The National Pulse

Former government spokesperson and businessman Mzwanele Manyi conducted a press conference this afternoon to announce his new political home guest: Mzwanele Manyi

Checking my tv – President Cyril Ramaphosa is at the podium at the 60th anniversary of Peter Mokaba – the former ANC YL President. He was born on 7 January 1959. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Tourism in the first democratically elected South African Parliament in the Cabinet led by President Nelson Mandela. guest: Ongama Mtimka - Political analyst

Zambian President Edgar Lungu has held an emergency meeting in Durban with President Cyril Ramaphosa about the presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lungu is the current SADC Chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. The meeting which was also attended by the Zambian delegation and International Relations Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Defence Minister Nos...

The Free Education Movement has halted registration process at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein. This follows the complaint from senior students of not being able to register for 2019 academic year as they have outstanding fees. They also complaining about the registration fee that has been increased for this year. guest: Asive Dlanjwa chair of SASCO at University of the Free State...

Over 16-thousand learners who want to go to Grades One and Eight in Gauteng schools this year are yet to be placed ahead of schools opening tomorrow. The department however says 266-thousand of those who applied online on time last year have been successfully placed. Over 24-thousand late applications had been received by yesterday. Nine-thousand of them have since been placed. Guest: Gauteng Educ...

A drug bust at the Port of Ngqura on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth yesterday afternoon led to cocaine, with a street value of over R700-million, being seized. The bust was carried out by specialised police unit the Hawks in conjunction with other police units. Members of the Hawks, both national and provincial, swooped on the port following a tip off guest: Lwando Nomoyi - SABC reporter

About two thousand protesters calling themselves the Business Forum are gathering outside the Mpumalanga Legislature. They are complaining about corruption allegedly taking place within the provincial government. They are accusing the Department of Public Works of awarding scholar transport tenders without following proper procedures. Guest: SABC reporter Mthobisi

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says his joint appearance with former president Jacob Zuma at the gravesite of the first ANC president John Langalibalele Dube symbolises their commitment to fostering unity in the party. Ramaphosa is addressing an ANC gathering in KwaZulu-Natal to mark the party's January 8th celebrations. To give us a sense of how the event went and what the president said, Guest: N...

An inquest has been opened following the deadly train collision at the Mountain View train station in Pretoria West this morning. The death toll has risen to three with over three hundred people seriously injured. The two trains collided while traveling from Mabopane station to Pretoria. One was stationery on the platform when it was hit by another train. There are more people who are still trappe...

It is reported that The Black Management Forum (BMF) has threatened legal action to have the recent appointment of Denel group chief executive Daniel du Toit set aside. Lawyers representing the BMF have sent a letter of demand to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan requesting further information related to the appointment – failing which, they say, they will approach the courts. guest: Tasn...

It is reported that The Black Management Forum (BMF) has threatened legal action to have the recent appointment of Denel group chief executive Daniel du Toit set aside. Lawyers representing the BMF have sent a letter of demand to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan requesting further information related to the appointment – failing which, they say, they will approach the courts. Guest: Tasn...

The government of Gabon today declared that it was in control after an attempted coup by army rebels this morning and that it had arrested most of those involved. Hours earlier, soldiers burst into state radio and called on the people to “rise up,” an apparent bid to oust ailing President Ali Bongo, who is out of the country. Shots were heard in the around state television headquarters in the cent...

EFF Student Command president Peter Keetse briefed the media today on its #SizofundaNgenkani campaign. Some of the things they are raising is that there must be must be free registration and accommodation for all. guest: Peter Keetse - EFF Student Command President

Helicopters are continuing to waterbomb parts of the Kogel Bay Nature Reserve in the Overberg where a fire has burnt thousands of hectres of vegetation. The blaze which ignited in Betty's Bay last Tuesday and spread across the mountain range due to strong winds To give us the latest on the ground. guest: Theo Layne - Cape Town Fire spokesperson.

Activities at the University of South Africa's (UNISA) Sunnyside campus in Pretoria have been disrupted following a protest by students over a host of issues which include the suspension of some qualifications. The university will not be offering some programmes this year as they have not yet been accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority. Demands for laptops for each student and me...

ANC deputy president David Mabuza says the party is doing its best to ensure unity in its ranks as it heads to the general elections this year. He was speaking in Newcastle in northern KwaZulu-Natal,where he interacted with local residents. Mabuza's visit is part of activities of the ANC in the run-up to the party's 107th anniversary celebrations to be held in Durban. Newcastle falls in the ANC's...

Overall politicians have congratulated the class of 2018 after an improved result. Let’s hear now from one of the teacher’s union to get their reaction and also talk about how do we make 2019 better for a further improvement? Guest: Allen Thompson who is the President of the National Teacher’s Union

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will no longer be communicating directly with students via the SMS channels during the 2019 academic year, with immediate effect. This is due to scams in which fraudsters lure students into providing confidential information via a link to a site controlled by the attackers. Guest: Kagisho mamabolo

St Stithians College achieved a 100% pass rate, 97% Bachelor Degree Pass, and 562 subject distinctions. Sixteen students achieved 28 subject marks in the top 1% of all IEB candidates across 16 subjects. Guest: Dr Tim Nuttell who is the Director and executive head of the school

Last month 32 young activists embarked on a nearly 500km walk from KZN to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The walk was aimed at highlighting the plight of poor young people and that of a jailed #FeesMustFall activist, Khanya Cekeshe. The group of activists completed their walk today by handing over of the memorandum to President Cyril Ramaphosa. guest: Xolani Sibanyoni - #FeesMustFall student act...

The family of the 24 year old woman accused of killing her four children at Klarinet in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga says their daughter never showed any signs of being distressed. The woman's distraught father Cavin Balance says she had been in a jovial mood before the incident. The woman allegedly called her family members and told them to go check her rented house. On arrival the relatives found dead...

KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Health Dr Sibongiseni Dlomo has encouraged nurses who showed up for an advert seeking to place three hundred posts not to give up. Some reports say that the applicants got there as early as 5am while some say others slept at the venue the night before. What should we read into this and what does it say about employment in this sector? Guest: Mandla Shabangu, Denosa’s KZN Pr...

The battle for the decriminalisation of possession and use of dagga is far from over. Law firm Faure and Faure Inc, who are based in Paarl are looking at what happens to those who have criminal records for possessing marijuana and how it’s affecting their job prospects. Should their criminal records be erased completely? Guest: Myrtle Clarke, known as The Dagga Couple

You as a member of the public who happens to be on the road, you may have noticed how emergency vehicles battle to make it through traffic as motorists sometimes drive on emergency lanes. Sometimes they just ignore the sirens from emergency vehicles at intersections. To get a sense of the kind of frustrations faced by these vehicles and what it is that motorists should know, we are joined on the l...

today. Traffic has picked to its highest and expected to increase some more over the weekend as many Zimbabwean nationals make their way home. Guest: SABC Reporter Michael Makungo