The Weekend View

David Ansara, the Chief Operating Officer at the Centre for Risk Analysis   Rob Rose, the editor of the influencial Financial Mail 

The City of Tshwane says it will take on review the decision by the local government bargaining council to reinstate over 600 waste management workers whose contacts were not renewed in 2020. The workers say they were promised they would be made permanent after 12 months, but the city didn't follow through. The council found that the city dismissed the workers unfairly and ordered their reinstatem...

Sex  workers may be operating freely in South Africa in the near future. This as the Deputy-Minister of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is expected hold consultative meetings on the issue of decriminalisation of sex-work in South Africa. The Commission for Gender Equality has welcomed the decision and says this step marks a significant progress towards exploring the p...

The United Nations says it is not aware of any biological weapons programmes in Ukraine. This was revealed in a Security Council briefing convened at the behest of Russia that alleges the United States is supporting Ukraine in military biological research - a claim Washington has dismissed as preposterous. Moscow says its military had uncovered evidence and documents of U.S-funded military biologi...

Energy experts say due to ageing infrastructure and Eskom's waning capacity to provide coal based power, consumers are set to pay 300% more for electricity over the next five years. They say the Eskom increases will hit consumers harder as municipalities will be passing cost on to consumers in their mid-year adjustments. They say this coupled with rising cost of fuel spells disaster for consumers...

With just over two years left in his term of office, much is expected from the newly appointed Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo, who will assume his role next month. Several quarters, including the Judicial watch dog group, Judges Matter, have outlined their expectations from Zondo and have called for a reform of the Judicial Service Commission. Whilst most political parties have welcomed Zondo's appo...

Whilst obesity and being overweight has nearly tripled since 1975 around the globe, in South Africa it has been no different. Health experts say Obesity is not just a cosmetic concern and a proper diet can help fight the condition. Experts furthermore say Obesity is a medical problem that increases the risk of many other serious diseases and health problems, such as coronary heart disease, stroke,...

The Road Accident Fund says it is operating in a highly litigious environment wherein it has experienced push back from law firms, medical institutions and individuals who seek to unjustifiably secure large payments from the fund.  RAF says the push-back comes from firms which have enjoyed fixed allocation payments which went up to as much as 100-million-rand per month.   The Road Accide...

The South African women's proteas got off to a winning start in the ICC women's ODI world cup in New Zealand. They beat Bangladesh by 32 runs yesterday to set their tournament up perfectly. I reached out to SABC cricket Anchor Natalie Germanos who is at the tournament as one of the world feed commentators. I began by asking her if South Africa's batting unit did enough in scoring just 207 runs in...

The number of Ukrainian refugees is expected to reach one-point-five-million TODAY. This as Russia continues its attack 11 days after invading Ukraine and Kyiv presses for further Western action, including more sanctions and weapons. Moscow and Kyiv are trading blame over a failed ceasefire plan that would have let civilians flee Mariupol and Volnovakha, two southern cities that Russian forces hav...

Ukraine's foreign ministry has reportedly called on the international community to take decisive action after Russian forces in Ukraine seized Europe's largest nuclear power plant, a move the ministry says risked nuclear disaster. Officials have said Zaporizhzhia plant in South Eastern Ukraine is operating normally after it was captured by Russian forces in fighting overnight. The capture of the n...

eThekwini Municipality says they are also embarking on collecting debt owed to the metro by citizens, businesses and some government departments. However the city says it's approach is different to that of Johannesburg and Tshwane Metro. In the past few weeks the City of Johannesburg has been hard at work cutting off the utilities to businesses, citizens and government buildings that have electric...

As consumers are facing increasing hardship compounded by WEDNESDAY's unprecedented fuel prices at the pumps, labour union Solidarity has put forward an alternative petrol price model. The proposal is contained in a draft petition sent to Parliament THIS WEEK.  Economists have warned of even higher fuel prices in April - with international crude oil prices spiralling above the $100 a barrel m...

About only 28.8%% of young people between the ages of 18 and 34 have vaccinated against Covid-19. The "KeReady" Campaign Vax Squad in conjunction with the Health Department have embarked on an initiative to get more young people fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The Vax Squad says there has been some sort of hesitancy amongst young people when it came to Covid-19 vaccination

The City of Johannesburg is hard at work cutting off the utilities to businesses, citizens and government buildings that have electricity debt. The city has come up with a debt collecting campaign coined "Buya Mthetho". It is reported that umthetho uya buya as the campaign is yielding positive results. Government departments which owed the City money are starting to pay their debt. The City embark...

The search has begun for the country top cop after  President Cyril Ramaphosa fired Police Commissioner Kehla Sitole on Friday in what he said was a mutual agreement for him to go. Our Political Correspondent Ntebo Mokobo looks at the rocky path Sithole has to travel at the helm of the South African Police Services

President Cyril Ramaphosa says more engagement is required from the United Nations Security Council over the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Dozens of people have reportedly been killed - amid Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea since yesterday. Delivering the keynote address - at the Intergovernmental National Litigation Forum meeting, in Pretoria - Ramaphosa...

Russia has vetoed a U.N. Security Council that sought to deplore its war against Ukraine and press Moscow to unreservedly and unconditionally remove its troops from that country. 11 Council members led by co-authors of the draft - the United States and Albania - voted in favour of the text which drew three abstentions from China, India and the United Arab Emirates.

Some opposition parties have made their voices heard following the sacking of National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The Freedom Front Plus, COPE and the African Transformation Movement have expressed mixed views. There is also a call on Police Minister Bheki Cele to be fired.  The  tension between Sitole and  Cele follows the July 2021 unrest that...

The City of Tshwane has reportedly collected up to R500 million in revenue since the beginning of this week as part of its aggressive disconnection of services of those whose accounts are in arrears. Tshwane says it will continue its aggressive campaign until it makes a significant dent on the R17 billion debt owed by customers. Some defaulters include Capital Hotel, Gautrain, Gauteng Government,...

President Ramaphosa has told SABC News he thinks progress has been made toward lifting COVID-19 vaccine patent rights after two days of talks in Brussels. The President travelled to the EU capital for a landmark summit between the European and African Unions, bringing together dozens of world leaders. Our correspondent Rosie Birchard was at the summit and spoke to the President after talks wrapped...

The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) conducted a survey to determine the prevalence of 'COVID antibodies and to probe the extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection at the population level. The SANBS says a rough extrapolation to account for the first omicron wave, which has come and gone since this data was collected, suggests that about 90% of black donors have thus far been infected by SARS-CoV...

Most crime statistics have shown a decrease in the third quarter of the 2021 and 2022 financial year. This is according to the latest figures released by the police top brass. Only murder and attempted murder have increased during that period. Briefing the portfolio committee on police - police minister Bheki Cele has urged the community to help the police by not pressurising victims to withdraw c...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been under the spotlight in parliament this week, from being lambasted by opposition parties during a two day heated debate on his State of the Nation Address to spirited efforts by ANC MPs in the public account watchdog body - SCOPA to shield him from being hauled over the committee to clarify his remarks that he was aware of public funds being used in ANC internal c...

Yesterday we spoke extensively about the plan of action South Africa should take.... Should it become the production/manufacturing hub for AFRICA the president aspires it to be, as per his state of the nationa adress... This morning we focus on one example, where the right environment was created.... ENVIABLE tax breaks were granted by SARS and future purchases by Government were guarenteed until...