The National Pulse

Alcohol sales were prohibited from 6PM yesterday in the Joburg CBD area. Entertainment venues were also instructed to close at that time. The South African Police Service implemented a temporary alcohol ban in the CBD to ensure a safe transition into 2025. Jongikhaya Kraai, Spokesperson for the Gauteng Liquor Traders Association joins me on the line to share the views of the liquor traders on this...

The Department of Water and Sanitation says the first phase of the project has been completed and this signifies that at least 12.5 megalitres per day of treated water will be supplied to various regions in Hammanskraal. Sean Phillips, the Department of Water and sanitation’s Director General joins me on the line to give us a progress report on water issues in the Hammanskraal area. &nb...

The Special Action Committee is disappointed after its court application to halt a process that will see teaching jobs cut was struck from the roll. The lobby group failed in a last-minute court bid to halt the process on Monday. Nadeem Hendricks, Spokesperson for Special Action Committee for Education joins me on the line to give us a sense of why the lobby group feels so strongly about this issu...

Yesterday we could not connect with anyone from KZN and the Eastern Cape as we went around the country to check on readiness for a big New Year’s Eve night. So, we thought since we checked on Durban beaches on Christmas Day, we should find out what is happening on a beach in the Eastern Cape today. Abongile Jantjies, SABC News reporter visited the East London beachfront a few hours ago. Abon...

The Eastern Cape Health MEC, Ntandokazi Capa, has called on parents to play their part in preventing teenage pregnancies. The comment comes after a 12-year-old girl gave birth at Frontier Hospital in Komani earlier today. MEC Capa said the incident of the 12-year-old who gave birth and became the youngest mother was shocking. What needs to be done to make sure such things do not continue to happen...

Ministers who have avoided answering questions posed by members of parliament last year have until next week Monday to submit all outstanding replies. Deputy President Paul Mashatile has made it clear that Cabinet ministers with lapsed parliamentary questions will be required to provide reasons for the unanswered questions and further warned them that remedial action will be taken to address this...

We ask this question as we understand that airline users don’t want to pay for airlines to become more environmentally friendly. But one major thing that should concern all of us is that aviation has contributed around 4% to global warming to date. Joining us for this conversation is….. GUEST: Guy Leitch, Editor and Publisher at SA Flyer Magazine

In its relentless pursuit for freedom and democracy. The Communist Party of Swaziland has declared the year 2025 as a pivotal year for mass mobilisation and they are calling on the people of eSwatini to keep on fighting until they achieve true democracy. May I add that this won’t be easy to achieve as we all know that eSwatini is an absolute monarchy with constitutional provisions and Swazi...

Today we chat to an amazing Africa’s youngest author, Michelle Nkamankeng - who at the age of seven became the youngest published author on the continent. Michelle launched her first book in 2016, making her the youngest author from Africa to be added to the list of the top 10 youngest writers in the world. Her passion for books developed after realising that the children’s books were...

A lot of attention has been on the North West province since the discovery of thousands of illegal miners in an abandoned mine in Stilfontein. That has definitely kept the police busy, so one wonders how ready will the SAPS in North West be for tonight’s activities. To give us an idea on how prepared SAPS in the North West is, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Lieutenant Colonel Sam...

GUEST: Nana Radebe-Kgiba, Joburg EMS Spokesperson

Law enforcement will be beefed up on the roads and around places of entertainment on New Year's Eve, New Year’s Day and when holidaymakers start returning home after the festive season. We continue checking on some of the country’s provinces and cities, and get a sense of how prepared law enforcement will be for today and tomorrow’s anticipated busyness. Let’s find out what...

Politically, the year 2024 was one for the books in South Africa. Election year came with a number of shocks. ANC dropping to 40%. The introduction of the MK Party. GNU. Floyd Shivambu leaving the EFF. A lot happened this year so we asked SABC News Political Journalist, Ntebo Mokobo to share 5 of the biggest political moments from 2024. Ntebo Mokobo joins me on the line now to share their list&hel...

Good News for South Africans as Eskom announces that it has successfully synchronised Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in Cape Town to the national power grid. This achievement is expected to boost the country’s electricity supply, considering the fact that Koeberg contributes around 5% of national power supply. For more on the significance of this achievement - we are joined by&h...

GUEST: Qondile Khedama, General Manager for Communications at Mangaung Metro Municipality

As final preparations are underway for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Authorities from the country’s nine provinces have assured South Africans that security precautions will be in place to ensure the safety of all those who will be attending various events across the country. Let’s now hear from various provinces in terms of their state of readiness. Let’s start with…...

    Today we tell you more about Mpho Nkomo’s business journey and how he started his own venture in the food market after he was retrenched in 2019.   GUEST: Mpho Nkomo, Something Smoked Roadhouse BBQ

Sticking with the same issue, there were reports that two DA members in the Western Cape were set to lay charges of crimen injuria against the woman who allegedly hurled racial slurs against the Coloured community, while on a FlySafair flight from Durban to Cape Town. To give us more details on this, I am joined on the line by…   GUEST: Tertuis Simmers, Western Cape DA Leader

Motorists traveling on the N17 near Soweto and the N1 Highway between the N12 and Mariasburg off-ramp are being urged to exercise extreme caution following a series of incidents involving rocks being deliberately placed on the roads. Local security companies and JMPD units have deployed resources to patrol the affected areas. To tell us more about this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Al...

A number of videos have been circulating on social media platform X showing what seems to be SANDF vehicles being moved via rail. The users posting these videos are passing them off as recent videos claiming that the SANDF is moving these vehicles to neighbouring Mozambique to help the country deal with the violent protests that we’ve seen erupt since elections in that country. Darren Olivie...

The Congress of SA Trade Unions has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent proclamation of certain provisions in the Companies Amendment Acts. The trade union sees this as a step in the right direction of fighting corruption and labour inequality within the country. Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, joins me on the line to share the unions views on these proclamations&hel...

The Verulam Water Crisis Committee is calling on Deputy President Paul Mashatile to intervene and address the ongoing water crisis in Verulam. We understand that residents in the area have now endured a full week without access to water. For more on this, we are joined by…… GUEST: Roshan Lil-Ruthan, Spokesperson of the Verulam Water Crisis Committee

The department of mineral and petroleum resources has announced that petrol and diesel prices are set to increase from Wednesday this week due to factors including global oil prices and the rand exchange rate. Our guest Visvin Reddy joins us to highlight areas of possible reform the government can approach to keep fuel prices low in the country. GUEST: Visvin Reddy, MK Party MP & National Conv...

Dr John Stremlau unpacks the legacy of former U.S President Jimmy Carter who sadly passed away yesterday. Some will remember Carter, who lived longer than any other U.S president as someone who redefined what a post presidency could be through humanitarian work which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. Also some of his successes included promoting human rights and the Camp David Accords, which forge...

Today, we celebrate Professor Mashudu Tshifularo who is known worldwide for being the first doctor to cure deafness, using 3D-printed bones for reconstructive middle ear implants. Earlier this year, Tshifularo won the Africa Genius Award. Interestingly - we are always told that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - so how was the beginning of his journey?   GUEST: Professo...