Update@Noon

Postbank has appealed to grant beneficiaries to ignore rumours circulating that the SASSA gold Card has been changed and no longer working. Postbank suspended ATM withdrawals on SASSA gold cards in December leaving some Social Relief of Distress grant recipients frustrated. Postbank says there was a system glitch which has since been resolved and beneficiaries can continue to access their money at...

Gauteng MEC, Matome Chiloane says parents should exercise patience with the department over the placement of both Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners. This comes a day before the start of the 2023 academic year for inland provinces. The Gauteng Education department earlier said they received over 290-thousand complete applications. MEC Chiloane who last year replaced the current Gauteng Premier, Panyaza...

Parents at some Quintile One schools in Malamulele are accusing local schools of refusing to issue their children with stationery until they have made once off payments. This comes as thousands of learners are expected to return to school following the festive season break. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter, Michael Makungo

The Tembisa Magistrate's Court has postponed the extradition case against a Mozambican kidnapping kingpin to the 16th of January. The 50-year-old suspect is alleged to be linked to multiple kidnappings in South Africa and Mozambique. A task team pounced on the man on Saturday evening at an upmarket estate in Centurion. Police seized a 9mm licensed firearm, fourteen 9mm cartridges and five cellphon...

Last month, a number of grant beneficiaries did not receive their R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant from the South African Social Security Agency and Postbank. This was due to some technical glitches during the November and December period which affected the timely payment of beneficiaries. SASSA and Post bank are back on track and many recipients received their January payments with no glitche...

It is that time of the year where parents are busy preparing for the opening of schools. One of the stresses that emerge at this time is the cost of uniforms and  stationery.  Uniforms set parents back thousands of rand. But parents are not completely left to fend for themselves. The Competion Commission has been investigating the matter and in 2021 published national guidelines on school uniforms...

Instability continues to be the order of the day in the Lichtenburg-based Ditsobotla Local Municipality. Contract workers have downed tools 'cause they haven't been paid their December salaries. Some are essential service workers. Protesting contract workers have blocked the municipality's entrance and scattered municipal documents all over Lichtenburg town. SABC reporter, Tebogo Phakedi filed thi...

Police have also launched a manhunt for suspects after five people were shot at in Eldorado Park south of Johannesburg last night. Two of the victims were certified dead on the scene. Gauteng police spokesperson  Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, says the motive for the shooting cannot be confirmed at this stage, although it is suspected to be related to gangsterism in the area. Elvis Presslin sp...

Police say four suspects believed to be responsible for a shooting incident that took place in Westbury on 31 December 2022 were arrested yesterday in Westbury. Residents of Westbury, have vowed to continue to camp outside the Sophiatown police station, until police put an end to the ongoing gang related violence in the community. Residents have been camping outside the police station since Novemb...

There have been growing calls for a government agency to be established to oversee the protection and compensation of whistle-blowers and their families. Many murders of those who've exposed malfeasance and corruption remain unresolved. Two prominent cases are those of Moss Phakoe, a North West anti-corruption activist, and Gauteng health official, Babita Deokaran. Phakoe was gunned down outside h...

ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula says the president is busy applying his mind on a possible cabinet reshuffle, following the ANC's National  Elective Conference. The conference which took place in December and resumed today, saw the likes of Deputy President, David Mabuza unable to get re-elected into the ANC National Executive Committee. The list of failed contenders to the NEC also includes...

Policies around the renewal of the ANC and adoption of the step-aside rule in the ANC constitution will be top on the agenda for ANC in the Northern Cape as the 55th national conference continues. Meanwhile, deputy chairperson of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, Nomagugu Simelane, says delegates will use the continuation of the party's national conference to discuss party policies. Elvis Presslin spoke t...

ANC president Cyril Rampahosa has called on ANC members to exercise discipline to bring a conclusion of its 55th National Conference today. The virtual conference is held over two days ahead of the party's January 8 celebrations on Sunday. Ramphosa says the core of the tasks identified by Conference in December is the need to restore relationship with the people of South Africa. 

