The National Pulse

Pope Francis was elected to the papacy in 2013. During his papacy, Pope Francis became the first Pope to visit Iraq, Mongolia and the United Arab Emirates. Some say he will always be remembered for having demonstrated his unshakable belief in the power of reconciliation, the importance of dialogue, and the urgency of ending violence in all its forms. For more on the life of Pope Francis, we are jo...

Floyd Shivambu, the secretary-general of uMkhonto weSizwe, made headlines over the weekend after he was in pictures and videos with self-proclaimed prophet, Shepherd Bushiri. The Justice Minister slammed Floyd’s visit and his own party, the MK Party, distanced itself from the visit claiming it does not associate with criminality. What could this mean for Floyd Shivambu’s political care...

We continue keeping an eye on what’s happening on our roads as we move to the Mpumalanga province. SABC News reporter, Motsebi Monareng was at N4 Machado Toll Plaza, one of the busiest tolls today as thousands of travellers are heading back home after the easter long weekend. Motsebi Monareng joins me on the line… GUEST: Motsebi Monareng, SABC News reporter in Mpumalanga

In conversation with Dr Vinothan Naidoo about the Government of National Unity’s state of affairs and why he thinks that it’s on the verge of collapse. Naidoo further argues that failure to overcome deeply ingrained political differences could set off a downward spiral in the country. GUEST: Dr Vinothan Naidoo, Associate Professor & Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political St...

You may have heard that late last month, Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s official car was shot at several times while driving on the N12 going home post the ANC’s NEC meeting. We understand that currently the matter is under investigation by police. For more reaction on this, we are joined by….. GUEST: Professor Bheki Mngomezulu, Political analyst from the Nelson Mandela Unive...

Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s temporary Easter truce in the three-year conflict in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated his country’s desire to extend the truce for 30 days and has urged Russia to stop its aggression on civilian infrastructure. For more analysis on this, we are now joined by…… GUEST: Thembisa Fakude, Senior Resear...

A U.S judge has ruled that Google is illegally dominating some online advertising markets. Some are of the view that the ruling could lead to a breakup of the tech giant’s lucrative advertising business. However, they are not the only tech giants who are being subjected to legal scrutiny as Meta is being accused of having built an illegal social media monopoly by spending billions of dollars...

Toll concessionaires in South Africa are increasingly phasing out swipe payments in favour of tap-and-go and biometric authentication. This comes amid a rise in crime targeting toll gates in the country, with instances of card cloning and hijacking being among the most prevalent in these locations. For more on this, I am joined by… GUEST: Richard Frost, Head of Technology and Innovation at...

Last week, Home Affairs Minister, Dr. Leon Schreiber, unveiled a fleet of drones and 40 body-worn cameras to be deployed by the Border Management Authority to improve border security and curb corruption. With traffic volumes increasing on the N4 towards the Lebombo border and many other port of entries, Dr. Mike Masiapato, Commissioner of the Border Management Authority, joins me on the line to gi...

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has publicly released its investigation report on fraudulent roadworthy certificates, saying it cannot be allowed to gather dust while lives are lost. In March this year, the civic action group revealed several instances where vehicles failed roadworthy inspections in Gauteng, only to be issued with a certificate by testing stations in Limpopo or the North...

Putco will operate nearly 500 buses for the Zion Christian Church’s Easter pilgrimage to Moria this weekend, marking the return of one of South Africa’s largest religious gatherings after a five-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Jack Sekwaila, PUTCO Operations Executive, joins me on the line to give us an update on the number of Putco busses dispatched, any reported incidents as...

The Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison in Mpumalanga has urged motorists to adhere to the rules of the road and reduce speed especially when driving in adverse weather conditions. This after a head on collision claimed the lives of five people on the N4 toll road between Machadodorp and Belfast yesterday afternoon. GUEST: Moeti Mmusi, Spokesperson for the Department of Community...

As we continue to monitor the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC. The United Nations has warned that the situation in the country remains one of the most complex and underfunded humanitarian crises globally. But what more can be done to end the conflict? For more on this, we are joined by…..   GUEST: Nixon Katembo, African Affairs commentator, who also works four sister station, Channel A...

The Trump administration intends to close nearly 30 embassies and consulates worldwide, and interestingly most of those are located in Africa and Europe. The proposed closures, particularly on the African continent include embassies in Lesotho, Eritrea, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the Gambia, and South Sudan. South Africa and Cameroon were not spared as well as consulates...

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has noted the outcome of the ward 110 by-election in eThekwini, while also making it clear that they remain concerned by a series of irregularities that have severely compromised the credibility and integrity of the electoral process. GUEST: Mike Mabuyakhulu, ANC Task team Co-ordinator in KwaZulu-Natal

The MK Party has won a hotly contested by-election in the eThekwini Municipality. Ward 110 was previously held by the DA, however, the MK Party says its win demonstrates its growing influence in South African politics. This was the party’s first ever metro by-election win. For more on this, we are joined by…. GUEST: Nhlamulo Ndhlela, MK Party spokesperson

There’s been reports today about security guards clashing with students on the Walter Sisulu University Mthatha campus amid a shutdown after the fatal shooting of a student two days ago. To get more details on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Nkululeko Nyembezi, SABC News Reporter in the Eastern Cape

The Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, led a multidisciplinary inspection team, comprised mainly of Department of Employment and Labour Inspectors, the Department of Home Affairs and the Eastern Cape Liquor Board, for workplace inspections at the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The joint-blitz campaign, which commenced from 7 to 15 April 2025, formed part of build-up activitie...

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the Western Cape has called for a full and thorough investigation, following the fatal shooting of its Provincial Executive Committee member, Mongi Titi. Titi was shot at the Nyanga taxi rank last night. GUEST: Makhosandile Tumana - Spokesperson of Santaco in the Western Cape

2 days ago, the World Economic Forum unveiled its 2025 cohort of Young Global Leaders, that is, 116 exceptional individuals under 40 who are redefining leadership in a changing world. Our Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, is one of the 116 exceptional individuals that were unveiled and she now joins me in studio to celebrate this moment and also talk about some of the issues she’s...

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has announced a significant milestone in its efforts to uphold integrity, discipline, and accountability within the public service. For more on this, I am joined on the line by … GUEST: Mmamoloko Kubayi, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

A multi-disciplinary law enforcement operation led by the Hawks has resulted in the successful rescue of the 45-year-old American citizen, reportedly a local pastor who had allegedly been kidnapped and held at a safe house in Gqeberha. During the operation, three unidentified suspects were fatally wounded. For more on this, we are joined by…… GUEST: Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba, HA...

The Constitutional Court has dismissed with costs, the UMkhonto weSizwe Party and Dr John Hlophe’s bid to appeal the interim interdict that has prohibited him from serving on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). To explain what this means going forward is…… GUEST: Mbekezeli Benjamin, Legal Researcher @Judges Matter

The Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the National Credit Regulator, upholding the earlier ruling by the Tribunal, which found that the Loan Company had engaged in multiple acts that were in contravention of the National Credit Act in relation to their loan terms with their respective customers. Prior that the Loan Company essentially denied the NCR’s allegations of impropriety...

We unpack the latest report that has been published by Amnesty International that investigated human rights violations committed by the Mozambican security forces during last year and early this year’s post-election protests. The report has found that Mozambican security forces used reckless and unnecessary force in a widespread crackdown on protests and it further states that the deadly cra...