Update@Noon

The High Court in Pretoria has ruled against the defence questioning state witness, Tumelo Madlala on docket 375 in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial. The court says the docket has no status. The docket implicates Madlala and Meyiwa's former girlfriend Kelly Khumalo among others who were in the house when Meyiwa was shot and killed in 2014. The NPA said the decision to prosecute in that case will only...

The country three main Labour Federations, namely COSATU, FEDUSA and SAFTU have forged unity and waged war on government over the ongoing impasse over the rejected three percent pay offer for public service unions. The three unions have resolved to embark on a National Day of Action on the 22nd of November where workers will down tools with the main event being a march to the office on the Nationa...

National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, has extended the deadline of the Section 89 Independent Panel of Experts by 13 days. The  announcement of the extension comes a day before the panel had to conclude its assessment and report back to the Speaker. The panel report was initially  expected to be submitted to the Speaker by Thursday. The panel will now only report back to the Speaker...

 Gidon Novick has resigned as the CEO and board member of Takatso Consortium that plans to buy 51% of SAA. Novick says he was frustrated by the lack of transparency regarding the progress of the transaction.  But other consortium shareholders have accused him of a potential conflict of interest. It's been almost two years since the Department of Public Enterprises, announced Takatso as the equity...

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has announced that the month of September 2022 recorded more loadshedding than the whole of the year 2020. This was revealed through CSIR's annual statistics on power generation in South Africa. CSIR's Senior Researcher, Monique Le Roux however adds that this year has been the most intensive loadshedding year to date, concentrated in both the mont...

The family of eight-year old Olebogeng Mosime of Vista Park in Bloemfontein is still devastated following his gruesome death. Mosime was mauled to death by a neighbour's pitbull on Saturday. The pitbull escaped from its enclosure and forced itself through the fence into the deceased yard. Last month, an online petition started making rounds on social media, calling for the breed to be banned as a...

 An online petition organised by the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation has now received over 500-thousand signitures that are in support of the ban of pitbulls. The Foundation's spokesperson, Sizwe Kupelo says these dogs should be removed from society as a matter of urgency. This follows the mauling to death of  eight-year old Olebogeng Mosime of Vista Park in Bloemfontein.

The Water and Sanitation Department says the incessant rainfall over the weekend has resulted in some dams levels reaching full capacity forcing the department to open sluice gates. The disruptive rainfall in various parts of the country led to incidents of flooding being reported with more than 300 people forced to shelter at a community hall after their homes were flooded in Soweto. Emergency Se...

There continues to be uproar over Sanral's decision of awarding multi-billion rand construction projects to Chinese Firms. The South African Institute of Civil Engineering has written an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa questioning the awarding of the tenders to foreign companies over local firms. Sanral has however come out to support its decision noting that it followed all legal process...

The Alternative Information and Development Centre says less than three percent of the $8.5-Billion climate finance deal offered to South Africa comes in the form of grants. Senior economist at the Centre, Dick Forslund says the rest takes the form of concessional loans, commercial loans and investment guarantees. Forslung adds that what these secretive foreign loans will lead to great indebtednes...

Police Minister Bheki Cele has told Parliament that the South African Police Service (SAPS) can't meet the country's policing demands.  Parliament's Police Committee has called on SAPS management to work hard at restoring the public's confidence in police. This follows a briefing by police management on a Western Cape High Court judgment that found that the provincial police have been infiltrated...

The latest firearms report by Gun Free South Africa shows that 30 people are killed with guns in South Africa daily. According to the report gun violence is the leading cause of murder in the country. The organisation says in a year about 9 855 guns are reported lost or stolen. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Claire Taylor, Researcher at Gun Free South Africa

 A 32-year-old woman arrested for allegedly murdering her four children in Engcobo is expected to appear at the Engcobo Magistrates Court in the Eastern Cape today. According to police the children who are between the ages of two and 11 were found bludgeoned to death in a rondavel they shared with their mother. Police allege that the children had been assaulted by their own mother with a slash ham...

