Update@Noon

Minister of Communications and Digital Technology, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has celebrated her first 100 days in office.  Ntshavheni says among her biggest achievements so far, she counts the revival of the broadcast digital migration process and her success in reducing the number of court cases against her department. She says some of her priorities for 2022 include the corporatisation of the Po...

The Department of Health's decision to recall a recent circular on revised COVID-19 Contact Tracing, Quarantine and Isolation protocols, has been met with mixed reactions. In a statement, the Department on Tuesday that the reason for the revision was based on a number of scientific factors including the fact that, most people have vaccinated with at least one dose and developed some level of immun...

Power utility Eskom Spokesperson, Skonathi Mantshantsha has confirmed a transformer explosion at its Camden Power Station in Mpumalanga. Elvis Presslin spoke Mantshantsha on the details. 

Security is tight at the Malamulele magistrate court in Limpopo where  a 52-year-old suspect is appearing for allegedly shooting and killing seven of his family members at Jimmy  Jones village on Christmas Day. A group of residents is protesting at the main entrance, holding placards calling for the suspect not to be granted bail.  The violence started after a family feud over the o...

  The Grahamstown High Court in Makhanda has ruled that Shell must halt its Seismic survey, planned along the Wild coast, until a second part of an interdict is heard. The application was brought by a number of coastal communities including the Amadiba Crisis Committee after an urgent application was dismissed by the same court two weeks ago. Environmental groups are arguing that the blasting...

The National Department of Health is expanding its vaccination drive to offer a third booster shot to South Africans who have had two Pfizer vaccinations.  The boosters are being administered six months after eligible recipients received their second primary shots. The third booster jabs come in the wake of the rapid spread of the latest Covid 19 variant, Omicron, which has the ability to eva...

 Tributes are continuing to pour in following the death of human rights activist and Anglican Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu yesterday. Tutu has been describes as a pillar in the fight against the apartheid system in the country. Tributes to the Nobel Laureate and his devotion to speaking truth to power have been flooding in from all across the world. The 90-year-old died t his Cape Town h...

A family in the North West province is still trying to come to terms with the arrest of their 20 year relative who allegedly hired hitmen to kill her parents and siblings  in December 2016. The woman appeared in the Brits Magistrates' Court earlier this week . She is facing five charges of murder, together with the two alleged hitmen. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to family spokesperson Peter Ratlhag...

A massive new $4-billion green ammonia/hydrogen export project is planned for Nelson Mandela Bay. Construction of the world’s greenest platinum group metals plant is under way in North West province. The mining industry this week backed Eskom’s plans to lease land for renewable energy generation. Sakina Kamwendo presents another update from The Coal-Face with Martin Creamer, publishing...

 Eskom might plunge the nation into darkness this festive season over compliance with emissions standards. The power utility may be facing an energy crisis as a result of being forced to take power plants offline. That is after the environment department rejected Eskom's application to allow it to continue with current status quo. Eskom is battling to meet the required Minimum Emission Standa...

The Gauteng High Court has ruled that former National Commissioner of Correctional Services Arthur Fraser's decision to place former president Jacob Zuma on medical parole was unlawful. This follows Zuma's 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court, after he refused to continue to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to legal journalist at Media24,...

 A UN envoy this week urged South Africa to make use of the funding available for energy transition. Mining companies this week committed themselves to full contract and tax openness to combat corruption. Exploration geologists this week urged South Africa to unlock its amazing jewel box of mineral deposits. Sakina Kamwendo presents another Update From The Coal-Face with Martin Creamer, publi...

The manufacturer of Howe Instant Noodles has denied allegations that their products are unsafe for consumption.  This after the National Consumer Commission (NCC)  said that it has reasonable suspicion to believe that Grandisync CC, the supplier of Howe Instant Noodles, supplied goods that posed a potential risk to the public following the deaths of three children in the Eastern cape.&nb...

A family in the North West Province, near Vryburg is in agony following the rape of their 10 year old daughter.  The family says that they opened a case of rape at the Vryburg police station  last month; on the 7th of November however the known suspect has not been  arrested and there has been no developments or feedback on the case. The police have allegedly told the family that th...

 Public service and administration minister Ayanda Dlodlo has urged South Africans to commit to fight corruption as a country. Ayanda Dlodlo delivered the keynote address at the commemoration of International Anti-Corruption Day. The day provides an opportunity for political leaders, governments, legal bodies and lobby groups to join forces against corruption. For a look at what the impact of...

Eskom chief financial officer Calib Cassim has confirmed that the state -owend power utility has applied for an electricity price increase of 20.5% for its 2023 financial year, set to take effect from 1st April 2022. The company confirmed the information following a press statement from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (nersa), which Eskom it says misrepresented its statement. Sakina...

National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Shamila Batohi has reiterated that the National Prosecuting Authority is not in a crisis. Batohi is appearing before Parliament to answer questions about the resignation of the head of the Investigating Directorate Hermione Cronje. She has also provided reasons for the NPA missing its own December 2 deadline regarding the prosecution of those impli...

A group of disgruntled fathers has marched to the head office of the Social Development Department in Pretoria, to demand unlimited access to their children. Most of them say the law has restricted them from accessing or spending time with their children. They are demanding changes to the country's Children's Act. Organisers of the march want the law to enforce the rights of children and fathers i...

Police in Mpumalanga have tracked down a young woman who was reportedly kidnapped as a newborn baby, in Ermelo in 2001. Police say the mother who was 16 at the time gave birth to a baby girl, and was later discharged from the Ermelo Provincial Hospital. She was on her way home when the alleged kidnapper; offered to assist by holding the baby as her mom was experiencing pain. The alleged kidnapper...

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it is confident that the Constitution 18th Amendment Bill will not achieve a two-thirds majority vote in the National Assembly. The party says however that if it does, they will challenge the Bill in court. The Bill is before parliament on Monday for final approval after the Ad Hoc Committee adopted it in September. The Bill seeks to amend Section 25 of the Consti...

A 28 year old man accused in the rape and murder of a six year old girl has appeared in the Praktiseer magistrate's court outside Burgersfort in Limpopo. The accused, Levy Nangoma had his case postponed to February first next year. He allegedly lured the girl into his house, raped and strangled her to death. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to reporter Jabulani Baloi

National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Shamila Batohi is adamant that the National Prosecuting Authority has the capacity to prosecute complex crimes that involve high-profile people. Batohi briefed the media virtually amid growing public impatience that no major arrests have been following the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture hearings. The briefing also comes after the resignat...

The South African Cargo Transport Drivers Association claims that truck drivers who have blocked the N3 at Van Reenen's Pass between KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, are protesting against the employment of foreign drivers. Trucks closed off the highway in both directions since the early hours of Friday morning, forcing a lengthy traffic backlog. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Daniel Mofokeng, the President o...

The Amadiba Crisis Committee says it has brought a second application for an urgent interdict against oil petroleum giant Shell, which will be heard on December 14th. This; as the organisation prepares to hold a march against Shell this weekend. Meanwhile Shell has welcomed the dismissal of the urgent application to interdict its seismic survey operat  ion on the wild coast of the Eastern Cap...

South Deep gold mine is now planning 50 MW of sun energy with an equal volume of wind energy. Glencore this week promised to institute just transition measures at all the coal mines it closes. Sakina Kamwendo brings you another update From The Coal-Face with Martin Creamer, publishing editor of Engineering News and Mining Weekly . He’ll be back At The Coal-Face at the same time next Fri...