The National Pulse

On Thursday evening President Cyril Ramaphosa will be delivering his State of the Nation Address. Last week. Speaking to the media last week, Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, said that the budget for this year's opening of Parliament is 47-percent less than last year. guest: Lechesa Tsenoli, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly

The first deputy president of COSATU, Mike Shingange says they have declared war against those who killed two SAMWU leaders in the Vhembe district municipality in Thohoyandou. Shingange was addressing hundreds of workers at the municipality today. SAMWU acting president, Timson Musetsho and the union's provincial deputy secretary, Ronald Mani were shot and killed in separate incidents in Thohoyand...

The Eastern Cape's Department of Co-operative governance and Traditional Affairs has ordered the embattled Stutterheim-based Amahlati Municipality to take decisive action against all officials and councillors implicated in fraud, corruption and other wrongdoing. This follows the department's tabling of a damning report at a council meeting in Cathcart. The report points out irregularities in the s...

Management of the University of KwaZulu-Natal has suspended all academic activities. This comes after the Students' Representative Council - SRC - issued a memorandum to shut down all UKZN campuses. The registration process for the new academic year was supposed to start earlier today. Guest: Fanele Mhlongo, SABC journalist in KZN

COPE national spokesperson Dennis Bloem has wrapped up his evidence at the Commission of inquiry into State Capture this afternoon. He has made an emotional plea to commission chairperson Justice Raymond Zondo to investigate the death of former National Commissioner for Correctional Services, Vernie Pieterson. Guest: SABC reporter Abongile Dumako

Advocate Shamila Batohi has begun her first day at the National Prosecuting Authority by assuring South Africans that her team will put justice first. She is taking on her role as the new National Director of Public Prosecutions as of today. Batohi was appointed in December by President Cyril Ramaphosa - and is the first woman to lead the National Prosecuting Authority. She is the former director...

The community of Vanderbijl park on the Vaal is reeling from shock after a structural collapse killed three learners at Hoerskool Driehoek this morning. Twenty three learners have been hospitalised. Three of them had to be airlifted to hospital after suffering critical injuries. Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi who visited the school says the school is now a crime scene and will remain closed...

Members of the "Please Call Me Movement" have expressed disappointment at Vodacom's failure to meet their protest at its Midrand headquarters in support of the "Please Call Me inventor" Nkosana Makate today. The protesters met with closed doors,. The organisers had given Vodacom a deadline of 10am for the provider to pay Makate or face a "total shutdown". Makate has described as "shocking and an i...

The National Union of Matalworkers says it will be staging a picket together with community organizations, the United Front and the Soweto Action Committee tomorrow. This is to oppose Eskom’s request for a tariff increase from NERSA. guest: Phakamile Hlubi, spokesperson for the National Union of Matalworkers

Former BOSASA IT guru Leon van Tonder has told the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture that the facility and management company's CEO Gavin Watson intimidated him. Van Tonder has told the commission in Parktown, Johannesburg, that there was no way one could question Watson's authority. Van Tonder says he's seen many employees being retrenched for no apparent reason adding that former BOSASA C...

Opposition parties have called on Tshwane Executive Mayor Solly Msimanga to resign with immediate effect or the ANC-brought motion of no confidence in him will go ahead. Msimanga has already officially resigned as the city's executive mayor effective from February the eleventh. Both the ANC and the EFF want the caucus to vote on whether Msimanga should stay for another 14 days. SABC reporter Phumz...

Community members are being turned away at the Vhembe District municipal office in Thohayandou, Limpopo. The municipality has been temporarily closed this morning following the shooting and killing of SAMWU's provincial deputy secretary, Ronald Mani last night. The 50-year old Mani was leading a protest calling for the removal of councillors that are implicated in the illegal deposit of municipal...

Powerful corporations are driving the obesity crisis by promoting junk food in the way tobacco firms push cigarettes. This is according to experts in a new major report released yesterday calling on all governments to unite against “Big Food” in the way they once took on “Big Tobacco”. The experts have now called for a global treaty to limit the political influence of Big Food, modelled on the UN...

Yesterday we spoke to the KZN MEC of Economic Development Sihle Zikalala on his new province-wide launch of Business Regulation Programme which is meant to get rid of illegal businesses in KZN especially those operating in the townships. A large number of you called and commented on this. And I see here that THE National Freedom Party has called on the KwaZulu-Natal government to allow informal tr...

Services have been disrupted due to workers' strike at Vhembe district municipality in Thohoyandou in Limpopo. Workers affiliated to SAMWU have downed tools since Monday after a union leader was shot and seriously injured last week. Workers say those who speak against corruption are being targeted. Residents are unable to buy water at the district offices. Guest: SABC reporter Michael Makungo

Eastern Cape Co-operative Governance MEC, Fikile Xasa, has called on all parties involved in the King Sabatha Dalindyebo Municipal strike to quickly find a resolution. The strike has left Mthatha looking like a dump site. Xasa held a meeting with municipal leadership and the workers' unions IMATU and SAMWU near the municipal offices. guest: Fundiswa Mhlekude, SABC reporter in the Eastern Cape

While the national pass rate has improved, the reality is only 40% of any Grade 1 cohort actually goes on to complete Grade 12. And to try and provide context to such figures, and shed light on why our education system has gone so wrong, the DG Murray Trust has pulled together a collection of essays, opinion pieces and analysis in their new biannual publication called the Human Factor. This public...

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Mr Sihle Zikalala today officially launched the province-wide campaign directed at effective implementation of business regulations which amongst other things call for all businesses to be properly registered to curb illegal trade and unfair competition. It is said the proliferation of illegal business enterprises which...

The ANC has just finished briefing the media on the final registration weekend where they raised a couple of issues. This past Sunday was the deadline for voter registration which was also marred by protest action at some centres. Guest: SABC senior political reporter Ntebo Mokobo

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has reacted with anger at the department of correctional services over what they deem as inadequate workplace safety measures. This after three warders were stabbed this past weekend by prisoners at the Goedmoed and Kroonstad Correctional Centres. Guest: Richard Mamabolo, spokesperson for the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union

It is still the beginning of the year and our question, what can small businesses do the capture consumers, and engage them for extended periods of time to the point of influencing their behavior? How do small businesses really achieve those meaningful connections with people in today’s business climate? Guest: John Davenport, Chief Creative Officer at Havas.

The Democratic Alliance say it will approach the United Natyi, ICC and South African Parliament over Zimbabwe situation. The DA has quoted the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum which said at at least 12 people have been killed, 78 shot at, and 240 faced what the NGO has termed “assault, torture, inhumane and degrading treatment. Guest: Steven Mokgalapa - DA Shadow Minister of International Relations

Prophet Shepherd Bushiri has sought to explain the events that led to a stampede during a church service in Pretoria last month. He is representing the Enlightenment Christian Gathering (ECG) church at a hearing convened by the CRL Rights Commission. Three people were killed in the stampede and nine others seriously injured. The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) is demanding that t...

Firefighters in Cape4 Town say they will continue to monitor the situation on Lion's Head and Signal Hill in after containing a threatening mountain fire overnight. The flames threatened homes on the mountain slopes after igniting late yesterday afternoon. Guest: Theo Layne – Spokesperson for the City of Cape Town’s fire and rescue

This weekend is the final weekend for the voter registration. A new study says about 4.5 million eligible voters have no intention of registering to vote ahead of this year's general elections. This is according to the South African Citizens Survey which found that there were 37-million South Africans aged 18 years and older who were eligible to vote in the fourth quarter of 2018. The survey found...