Update@Noon

One month into the Israeli-Hamas war U.N. Security Council remains divided on the language to be used in a draft resolution that would call for humanitarian relief for the besieged enclave of Gaza. This, as the Secretary General warned that Gaza was becoming a graveyard for children and that the unfolding catastrophe made the need for a humanitarian ceasefire more urgent with every passing hour. T...

Bela-Bela Magistrate's Court in Limpopo has postponed a case involving two Namibian nationals allegedly involved in the Phala Phala farm burglary to Friday. 39-year-old Imanuwela David and 30-year-old Froliana Joseph allegedly stole 580,000 US dollars at President Cyril Ramaphosa's Limpopo Farm in February 2020. They are facing four charges, including conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent...

Police are investigating a robbery incident on the N3 between Vosloorus and Heidelberg, where the Minister of Transport and two protectors were robbed. Personal belongings and two SAPS service pistols were stolen. A manhunt has been launched to bring those responsible to justice. SAPS Brigadier Athlenda Mathe Elaborates has more.

 The Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality says the prefabricated structure it uses as a call centre amounted to one-point three Million rands, inclusive of the set-up inside the structure. This follows reports by the City Press which accuse the municipality of alleged corruption and irregular expenditure following weekend reports that claim a sum of R38 million was used to erect and equ...

The Gauteng High Court has ruled that the appointment of the City of Johannesburg's municipal manager, Floyd Brink, was unlawful, unconstitutional, and invalid. The Johannesburg high court judgment comes after the DA and parties represented in the city's council challenged the validity of Brink's appointment. The high court's order has, however, been suspended for 10 days to allow the city to appo...

An investigation by Treasury has found that a municipal manager at the Thulamela Local Municipality in Thohoyandau, Limpopo has awarded tenders to companies improperly. The report by the SIU also reveals that these tenders valued at R30 million were awarded before the bid committee reached a decision of awarding the tenders. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter, Michael Makhungo.

The Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality in the North West has been accused of corruption after spending 38 million rand for a small prefabricated structure it uses as a call centre. According to the City Press, the municipality is also alleged to be spending about one-point-four Million rand a month for the equipment in the call centre. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to City Press reporter on t...

Concerns have been raised about the increasing number of places of worship that are being targeted by criminals. Congregants are held at gunpoint and robbed of their money,  phones and some cases end in assault.  Last month, Pastor Dwayne Gordon, a guest preacher, was shot and killed when six men stormed in at  the Eagle Christian Center in Newlands, Johannesburg.  Officials are now warning church...

In his opening address at the Nasrec Expo Center in Johannesburg , President Cyril Ramaphosa told delegates that the 20th AGOA Forum is taking place in Africa, a continent with significant potential for industrialization and job creation. The US is working with African countries to diversify international supply chains of critical minerals, focusing on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)...

President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa,  The forum aims to strengthen economic partnerships between the US and eligible African states, focusing on fostering resilient, sustainable, and inclusive economic growth. The forum will include discussions on enhancing trade and investment ties, addressing challenges in export diver...

Digitalization is driving economic growth and innovation in Africa, with private sector companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon investing in African data centers. By 2025, the data center market is expected to reach over $3 billion. However, further efforts are needed to boost digital trade and digitalization. Challenges include increasing internet access, building digital infrastructure, cul...

Yesterday, on the first day of the Agoa Forum, over 160 businesses were exhibiting at AGOA 2023. Update At Noon spoke to exhibitors present at the AGOA forum currently underway at the Nasrec Expo Center in Johannesburg in terms of how these opportunities present themselves and whether they are actually able to penetrate the US market in any meaningful way, with a special focus on small and medium...

AGOA extension tops the agenda at the US-Africa trade forum in South Africa, a trade forum to discuss AGOA's potential extension as officials' meet with African leaders to address compliance issues. AGOA, providing duty-free access to the US market for sub-Saharan African countries, The forum kicks off days after US President Joe Biden announced his intention to boot Niger, Uganda, the Central Afr...

All eyes are on Johannesburg as it hosts the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum from Thursday to Saturday. US officials and their counterparts in Africa will discuss Washington, DC's flagship trade program for the continent. AGOA provides duty-free access to the US market for most agricultural and manufactured products exported by eligible African countries. The trade pact has also be...

Today is the first day of the USA-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, which brings together the governments of the USA and AGOA-eligible countries, the private sector, civil society, and labor to discuss trade and investment issues. AGOA is American legislation that allows Sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to U.S. markets. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Economist Miyela...

The South African government, in partnership with the United States government, is hosting the 2023 African Growth Opportunity Act (Agoa) forum in Nasrec, Johannesburg. Agoa is a United States Trade Act that greatly enhanced the US market for beneficiaries of sub-Saharan African countries. Currently, there are 35 African countries. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Cosatu Parliamentary Coordinator Mathew P...

Judge Nkosinathi Chili of the Pietermaritzburg High Court has refused Advocate Dali Mpofu's demand that State Advocate Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan sit in the dock during today's court proceedings. The former president's private prosecution of state prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan is continuing. Zuma is charging them with leaking a confidential doctor's l...

Some economists say the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is facing a difficult balancing act in cutting government spending in the wake of dwindling tax revenue collection. They say country's tough economic situation will make it difficult for the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to deliver a budget that is satisfactory to all. The Minister will deliver the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement th...

Some economists say the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is facing a difficult balancing act in cutting government spending in the wake of dwindling tax revenue collection. They say country's tough economic situation will make it difficult for the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to deliver a budget that is satisfactory to all. The Minister will deliver the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement th...

 Unisa has approached a Gauteng high court on an urgent basis to challeng the Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande's decision to place the university under administration for 24 months, with former University of Johannesburg vice chancellor Professor Ihron Rensburg appointed as its administrator. Nzimande's final decision comes after he was interdicted from placing Unisa under administration f...

One person has been killed in a fire that gutted about 200 shacks in Khayelitsha on the Cape Flats. An unknown number of people have been left homeless. The fire ignited in strong winds at the Silver Town informal settlement late last night. Flames were fanned by gusty winds, spreading the inferno through the settlement. The cause of the blaze is unknown at this stage. Relief organisation Gift of...

The Coal-Face with Martin Creamer, publishing editor of Engineering News and Mining Weekly. 1. South Africa's biggest mining company has already cut a fifth of its carbon emissions. 2. Hillside Aluminium in KwaZulu-Natal is investigating ways of reducing its carbon intensity. 3. A toolkit has been piloted to bring green hydrogen into the realm of community development.  

It's now just hours before the 2023 Rugby World Cup final showdown. Defending champions, South Africa, take on New Zealand at the Stade de France tomorrow (Saturday) for the ultimate prize in World Rugby. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to sport reporter Simon Burke, in Paris France

Karpowership has received environmental authorization to connect to the grid. The Turkish company says the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment gave it permission to go ahead with the installation of a 450-megawatt gas-fired plant in the North Eastern port of Richards Bay. Karpowership's environmental authorization applications have been the subject of a number of legal challenge...

In a ground-breaking court judgment for new parents, especially fathers, the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has ruled that both parents are entitled to maternity leave. The High Court ruled that the provisions of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Unemployment Insurance Fund Act regulating parental leave are unconstitutional as they unfairly discriminate against mothers and fathers...