The National Pulse

Earlier today, Dr Kgosientso Ramokgopa held a press briefing where he announced that government will reach out to the private sector about the construction of transmission lines through the Independent Transmission Programme, a move that will add at least 3000 megawatts of energy to the national grid. Chris Yelland did attend the briefing and he joins us now to share his thoughts on this latest de...

Women for Change, in coalition with multi-sectoral stakeholders, including activists, businesses, and civil society organisations, will gather at the Union Buildings next week to demand that the South African government declare Gender-Based Violence and Femicide a National Disaster. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Bulelwa Adonis, Women for Change Spokesperson

The national budget has become the point of contention among political parties with one of the reasons being the proposal of a 0.5 percent value-added tax increase from May. The ANC is confident of securing adequate consensus to pass the fiscal policy framework in the parliamentary portfolio committee today, as well as in the sitting of Parliament tomorrow. For more on this, I am joined on the lin...

The DA on the other hand remain opposed to any VAT increases proposed in the national budget, a position which has hit the Government of National Unity with severe turbulence. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Karabo Khakhau, DA National Spokesperson

As South Africa continues to search for sound solutions in order to tackle the ongoing water challenges. CHIETA CEO Yershen Pillay says the chemical industries have the power to solve the water scarcity problem in the country. According to him, a new approach with innovative, long-term, sustainable solutions is required to address the problem of water scarcity and the escalating water crisis. Pill...

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally in France has been found guilty of misappropriation of public funds and barred from running for office for five years. She has also been sentenced to four years in prison, two of which were commuted to wearing an electronic monitoring device. The big question is - will she ever recover from this scandal and how will yesterday’s court ruli...

The tragic rape of seven-year old Cwecwe has fuelled nationwide outrage, with several marches taking place across the country today. Many activists are saying now is the time to unite in action against the violence perpetrated against women and children. Joining us to discuss the significance of today’s march is …… Mthobisi Mkhaliphi, SABC News Reporter in Mpumalanga Mariska Bo...

AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit put out a statement rejecting with contempt any suggestion that the unit is protecting a suspected rapist from investigation. The unit does however confirm they represent Jaco Pieterse, Principal of Bergview College in Matatiele. What exactly are they representing him for? Barry Bateman, Spokesperson for the AfriForum Private Prosecution Unit joins me on...

Guest: Vuyiseka Mboxela

aQuellé is classified a natural spring water - it is not chemically treated and bottled in its original purity. aQuellé is registered with the South African National Bottled Water Association (SANBWA) and adheres to their stringent standards. aQuellé also has 10 fruity sparkling flavours to choose from. Guest: Sharon Combrink - Marketing Manager 

Shaheda Omar, Clinical Director of the Teddy Bear Foundation joins me on the line now to talk about the kind of support the family and the victim will need to deal with such cases, particularly now that it is one of the biggest talking points in the country... GUEST: Shaheda Omar, Clinical Director: Teddy Bear Foundation

What does the law say about handling such cases in order to protect the best interest of the child? What is the media’s responsibility when it comes to publishing the child’s name and pictures? To shed some light on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: William Bird, Media Monitoring Africa Director

Umkhonto weSizwe Party member, Bonginkosi Khanyile is currently leading the “Where Is My Vote” walk, which is a 14 hour walk to the Constitutional Court that will see him submitting a memorandum regarding last year’s election results. This as the party believes that last year’s general elections were rigged. GUEST: Bonginkosi Khanyile, member of the MK Party

Let’s now tell you more about the upcoming Africa Children’s Summit, which is dedicated to amplifying voices of children across the continent, ensuring their active participation in shaping their future. The event will bring together 1,300 children from all five African regions to discuss pressing issues affecting their well-being. Joining us to outline the objectives of this Bi-Annual...

Let’s move to Zimbabwe now where there is a national protest taking place today, but we do understand that the situation remains calm in the country, despite all the noise that was made leading up to this day. Security forces are patrolling city centres after warning against demonstrations. President Emmerson Mnangagwa is under threat from opponents within his governing ZANU-PF party, who ar...

Today we chat to another astute business leader who has earned her stripes in the business world, Busisiwe Mavuso, some of you probably know her as Busi Mavuso. In 2020 Busi was awarded the ‘Influencer of Influencers Award’ and last year she received the runner up ‘Business Leader of the Year Award’, from the Future Leader Forum. Hopefully her story will inspire you…...

You (MEC) described this year’s budget as a budget for “inclusive growth and development through government allocative efficacy”, how does this reflect on the distribution of the budget? A big percentage of the R97billion was once again distributed towards Education and Health, please elaborate on that choiceWith the province’s high unemployment rate remaining a concern, ho...

Civil rights organization, AfriForum, has condemned what it called the Constitutional Court’s decision to "legalise" calls for violence against Afrikaners and farmers, exemplified by the chant “Kill the Boer". This condemnation follows the court's ruling yesterday, which dismissed AfriForum's application for leave to appeal regarding the chant. For more on this, I am joined on the line...

According to the latest rankings by Brand Finance, the collective brand value of the top 100 South African brands reached R688.6 billion, with banking, retail, and telecoms contributing over 62% of the ranking’s total brand value. To elaborate further on this, we are joined by…. GUEST: Jeremy Sampson, MD of Brand Finance Africa

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged Zimbabweans to go about their business as usual on Monday. He has described those calling for protests as retrogressive individuals who are pursuing delusional ambitions. It is widely reported that Mnangagwa is facing growing dissent within his party, ZANU-PF, with some veterans calling for countrywide protests to force him to step down. We underst...

The EFF in the Northen Cape is calling on national government to review its position on the existence of Orania, arguing that its existence weakens unity in the country. GUEST: Shadrack Tlhaoele, EFF Provincial Chairperson in the Northern Cape

Gauteng High Court Judge President, Dunstan Mlambo has made an interesting proposal that seeks to make mediation mandatory before civil matters go to trial. According to him this will assist the High Court to deal with a massive backlog of civil trials. But how has this proposal been received so far and legally speaking, can it stand the test of time? For more on this, we are joined by… GUE...

In an unprecedented move earlier today, the DA issued a statement just before a City of Cape Town council sitting was about to start in which the party announced that ANC caucus leader, Banele Majingo, resigned from the party to join the DA. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… Guest: Vusi Mdala, Secretary ANC Dullah Omar Regio

Today marks exactly five years since President Cyril Ramaphosa placed the nation under a strict lockdown in 2020 to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. Most of us are probably wondering, what if another pandemic like the deadly Covid-19 outbreak hits the country, will be able to handle it and if so, how well? To shed light on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Professor Shabir Madhi, Dea...

South African Government will hold a National Water and Sanitation Indaba today and tomorrow at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng. This crucial gathering highlights the government’s commitment to tackling South Africa’s water security challenges and ensuring reliable, sustainable water and sanitation services for all citizens. For more on this, I am joined on the line...