The National Pulse

The bodies of seven more illegal miners have been recovered at the Gloria Coal Mine in Middelburg. This brings the number of miners killed after being trapped under ground to 12. Bad weather conditions have hampered recovery operations. guest: Motsebi wa Monareng

Boksburg police are on the manhunt for men who robbed a gun shop and made away with about 100 guns. Allegations are that a man entered Limpopo Arms this morning and asked the manager whether he could have a look at the guns. While checking out the guns, the suspect allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the store manger and two staff members. Approximately 100 firearms have been taken, o...

South Africa's unemployment rate decreased to 27.1% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2018, THIS according to Stats SA today. The unemployment rate at the end of the third quarter of 2018 was 27.5%, meaning the rate has fallen by 0.4 percentage points. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the fourth quarter, there are 16.5 million employed people and 6.1 million unemployed people b...

Labour federation Cosatu says it plans to bring economic activities in eight provinces to a complete stand still tomorrow. They are marching against unemployment and the plight of workers in general. They would also like Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to take note of their grievances in his budget speech. But will their much make a difference in addressing the economic issues? Guest: Prince Mashele...

The fight between the two factions of the PAC is set to continue to the Constitutional Court. With just few months before the national and provincial elections, the IEC is refusing to recognise both factions led by Narius Moloto and Mzwanele Nyontsho who both claim to be legitimate leaders of the PAC. The electoral body has since instructed them to sort their leadership problem or seek an urgent c...

Nyandeni mayor in the Eastern Cape, Mesuli Ngqondwana, has fled protesting residents after he went to address them about the tarring of roads. Residents have blockaded the R61 road near the Hluleka junction. They're e demanding the tarring of the T34 road from Hluleka Nature Reserve to St Barnabas hospital at Libode. Guest: SABC reporter Fundiswa Mhlekude

It is reported that both the teacher and a pupil involved in a physical altercation at Sans Souci Girls High School in Cape Town have been suspended. According to Western Cape education department Jessica Shelver, "They have both been informed by the school governing body that disciplinary steps will be taken against them. Pupils and teachers have been offered counselling and the The school was al...

A new study by the Citizens Survey says only 27% of adult South Africans believe the country is headed in the right direction. It says this is down from the 68% peaks of ‘Ramaphoria’ (April-June 2018), it is still very high when contrasted against Zuma’s resignation period in February 2018 where his presidential job approval rate was a low 22%. Guest: Reza Omar - Director of Research – Citizen’s S...

As the focus is on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address this evening, different advocacy groups have been calling on him to address pertinent issues facing the country. This morning Right 2 Know held a picket in protest to what they say is the continued failure by government to address inequality and curbing corruption that has crippled service delivery across the country. guest...

A sixth person has been confirmed dead at Gloria Coal Mine near Middelburg, Mpumalanga. Rescue operations have now been suspended at the mine. Some family members protesting outside the mine have pleaded with the authorities to speed up the rescue operation. Some have been camping outside the mine's premises since the news broke out. More than 20 people have been trapped underground since a gas ex...

Wits University says protests at the main campus in Braamfontein Johannesburg have nothing to do with free education but are rather a deliberate attempt to destabilise the institution. The university has now appealed to government to intervene to resolve the crisis at institutions of higher learning. Students have been protesting since Monday. They are demanding that the university provide them wi...

Police have fired rubber bullets to disperse protesting students at the University of Venda in Limpopo. Students were protesting at the university entrance. They're demanding payment of NSFAS allowances, cancellations of debt and that all students must be allowed to register. Lectures have been boycotted. Some students say they'd be unable to register as their outstanding fees are very high. Guest...

Supra Mahumapelo has been reinstated as the ANC’s North West chair by the high court in Johannesburg. Mahumapelo and four others approached the court in a bid to have the ANC’s national executive committee’s (NEC) decision to disband the provincial leadership overturned. Judge Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane today found that the decision by the NEC to disband the North West provincial executive committe...

Former ANC North West Chairperson is due to be reinstated to the helm of that province's Provincial Executive Committee in the next two days. This follows a judgement in the High Court in Johannesburg today that declared that the decision by the ANC's NEC in August last year to disband the provincial structure was unlawful. Judge Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane found that the ANC had been procedurally u...

Former Bosasa COO, Angelo Agrizzi, who exposed alleged corrupt activities and the Watson-family in the company at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture has appeared briefly in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria. Agrizzi and former Bosasa Chief Financial Officer Andries Van Tonder have been charged with corruption and money laundering. Former Correctional Services Commission...

Former ANC North West Chairperson is due to be reinstated to the helm of that province's Provincial Executive Committee in the next two days. This follows a judgement in the High Court in Johannesburg today that declared that the decision by the ANC's NEC in August last year to disband the provincial structure was unlawful. Judge Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane found that the ANC had been procedurally u...

The EFF Student Command at the Durban University of Technology have led a march through the Steve Biko street in Durban remembering the late Mlungisi Madonsela. The twenty-year old was shot dead outside the Steve Biko campus yesterday afternoon allegedly by a campus security guard. This was after the party held a media briefing outside campus a short while ago. guest: SABC reporter Beabashni Naick...

Prof. Michael le Cordeur of the University of Stellenbosch says it is becoming clear that mother tongue instruction alone is going to be of little help in improving learners’ performance in matric results because environmental factors, such as poverty, leadership and resources, play an increasingly large role. Guest: Prof. Michael le Cordeur

Students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Wits have embarked on a second day of protests, demanding that classes be halted until financial grievances are addressed. Students blockaded entrances to the university yesterday. Cars were burnt in UKZN. And at Wits students disrupted classes and vowing to continue with the protest. Guest: Lunga Ngqengelele – spokesperson for higher education

Aid agencies are calling on the South African government to form a social compact with their citizens who are directly affected by mining. This they say could be a solution if government wants to address the social and economic development needs of people living in mining areas. They have released a survey entitled The report from the survey, “Mining in South Africa in 2018: Whose Benefit and Whos...

We go live to Wits where the university’s SRC is said to have embarked on a hunger strike over accommodation and registration. guest: Sibongile Sibeko – SRC Transformation Officer at Wits

Investigator for the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, Frank Dutton has confirmed that a carpet seen in pictures taken by former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi matched those of his own probe at the Sheraton Hotel. Dutton is the commission's third witness for today, and is giving his testimony at the commission underway in Parktown in Johannesburg. Agrizzi previously implicated former SAA Board...

Calm is said to have returned to universities across KwaZulu-Natal. This after violence erupted on campuses belonging to the University of KwaZulu-Natal yesterday. Students are demanding free and quality education for all. They also want students to be allowed to register without having to settle outstanding 2018 fees. Academic activities remain suspended at UKZN and the Durban University of Techn...

A meeting between the police, officials from the Department of Mineral Resources, traditional leadership and community representatives is underway at Kwaaidraai outside Louis Trichardt in Limpopo. The meeting comes after Kwaaidraai residents protested against the Doorhoek small scale gold mine operating in the area. They torched six cars and houses belonging to Chief Maila and other community lead...

The Economic Freedom Fighters, EFF, launched its 2019 election manifesto this past Saturday in Sashanguvu. A 168 page document on what the EFF government would do if voters could it give it a chance in the next elections. Our focus is on how EFF plans to turn around the economy and if they could be in government. guest: Siya Biniza - Economist and Director at Pesa