Small businesses in townships and rural areas around the Durban metro say the festive season boost their turnover as patrons opted to enjoy themselves at local establishments. However they say flood damage and stage 6 load shedding affected their turnover. Nonkululeko Hlophe has this report

Farmers Associations say it will take months for the agricultural industry to reap the benefits of fuel price decreases. Farmers have battled to stay afloat in light of continuous fuel price increases. Fuel prices decreased significantly, with Petrol prices decreasing by R2.06c per litre, while diesel prices decreased by over R2.60c per litre, following the appreciation of the Rand against the US...

The ANC says the Dr Petrus Molemela stadium has now been cleared for its 111 year celebrations to be addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday. This is despite earlier reports that the just over 15 000 seater stadium was vandalized with no running water, no operational lifts, no VIP rooms with no electrical and safety certificates. Briefing the media on the preparedness to hold its annual J...

Two men, accused of assaulting a Pretoria East man in a suspected racial attack, have each been granted 8- thousand rand bail at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court. Karel Prinsloo and Johannes Stassen are facing charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, malicious damage to property and crimen injuria. The two allegedly assaulted Thato Lepinka and damaged his vehicle in a parking l...

Alleged Limpopo serial rapist linked to seven rape cases is back in the Bolobedu magistrate's court today. The 33-year-old man was arrested at the Tzaneen CBD after police received a tip-off. The police have been probing at least seven rape cases that were reported between 2015 and 2016. Police say he targeted hitch-hikers and shoppers. Elvis Presslin spoke to SABC reporter Justice Shipalana on wh...

The ANC says preparations are in place for the holding of its annual January 8 celebrations to mark its 111 years. Crafted in 1972 to celebrate the ANC's 60th anniversary, the then ANC President Oliver Reginald Tambo used the occasion to call for the building of a nation - a theme adopted to push ahead with the struggle for non-racialism and a democratic South Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa wil...

Activist and founder of the Callas Foundation, Caroline Peters, is challenging a law that prohibits publicly naming an accused charged with rape or other sexual offences before they have pleaded in court. Peters wants the relevant section of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) declared unconstitutional and invalid. She has filed her application in the Western Cape High Court against the Minister of J...

The Bolobedu Magistrate's court outside Tzaneen has postponed to Wednesday a case against a suspected serial rapist. The matter was postponed to allow the accused, Bonolo Seoka, to apply for legal aid representation. Seoka is facing two counts of rape and attempted murder after he was positively linked to the cases through DNA. He allegedly targeted hitch-hikers and shoppers between 2015 and 2016....

The family of a 43-year-old woman who died after being mauled by two pit bull dogs in Vivo a farming town,  in Limpopo, now wants justice. Melitah Sekole, from Ga-Makgato village, was attacked while walking from her rental place to work at Vivo on December 23rd and died at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital last Friday. The owner of the dogs has been arrested and charged with culpable homicide. M...

 A Prisoner rights activist will be approaching the South African Human Rights Commission to lodge a complaint of abuse of inmates by prison guards. The National Task Team of the Correctional Services Department has been carrying out an operation at the Boksburg prison searching for contraband, including cellphones. And in the process, some of the inmates were wounded when prison guards fired rubb...

Organisers of the iconic Tweede Nuwe Jaar Minstrel Parade say they have put numerous safety measures in place as the event returns to Cape Town today. The carnival has not been able to take place for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Elvis Presslin spoke to chairperson of the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association, Muneeb Gambino.  

January 2nd marks a year since the devastating fire that gutted the Old Assembly and new National Assembly buildings. Zandile Mafe who remains in police custody, is accused of starting the fire. The National Assembly building remains unsafe to enter as it was totally destroyed when the fire re-ignited on the third of January after 4 PM. Our Parliamentary Correspondent Mercedes Besent who was on th...