The National Pulse

Today marks 75 years since the founding of SABC News Service. SABC News aired its first news bulletin on the 17th of July 1950 from what was then known as the Broadcast House on Commissioner Street, Johannesburg. To help us celebrate this milestone, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Lehana Tsotetsi, Veteran SABC Journalist

AG: The G20 Finance ministers and central bank governors are meeting in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The Finance Track meeting focuses on fostering global economic stability, enhancing international financial cooperation, and addressing pressing global challenges. TN: Key among the issues impacting the economies of African countries was the debt burden. In Previous meetings, there were ca...

A new report from the Middle East Africa Research Institute raises questions about South Africa’s close relationship with Iran and warns that if the country is not careful enough, this can influence how other nations perceive it and how it is treated on the international stage. Joining us to unpack the outcomes of the report is…. GUEST: Benji Shulman, Executive Director of the Middle...

Professor Khehla Ndlovu shares his thoughts on the current state of youth unemployment in South Africa and the potential of digital skills to address this challenge. GUEST: Professor Khehla Ndlovu, Vice Chancellor of the Vaal University of Technology

ESwatini government has confirmed having received five prisoners deported from the United States of America. We understand that the deportations are part of a wider trend under the Trump administration of deporting foreign nationals to countries outside their own. The news has sparked public concern as these deportees have been convicted of serious crimes such as murder and child rape. For more re...

South Africa’s two opposition parties, namely; EFF and MK Party have served President Cyril Ramaphosa with legal letters, challenging his decision to place Minster Senzo Mchunu on special leave. To help us understand the legal implications around this issue is….. GUEST: Mpumelelo Bond Nyoka, Legal analyst (an attorney from Gqeberha)

Yesterday, towards the end of the show, we got a voice note from a listener asking about a story of a 72-year-old man who was abducted and taken to an initiation school in Limpopo. SABC News covered that particular story and there’s been developments where that is concerned. The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) is now urging the public to refrain from forcibly tak...

Thirty nations are currently meeting in Colombia to discuss the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and possible solutions thereof. The conference is co-chaired by South Africa and Colombia. Interestingly, EU foreign ministers also met yesterday to discuss a variety of topics and proposals that are aimed at taming Israel’s war on Gaza. Joining us to outline the objectives of the conference i...

I mentioned this yesterday but just in case you missed it, the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, has dissolved the Board of Directors of the Road Accident Fund. This follows persistent governance and operational challenges that have beset the Road Accident Fund and significantly undermined its ability to discharge its statutory mandate. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUE...

The EFF is also taking legal steps to challenge President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to place Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, on special leave and replace him with Professor Firoz Cachalia. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Mazwi Blose, EFF MP

The Chief Executive of the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority, Tom Mkhwanazi has been visiting different provinces, engaging with retail sector stakeholders and also assessing the sector’s impact and the value of its grants. During his visits, Mkhwanazi noted among other things that there is a very low number of the learnership beneficiaries who pursue small busines...

MK Party has confirmed that it has delivered a letter of demand to President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling on him to resign, following General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive revelations and how he has handled the matter. The party, through its lawyers, has questioned Ramaphosa’s decision to place Minister Mchunu ‘on-so-called leave-of-absence’,’ arguing that the president&...

The Walter and Albertina Sisulu Foundation has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of delaying real accountability in South Africa’s corruption crisis. The Foundation was reacting to the President’s decision to put Senzo Mchunu on special leave, and also to launch a judicial commission of inquiry. To elaborate further on this, we are joined by…… GUEST: Reverend Dr Allan Boe...

Earlier today, dozens of e-hailing operators embarked on a protest at Uber’s head office in Parktown, Johannesburg. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Melithemba Mnguni, Secretary of the e-hailing partners council

Mpumalanga premier, Mandla Ndlovu, reshuffled his cabinet earlier today. The Mpumalanga Premier sacked his education MEC, Cathy Dlamini together with economic development and tourism MEC, Makhosazane Masilela. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Thulasizwe Thomo, Mpumalanga Province’s Executive Council Spokesperson

A march using the hashtag #HandsOffMkhwanazi took place in Durban earlier today, calling for government accountability and action in response to the allegations made by KZN Police Commissioner, Lt. General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Teresa Nortje, one of the organisers of the #HandsOffMkhwanazi march

Following serious allegations of misconduct within SAPS, Deputy National Commissioner for crime detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya has been asked to take a leave of absence. Some of you may recall that Sibiya was recently accused by General Mkhwanazi of being a criminal and of improper conduct for closing a political task team. To react to this is…… GUEST: Dr Johan Burger,...

Following his passing at the age of 82, some in Nigeria are of the view that former president Buhari who set a record as the first and only opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president, left a mixed legacy. His credentials as an incorruptible leader were somehow tested during his eight years in office when he refused to float the naira and remove a costly subsidy on petrol. So how should the...

We hear from the incoming Acting Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia. Cachalia is a former anti-apartheid activist who currently works as a professor at the Wits School of Law and he also serves as the Chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council. GUEST: Professor Firoz Cachalia, the newly appointed Acting Minister of Police

The 31-year-old-mother of 11-year-old Jayden Lee-Meek appeared briefly in the Rooderpoort Magistrate’s Court this morning and has been charged with her son’s murder. Post her court appearance this morning, Tiffany Meek will remain in police custody and will be back in court for her bail application on Friday. ActionSA Member of Parliament, Dereleen James is of the view that if police h...

    President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Professor Cachalia in terms of section 91(3)(c) of the Constitution, which empowers the President to select no more than two Ministers from outside the National Assembly. Dan Mafora, CASAC Senior Researcher, joins me on the line to explain how this section of the constitution works and outline any other sections the President relied on for this app...

Members and supporters of the MK Party in Gauteng marched in support of KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lt. General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Today’s march in Johannesburg is a build-up to a national shutdown that is expected to take place on Friday at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Abel Tau, MK Party Gauteng Spokesperson

The High Court in Gqeberha is hearing the initial stage of the state's appeal against the acquittal of Timothy Omotoso and his two co-accused on charges of human trafficking and rape. Sisipho Ngcumbe, SABC News Reporter in Gqeberha was in court today and joins me on the line to tell us what happened… GUEST: Sisipho Ngcumbe, SABC News Reporter in Gqeberha

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, who is the world’s oldest serving head of state has announced plans to run for an eighth term in this year’s presidential election that is due to take place in three months’ time. After over 40 years in power - what more can he offer the country? For more analysis on this, we are joined by…… GUEST (Cameroon): Dr Charles Sinkala,...

Following mixed reactions to the announcement made by President Cyril Ramaphosa last night. We are joined by Professor Onkgopotse JJ Tabane who is going to share his thoughts on the establishment of the judicial commission of inquiry that is going to probe Senzo Mchunu’s alleged interference in police work. GUEST: Professor JJ Tabane, Frank Dialogue Convener & Editor of Leadership and BB...