Update@Noon

The Department of Human Settlement is currently conducting  assessments of illegally occupied buildings in eThekwini. Some of the buildings belong to the Department and about 23 belong to the city of eThekwini.  The Department says it is assessing the situation and will release plans to relocate these people to safer structures. This follows the deadly Johannesburg building fire that killed 77 peo...

 The Ekurhuleni Municipality has been fined almost one-point-five Million rands for failing to provide housing and land in 20 years after the applicants were allocated these. The municipality allocating such of being ordered to by the courts to do so in December 2018. The Court held that the municipality is in contempt of a December 2017 court order, in which it was compelled to provide houses and...

The South African Police Service has been briefing the Portfolio Committee on Police on the implementation and progress regarding the Farlam Commission findings or the Marikana Report. The police also briefed the committee on the July 2021 Unrest Report. Sebenzile Nkambule spoke to SABC reporter, Zalene Merrington

Home Affairs Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi has announced that proposals are open for a multi-billion rand project aimed at changing the face of six of the country's ports of entry. Motsoaledi says construction at these chosen ports will act as a blueprint for future work to be done at all of the country's entry points. The project will be a partnership between government and the private sector and Mo...

Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety, Mgcini Tshwaku, says the City will be closing down Vannin Court in Hillbrow, as it has been deemed unsafe. This follows an inspection of the hijacked building, earlier today.  The inspection is aimed at assessing the conditions of the building and to make a decision on when they are going to remove illegal occupants. This follows the tragic incient last week, wh...

 Suspended Public Protector, advocate Busiswe Mkhwebane, has made an about-turn about her return to work today. Mkhwebane, who arrived at the Public Protector Head offices in Pretoria a short while ago, did not enter the premises due to her safety. She says her protectors were instructed to withdraw from escorting her to the office where she had planned to report for duty. Sebenzile Nkambule spoke...

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has established a Commission of Inquiry into the deadly Marshalltown fire that claimed 77 lives. More than 60 people were injured and many families are now homeless, after the fire gutted a hijacked building last week. The commission is to be chaired by retired Justice Sisi Khampepe. Meanwhile, government has asked families to visit the Diepkloof mortuary in Soweto t...

Electricity Minister, Dr Kgosi Ramakgopa says the high stages of load shedding are due to rampant maintenance. Ramakgopa was addressing the nation a short while following an announcement by Eskom that it will be implementing Stage 6 indefinitely. Ramakgopa warns that sacrifices have to be made to reach low stages of load shedding in future. For a look at the impact of constant load shedding on pri...

Statistics South Africa has released the gross domestic product figure for the second quarter, which shows the economy grew by 0-point-6 percent quarter-on-quarter, after growing by 0-point-4 percent in the first quarter. On a year-on-year basis, gross domestic product expanded by 1-point-6 percent in the second quarter. Sebenzile Nkambule spoke to chief economist at The Efficient Group, Dawie Roo...

Johannesburg motorists can now expect to be asked about their utility bills at roadblocks. This is according to the City of Johannesburg Chief Financial Officer, Tebogo Moraka. The city says this is part of a new strategy to enhance debt collection processes. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to the City of Johannesburg Chief Financial Officer, Tebogo Moraka.  

The Eastern Cape Department of Health has launched a new treatment plan for people suffering from drug-resistant tuberculosis. The Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Levofloxacin (BPaL-L) regimen is a three-drug, six-month, all-oral regimen. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to the Deputy Director General of the Department of Health in the Eastern Cape.

The Council for GeoScience has confirmed that a magnitude 3.62 tremor was recorded last night in the Westrand of Johannesburg. In July, a local magnitude 2.98 tremor was also recorded in several parts of Johannesburg while another in June, was estimated at 4.8. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Scientist from the Council for Geosciences Eldridge Kgaswane 

Unhappy ratepayers within the Buffalo City Metro in the Eastern Cape have launched a court application at the East London High Court in an effort to remedy what they call a dysfunctional billing system. They are asking the Court to declare unlawful the practice of the municipality of only providing residents with 20% in units of their electricity purchase, as it will deduct the 80% for repayment o...

A group of senior military officers in Gabon seized power in the early hours of the morning after the Central African state's election body announced that President Ali Bongo had won a third term. In a television address, the coup leaders said they represented all Gabonese security and defence forces. They also announced that the election results were cancelled, all borders were closed until furth...

Former ANC secretary Ace Magashule has announced the formation of a new political movement that is set to contest in next year's national elections. Magashule made the announcement from Soweto where he was flanked by various individuals who come from different provinces, including former Hawks head, Berning Ntlemeza. Magashule says the new formation will be known as the African Congress for Transf...

Emmerson Mnangagwa has been declared president-elect in Zimbabwe. He has trounced his main rival, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change. The opposition alleges that the election was rigged. ZANU-PF has been in power for more than four decades. Bongiwe Zwane, on update at noon, spoke to the Leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change, Nelson Chamisa.

Today marks 30 years since American exchange student Amy Biehl was killed in Gugulethu township, Cape Town. The 26-year-old researcher at the University of the Western Cape was a  US Fulbright Scholar who was described by Nelson Mandela as a person who made the country's aspirations her very own' but unfortunately lost her life during the formative years of a democratic South Africa back in 1993....

Getting analysis and unpacking some of the latest key outcomes of the BRICS Summit 2023, Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Thapelo Tsilapedi.  

Young people from all the brics member states have spoken out in favor of creating a BRICS Youth Council during the 15th BRICS Summit. National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Chairperson Asanda Luwaca stated the recent 15th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Youth Conference reached an agreement on the creation of a Youth Council on Wednesday while speaking at the summit now t...

The BRICS group of nations has expanded from 5 to 11 member states. This was announced by BRICS Chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa at the adoption of the Johannesburg Declaration 2 by BRICS leaders in Sandton. The BRICS alliance, which is composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is set to invite Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to join, as th...

The BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, representing a quarter of the global economy, are meeting for the second day as part of a three-day summit. discussing, amongst other issues, expansion and increasing global influence at the BRICS summit that is underway in South Africa's economic capital, Johannesburg. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to the founder of Weiner Limited and B...

Gauteng MEC for Economic Development: Tasneem Motara talks about how Gauteng Province seeks to familiarize investors from Brazil with the province's market in order to expand on the footprints made by China and Russia. Sakina Kamwendo on update at noon spoke to Gauteng MEC for Economic Development Tasneem Motara amid BRICSSummit2023 

Director at Africa-Asia Dialogues, Thembisa Fakude, talks about the agenda being advanced by the BRICS countries at the BRICSSummit2023 and on South Africa's stance when it comes to maintaining a relationship and remaining neutral with the West and BRICS, looking at trade amongst BRICS member countries, and international media interest from those countries looking to join the BRICS bloc. Sakina Ka...

Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, talks about the benefits of using the arts to strengthen ties within the BRICS bloc. The Minister meets with the Russian Special Envoy on Cultural Affairs, H.E. Mr. Mikhail Shvydkoy. On bilateral meeting focused on finding opportunities to strengthen cultural cooperation and advance the creative arts sectors of the two nations. The minister touched...