The Weekend View

The Springboks are bracing themselves for an epic Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris tonight. Head coach Jacques Nienaber this week made five changes to his match-day squad from their one-point semi-final victory against England, with two in the starting 15 and three on the bench. Scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and flyhalf Handre Pollard replaced Cobus Reinach and Ma...

Mike Johnson was this week elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives, ending weeks of chaos and Republican infighting on Capitol Hill. Johnson's success in the hard-fought Speaker battle is seen as a victory for the ideologically right-wing, Donald Trump-aligned faction of the Republican Party and a loss for its moderates. The new speaker promised that the first bill he would introduce wo...

Many businesses are trying to go green in an effort to minimise their impact on the environment and the property sector is no different. The green agenda in the property sector in Africa is taking centre stage as the continent joins the rest of the world to cut carbon emissions.  The International Finance Corporation has introduced EDGE ( Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), to help the...

Aid was finally allowed into Gaza from Egypt YESTERDAY, for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war erupted two weeks ago . Only 20 of the over 200 trucks carrying vital aid queuing outside the closed border were allowed into Gaza. Life inside Gaza has become  more challenging for hundreds of thousands of Gazans as supplies of food, water and fuel run dangerously short.  Meanwhile, a group of UN...

National Student Financial Aid Scheme - NSFAS - CEO Andile Nongogo has until tomorrow (Monday)  to plead his case with its board on why he should not be dismissed . The funding scheme's board revealed this week that Nongogo had breached multiple procurement processes in the appointment of service providers for the NSFAS direct payment system. Nongogo who is now on a leave of absence, is accused of...

Corruption Watch (CW)  is tomorrow releasing a report on Land and Corruption in Africa . titled:  "Story of the Marginalised", the research report  addresses the link between land, corruption, and discrimination.  Corruption Watch's work on Land and Corruption in South Africa focuses on the plight of people who live and work in farming communities, specifically in the Western Cape. We spoke to Mel...

Yesterday was a good day at the office for South African sport. World champions South Africa emerged victorious at the Stade de France to set up a 2023 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand next weekend. They narrowly beat England 15-16 to set up an epic final clash with the All Blacks. One of them will win a record fourth Rugby World Cup. At the  crickert world cup in India, the Proteas also...

Today is Africa Human Rights Day. The day marks the coming into force of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the founding treaty of the African Human Rights System more than 40 years ago. The African Charter affirms the continental legal architecture, the pan-Africanism conviction that fundamental rights and freedoms should apply to all human beings. For more we spoke Ras Advocate...

Several world leaders will today attend the Cairo Peace Summit in Egypt to discuss the ongoing escalation of the conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip, the urgent need for humanitarian support and make a call for the resumption of the peace process. Among them will be President Cyril Ramaphosa. The leaders of the US and UK earlier this week visited Israel and were both clear in their support of Is...

 Eskom says Unit One at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station will be synchronised to the grid by end of this month. The power utility has stated that the steam generators on the unit have been successfully replaced and it will soon start supplying electricity to the national grid. We spoke to energy Expert and a Professor of Physics at the University of Johannesburg, Professor Hartmut Winkler...   

South Africa TODAY plays two World Cup matches on two continents as the Springboks and Proteas seek glory against England in Paris and Mumbai. At 10h30 this morning the Proteas will face England in an ICC Men's World Cup encounter. The South Africans will be looking to redeem themselves after Tuesday's loss to the Netherlands. And at 9 pm in Paris the Springboks will clash against old rivals Engla...

Pro Israeli and pro Palestinian groups in South Africa THIS WEEK held separate protests in cities across the country. Holding flags and banners with messages of solidarity with either Israelis or Palestinians, they marched to express their anger with the war. As the death toll from the war mounts, people and organisations in Africa are wading into heated debates surrounding the conflict - with the...

The anticipated full ground offensive into Gaza by the Israeli army is dominating global news this morning following yesterday's announcement by the Israeli military that it is planning an attack by land, air and sea.  This as more than a million Palestinians in the northern half of the Gaza Strip faced yesterday's Israeli deadline to relocate to the south. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyah...

 The Springboks will tonight line up against hosts France in their eagerly anticipated Rugby World Cup quarter-final at the Stade de France in Paris at 9 pm.  With a place in the semi-final up for grabs, many are expecting the match-up to be contested with all the ferocity and quality of a final. The Springboks have selected an experienced team to meet Les Bleus who have lived up to the expectatio...

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation  - Dirco - YESTERDAY confirmed that two South Africans have been killed in the conflict between Israel and Hamas..Hamas fighters kidnapped at least 150 people and took them into Gaza during attacks on Israel which started last weekend and has killed 1,300 people. More than 1,500 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched retaliat...

Former President, Thabo Mbeki has accused the governing ANC of paying lip service to efforts to renew the party despite resolving to do so at its 2017 conference. The diagnostic report delivered by the then Secretary-General, Gwede Mantashe said the ANC faced diminishing public trust as members of the party faced allegations of corruption and the party was confronted by factionalism. The 2022 conf...

Education quality assurance council, UMALUSI says they are ready for the upcoming matric exams. More than 720-thousand candidates have been registered to sit down for the grade 12 exams which are set to start on the 30th of this month  until the beginning of December.  UMALUSI has also issued a stern warning against  cheating during the upcoming exams. The council briefed the media yesterday on th...

 Poor financial habits can lead to money related trauma. This is according the National Debt Advisors. It says the conversation around money and mental health is becoming increasingly important in dealing with monetary struggles. This Mental Health Awareness Month,  National Debt Advisors is advising consumers to acknowledge the psychological impact that poor financial planning has on other types...

The Israeli army is this morning asking residents of several areas of the Gaza Strip to flee their homes in preparation for revenge attacks against Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed vengeance on Palestinian militants. Hamas launched a wave of rocket attacks and sent fighters into Israel yesterday morning in the biggest escalation in decades. Some 250 people in Israel have been kil...

The devastating fire that claimed the lives of six soldiers at the Lohatla combat training centre in the Northern Cape is reported to be under control. Three soldiers were injured in the blaze which started on Friday.  Bongiwe Zwane spoke to SA Army spokesperson Major General Mercuur 

The Interfaith Forum of South Africa will tomorrow meet at a conference to come up with, what it says, will be bold new plans to save South Africa. The conference will be chaired by Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches and brings together 10 other religious groups. The meeting, to be held from Monday to Wednesday, comes at a time when the country is l...

While the fight against avian flu continues, the rabbit population in Gauteng is under threat from the Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (HRD) Virus. Both wild and domestic rabbit populations are at risk from theh virus. So far, affected areas include Meyerton, Vereeniging, Valley Settlements, Henley on Klip, De Deur and Apple Orchards. The Gauteng Agriculture and Rural  Development Department is warnin...

Healthcare costs in South Africa have  increased sharply over the past few years posing significant challenges for medical aid schemes and their members as well as a creating a cost-of-living crisis for many consumers. Medical schemes say they are trying to  prioritise their members' wellbeing while striving to keep cost increases as low as possible. Profmed CEO Craig Comrie  joins us on the line...

In a space of just three months, seventeen political parties have registered with the IEC. That means more than 540 parties could potentially contest next year's elections.  The IEC expects the number to increase. The election body says not all the parties will be represented on the ballot box, as some may not meet the required criteria. Some of these newly established parties are led by former AN...

The 2023 Global Organized Crime Index released earlier this week has revealed that South Africa is one of the worst countries in the world regarding organised crime. The report highlights that the country has experienced a decade-long increase in criminality, undermining democratic processes through organised corruption and violence for hire. The criminal economy is fuelled largely by networks wit...