 The Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (HOSPERSA) says it is in solidarity with the thousands of workers from the Public Servants Association that have down tools across the country today. Dressed in red T-shirts written 'public servants are bleeding, PSA members have been out on the streets decrying government's unilateral decision to increase salaries by a mere thre...

South African Police Service and Boarder Management Control guards have been deployed to temporarily assist at the Immigration Services of the Beitbridge Border Post in Musina in Limpopo. This comes as public service employees affiliated to the Public Servants Association downed tools on Thursday following the collapse of wage talks. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter, Mahlatse Phaladi.

The trial of former Intelligence Minister, Bongani Bongo and his 11 co-accused has been postponed to next week Wednesday by the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court in Mpumalanga. Bongo and the accused made a brief appearance earlier this morning as they are facing 69 charges that include fraud, theft, and corruption amongst others. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter Motsebi Monareng...

The EFF in Ekurhuleni has withdrawn their Mayoral candidate, leaving the ousted DA councillor Thania Campbell facing the ANC's Jongizizwe Dlabathi. Campbell was ousted as Ekurhuleni Mayor following a motion of no confidence over a week ago. A special council sitting is underway in Germiston to elect the new Ekurhuleni mayor. Following the EFF's withdrawal, the ANC has called for an emergency caucu...

Branches of the African National Congress have until the end of today to submit their nominations for the party's top six officials. The nomination window was extended to today as some branches were yet to have their meetings across the country. ANC national Chairperson, Gwede Mantashe says the party has now reached the 70% threshold for branches to hold their meetings. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SA...

President CyriI Ramaphosa has denied that he has violated his oath of office. Ramaphosa who is currently in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt attending the COP27 Climate Conference has met the deadline of responding to all the information submitted by some National Assembly Members. He was given ten days from the 28 October until Sunday to respond to all the submitted information. The panel is tasked to asses...

The driver of the truck which caused the horror crash on the N-3 of  near the Marainnhill toll plaza on Tuesday is back in the Pinetown Magistrates court today. Vuso Tega faces two culpabable homocide charges   and negligent driving.  The run-away truck couldn't stop, drove uncontrollably to cause a pile up of 15 vehicles resulting to the death of three people, with five others sustaining serious...

Water and Sanitation, Deputy MInister David Mahlobo is expected to shortly open a criminal case against the Jagersfontein Development Mine. This follows the disaster in Jagersfontein where the slimes dam wall collapsed causing pollution to the environment, local properties and houses including water resources. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo..

 Police have launched a manhunt after three inmates have escaped from holding cells at the Tshamutumbu police station outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo. Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant colonel Mamphaswa Seabi has warned community members not to confront the prisoners, as they are considered to be dangerous, but to rather contact the nearest police station. One of the escapee 45 year-old Cai...

The second Presidential Summit on Gender Based Violence and Femicide starts today in Midrand. The summit was in response to the 24 demands submitted by the #TheTotalShutdown Intersectional Women's Movement to President Cyril Ramaphosa  following 27 nationwide marches on 1 August 2018. Organisations that are at the frontline of the battle against Gender Based Violence and Femicide, say the first pr...

The second Presidential Summit on Gender Based Violence and Femicide starts today in Midrand. The summit was in response to the 24 demands submitted by the #TheTotalShutdown Intersectional Women's Movement to President Cyril Ramaphosa  following 27 nationwide marches on 1 August 2018. The movement protested against the country's pervasive scourge of gender-based violence and femicide and offered t...

The Film and Publication Board has issued a legal notice on South Africa's Internet service providers demanding that they comply with amendments to the Film and Publications Act. The legal notices require these service providers to report on measures they have taken to tackle the spreading of child sexual abuse material and 'other online harms' on their platforms and services. Sakina Kamwendo spok...