Update@Noon

As today marks world teachers' day to honor the role, service, and importance of teachers, the South African Council of Educators reports a rise in complaints against teachers for assaulting pupils and sexual misconduct. SACE says these trends are worrying. This emerged in the entity's annual report tabled in Parliament. SACE reported that it received a total of 734 cases and investigated 254 misc...

Transnet Freight Rail CEO Siza Mzimela has resigned. Mzimela revealed the news of her departure in a letter to staff earlier today. This comes as transnet freight rail has performed poorly during Mzimela's tenure. The Transnet Freight Rail Chief Executive Officer will vacate her office at the end of this month. Mzimela assumed office in 2020. This is just less than a week after Portia Derby resign...

Civic Organisations within the City of Tshwane have started campaigns to boycott paying their municipal rates and levies. This, they say is due to the persistent poor delivery of services, particularly in townships. The situation has been exacerbated by the ongoing impasse between municipal workers who remain on strike action since July while the City is adamant that it does not have the necessary...

The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has been postponed to Monday to allow the defence counsel time to study documents containing evidence from a cellphone analyst. The documents relate to data from the cellphones of Bongani Ntanzi and another, who are among the five the accused in the murder trial of the football star. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter, Phumzile Mlangeni.

Trade, Industry, and Competition minister Ebrahim Patel has directed the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) to consider the creation of a temporary rebate provision on chicken meat. The directive follows an engagement between the Minister Patel and the Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development, minister Thoko Didiza. South Africa is currently dealing with av...

The SOS Coalition - a broadcasting network that campaigns for democratic media and broadcasting -  has sounded the alarm on the proposed SABC draft Bill recently signed by Cabinet. The Bill is set to be tabled in front of parliament's relevant portfolio committee before the public can give input on it. Amongst the Bill's proposals is for the SABC to establish a subsidiary commercial company that w...

 Pressure is mounting on Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan, to be sacked and his department scrapped. This comes amid growing business and investor unhappiness about continuing instability at the country's embattled state owned enterprises. Political analyst, Sandile Swana says although Gordhan is a liability to the country's economy, his political future is safe as he remains a politica...

Teacher regulatory body, SACE says it's seeing a rise in complaints against teachers for assaulting pupils and sexual misconduct. SACE says these trends are worrying. This emerged in the entity's annual report tabled in Parliament. The South African Council of Educators (Sace), reported that it received a total of 734 cases and investigated 254 misconduct complaints against educators. Sakina Kamwe...

State witness Constable Sizwe Zungu has been asked why he didn't come forward the moment he suspected he knew who was responsible for the murder of Senzo Meyiwa. Meyiwa was shot dead in 2014 while at Kelly Khumalo's parental home in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg. Five men are on trial at the High Court in Pretoria for the murder of the Bafana Bafana soccer star. Zungu is being cross examined by...

The main labor union at South Africa's state power utility Eskom, the National Union of Mine Workers, has called for the suspension of a R163 billion ($8.5 billion) climate finance pact. Under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), South Africa agreed to begin moving away from generating electricity from coal to producing more renewable energy.  The union, says it wants further consultatio...

Two boys have died at a clinic in Naledi, Soweto after they allegedly ate biscuits bought from a foreign-owned shop on Sunday. Soweto police have opened an inquest docket. It is also understood that two more children are in a critical condition in hospital. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter, Mbalenhle Mthemthwa.

State witness Constable Sizwe Zungu has resumed his testimony at the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial taking place in the High Court in Pretoria. Last month, the trial adjourned to allow the defence time to study more than 700 photos requested from the state, before they continue their cross examination of Zungu. Five men are standing trial for Meyiwa's murder, who was shot dead in Voslorus, east of Joha...

The Economic Freedom Fighters protest is underway in the Western Cape. The protesters are chanting slogans and singing struggle songs amid a heavy police presence. The march comes in the wake of a recent taxi industry strike against the impoundment of vehicles by City of Cape Town law enforcement agencies. They are expected to deliver the memorandum of grievances to city officials later today. Sak...

The department of Basic Education says more than three-thousand schools across the country have reported unusual behaviour amongst pupils. This includes learners screaming uncontrollably and other strange behaviour. The department has since taken it upon itself to launch a survey to probe such strange behaviours. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to departmental spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga.

 The October leg of the  Judicial Service Commission interviews commences today. There are twenty judicial vacancies which include four vacancies at the Supreme Court of Appeals. According to the Judiciary Newsletter, out of the 21 judicial appointments made by the President on the recommendations of the Judicial Service Commission, 11 were women, including Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya. Sakin...

Local government's inability to enforce by-laws has been blamed for the decay of some South African cities.  The fire in Marshalltown Joburg, which killed over 70 people, demonstrated the city's failure to adhere to its own laws. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Nthatisi Modingoane, Deputy Director of Communications at the City of Johannesburg.

Police are investigating a case of murder after a man was gunned down on the R40 road in Hazyview, Mpumalanga. The deceased who was travelling with his family stepped out of his vehicle before he was shot and killed. The R40 road linking Hazyview and Bushbuckridge will be closed as police comb the area for clues. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to reporter, Nsikelelo Nkuna.

Commission for Gender Equality in Mpumalanga has added its voice to the problem of the practice of Fulelani Nganeno.  Update at Noon has been putting the spotlight  on the crisis in Nkomazi local Municipality on the high rate of young girls being impregnated by older men and the practice of Fulelani Nganeno also known as Ukuthwala. This issue was highlighted by a concerned resident ,  Innocent Mad...

Water experts have warned government officials to take responsibility for the current water challenges faced by various communities in Gauteng. This follows calls by Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu for Rand Water to implement water shifting as a temporary measure to alleviate the water shortages in Sandton, Midrand and hardest hit area being most parts parts in the South of Johannesbur...

South Africa is now experiencing worse criminal activity than countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. That's according to Global Organized Crime Index 2023. This index provides important context for the growing growth in organized crime over the past decade. The index showed that organized crime is rising globally, with 83% of the world's population living in conditions of high criminality....

The case against the 9 accused linked to the Fort Hare university murders has been postponed to the 30th of October in the Alice magistrates court this morning. The nine are accused of being involved in the murder of Fort Hare's Fleet Manager, Petrus Roets, and the Vice Chancellor's bodyguard, Mboneli Vesele.  Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter, Sidima Mfeku.

Municipal workers union, the Independent Municipal & Allied Trade Union, says it's disappointed with the Tshwane Metropolitan city continuing to dismiss workers. The municipality has allegedly dismissed over 100 of its employees for participating in what it calls an illegal and unprotected strike. The city is also accused of failing to pay it's workers, instead challenging them to explain why...

Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi has paid homage to struggle stalwart and the 'Mother of the Nation' Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. He was speaking at the official unveiling and renaming of William Nicole Drive to Winnie Mandela Drive. The William Nicol Drive,  stretches from Sandton to Diepsloot, and remains one of Johannesburg's busiest roads, often being heard on radio traffic bulletins during peak...

Aides and supporters of Niger's deposed president, Mohamed Bazoum, have welcomed the decision by France to withdraw its diplomatic staff and military from the country. The say that this move will deny the military junta a scapegoat to disguise its failings. President Emmanuel Macron told French viewers during a televised address on Sunday that military cooperation with Niger was "over" and that Fr...