commission of inquiry into data costs as a step in the right direction. Last year Right 2 Know made submissions to the Commission stating clearly that the right to communicate is a fundamental/ primary right and that access to internet should be prioritized by the government. Guest: Lazola Kati- Communications

Today we hear from the former president of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) Kgosi Setlamorago Thobejane who resigned as a Member of Parliament in 2017. Post his resignation Thobejane accused the current government of perpetuating the legacy of the apartheid-era government. Guest: Kgosi Setlamorago Thobejane, former president of Contralesa

The department of women says it is shocked, disappointed, angry and hurt by the CAS ruling to approve the IAAF’s new rules that would require mainly African women to inject their bodies with harmful substances to conform to the global north’s definition of the female form. They are also of the view that the ruling will normalise colonial definitions of the female body and set limits on the perform...

Earlier on today, Government's security cluster briefed the media on their state of readiness for the upcoming national elections. Police Minister Bheki Cele said law enforcement agencies will be out in full force to ensure the polls are safe and secure. We are now joined by Simphiwe Dlamini who is the spokesperson for the Department of Defence. Guest: Simphiwe Dlamini – Department of Defence Spok...

The Constitutional Court has dismissed an urgent application brought by independent candidates to have the elections postponed. The independent candidates say it's unfair that they aren't allowed to contest provincial and national elections. The case will now be heard on the 15th of August 2019. Guest: Adv Paul Hoffman- Paul Hoffman, Director and Head of Projects at Accountability Now

Department of Water and Sanitation workers affiliated to South African Municipal Workers Union are currently on strike in some parts of the Durban CBD. In the meantime, the eThekwini municipality has halted the pay grade adjustment process for Umkhonto we Sizwe veterans working in the city’s water department that led to the strike action. Guest: Koena Ramotlou, SAMWU General Secretary

Recently Boko Haram jihadists killed 14 loggers as they collected firewood in northeast Nigeria. The loggers were among thousands of people sheltering in camps in the town after being displaced by the jihadists. Guest: Dr Akinola Olojo, Senior Researcher in Transnational threats and international crime at the ISS

The province of KwaZulu-Natal is observing a provincial day of prayer and mourning for the victims of floods that caused havoc in the province last week. President Cyril Ramaphosa has instructed that the national flag fly at half-mast across the country from today until May the 7th. Guest: Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister in the Presidency

The Western Cape Government Cabinet has given notice that it is declaring an intergovernmental dispute with the ANC-led national government about its failure to address the Province’s Policing Needs and Priorities (PnP). Western Cape Community safety MEC, Alan Winde says the province needs urgent additional personnel to enable the commissioner to take steps to address gang violence and the appalli...

Women and Men Against Child Abuse organisation reacts to the arrest of a Carletonville crèche teacher who allegedly filmed several disturbing videos of another teacher assaulting toddlers. Guest: Luke Lampretch, spokesperson and child pretection specialist for Women and Mean Against Child Abuse

Disgruntled Ethekwini Municipal Workers have taken to the streets, demanding that the city meet their wage demands. According to the workers the municipality recently hired members of the MK Veterans on a higher wage scale. Several suburbs in and around Durban have been without water for almost a week as disgruntled workers have refused to repair faults. There have also been allegations that the w...

A poll conducted by the Institute for Race Relations predicts that on a 71.9% turnout scenario, the ANC will get 51% of the national vote in the elections - compared with 62.15% in 2014. But according to political commentator Dawie Scholtz the IRR’s poll prediction is an "insanely low number" for the ANC and "can only happen if there's an ANC collapse in the black electorate". Guest: Gareth van On...

Soweto residents blocked the Mzimhlophe hostel and Phumelong areas in Soweto. According to some community members, the protest started as a result of a young man who was murdered on the Easter weekend. People came to his house, broke the door and mugged him. They took money, they took phones, they also assaulted his mother and they shot him dead. Guest: Community member Lesley / Nosipho Mncube, SA...

The federation says errant companies and organisations get away with gross violations – they are also of the view that if government fails to name and shame as a start, these infringements will continue to happen. Guest: Bheki Ntshalintshali, General Secretary of Cosatu

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has embarked on a number of strategic initiatives to curb revenue leakages emanating from illegal and unethical practices in the illicit economy. The illicit economy ranges from an underground economy, which operates outside the rules and regulations of the country, to organised crime, and includes the illicit trade of products. Guest: Viwe Mlenzana, Acting...

Demonstrators in Algeria want to reduce the army’s political role. The 2019 Algerian protests, also called the Smile Revolution, began on 16 February this year, ten days after Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his candidacy for a fifth presidential term in a signed statement. Guest: Ebrahim Dean – Researcher at the Afro-Middle East

With the country’s national elections just a week away, the “Recall Campaign” has gained significant momentum with over 25,000 people, in all nine provinces having signed a petition demanding a right of recall. This petition calls on Parliamentarians to pass a law allowing ordinary people to remove ward councillors. Guest: Katlego Mohlabane, Campaign Coordinator

This month black lawyers in the Eastern Cape embarked on a march to address the issue of discrimination in the legal profession. According to the lawyers, black-owned law firms are being overlooked, while white-owned ones are prioritised. Guest: Sinawo Makhangela - Deputy Chairperson, Transkei Attorneys Association Guest: Rodney Isaacs - Chief Litigation Officer, Department of Justice and Constitu...

Today the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) continued their fight of wanting BLF to be deregistered as a political party in the Johannesburg High Court. The party says the IEC’s decision to register BLF contravenes the IEC Act as well as the Constitution. Guest: Professor André Duvenhage – Political Analyst

This year’s research shows significant variation in the municipal landscape, and some shifts within the rankings. The ranking shows that the top three performing municipalities are Mossel Bay (Western Cape), Senqu (Eastern Cape) and Swartland (Western Cape). The top performer, Mossel Bay, is led by the DA and the municipality ranked second, Senqu is ANC-led. To unpack this report we are joined by…...