Update@Noon

DNG Power, a South African company to develop liquefied natural gas facilities is objecting to its disqualification in South Africa's emergency power tender. It's alleging wrongdoing, following government decision to award to eight companies to alleviate power shortages. DNG Power has taken legal action to have the government's award of emergency power generation contracts halted….We spoke to Aldw...

Following SABC's expose' of families of rape survivors complaining that backlogs in the processing of DNA evidence samples are preventing justice from taking its course, the police have now come forth to respond. South African Police Service’s spokesperson, Brigadier Vish Naidoo says there is light at the end of the tunnel regarding DNA backlogs

It's an issue that cannot be taken lightly. Bullying and prejudice have damaging effects on victims and their families. An adult who has suffered humiliation has made an impassioned plea to authorities to urgently deal with the scourge. Primary school teacher Mpho Mawela is, what she calls herself, a plus-size mother. The 32-year was bullied as a child, and she's still being body-shamed. Our repoe...

Families of rape survivors say backlogs in the processing of DNA evidence samples are preventing justice from taking its course. Police management told Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police recently that backlogs at the National Forensic Science Laboratory stood at over 173-thousand cases. Experts say this poses a serious challenge for the administration of justice. Our reporter Tshepo Phagan...

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says it has noted an upsurge in Covid-19 cases in the Northern Cape, North West and Free State Provinces. Senior Epidemiologist at the NICD, Dr Harry Moultrie says NICD is working with the respective provinces to ascertain whether the rise in cases can be attributed to cluster outbreaks.

The National Development Plan 2030 emphasizes that the use of digital communications has the ability to change society and is a powerful means of fostering social inclusion. But, in recent times - it is in this particular space that government seems to experience challenges. Some of these include questionable procurement of ICT services by government departments to long queues at government depart...

South Africa has struck a R218 billion energy deal with Turkish company Karpowership to provide South Africa with power from Ships. The three floating power stations - which use Liquefied Natural Gas to produce electricity - are expected to dock at Saldanha, Richards Bay and Gqeberha towards the second half of next year. The Dept. of Mineral Resources and Energy has however acknowledged that Karpo...

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) says it has encountered payment delays for March and April COVID-19 grant. SASSA says this due to the transition in government financial years. The end of March is the end of the financial year for government and various administrative tasks are required before any payments which relate to the previous financial year can be made. We spoke to Paseka...

Power utility Eskom is urgently seeking new providers of technical support after Oracle Corp.'s South African unit withdrew its services over a payment dispute. The state power utility has been in a disagreement with Oracle, which initially claimed Eskom underpaid it by about R7.3 billion, before reducing the amount to R380 million. Eskom is only prepared to pay R166 million. Eskom earlier this mo...

Former VBS Mutual Bank retail account holders have until July 8 to collect up to R100,000 at any Nedbank branch. 8TH July 2021 is the date when the agreement between the liquidator, the Prudential Authority and Nedbank is due to end. In terms of the agreement which was concluded in 2018, depositors were guaranteed up to R100 000 per depositor and had three years to collect their money. Retail depo...

The Communications Worker's Union (CWU) says issues facing the South African Post Office (SAPO) include Structural Organisation, Industry regulation and Governance. The union also says that it is very strange top executives at SAPO do not last very long in their positions. Just recently (in January this year) the union says it was shocked and disturbed by the resignation of the Post Office's CFO j...

A Soweto family is still traumatized after the horrific death of their mother, Jostina Sangweni who had dementia. She was attacked and burnt by community members on Friday while she was apparently on her way to consult with her spiritual healer. A video of the attack in which the voices of men insulting her can be heard, went viral on social media over the weekend. The family says she was attacked...

Several families in KwaZulu-Natal say their lives are in limbo due to a backlog at the forensic laboratory of the South African Police Services. They say they have been unable to bury their loved ones because of the delays. The Ngcobo family in Hammersdale outside Durban has been waiting for the positive identification of a burnt body that was found last year. The family believes the body belongs...

A forensic investigation by legal firm Bowman has found that an oil blending and storage company, Econ Oil & Energy allegedly secured deals to supply Eskom with fuel oil worth more than R15 billion at inflated prices by paying inducements, including donations to the ANC. Bloomberg reports that according to the forensic report, Econ Oil & Energy allegedly won the contracts with the help of Thandi M...

Several families in KwaZulu-Natal say their lives are in limbo due to a backlog at the forensic laboratory of the South African Police Services. They say they have been unable to bury their loved ones because of the delays. The Ngcobo family in Hammersdale outside Durban has been waiting for the positive identification of a burnt body that was found last year. The family believes the body belongs...

Government Food Banks aim to provide for the immediate and basic needs of the most vulnerable in our society and the indigent. They rely on donors in order to fulfill their mandate. Some of the donors who give generously include the farmers, market agents, exporters and retailers. The market's own food technicians determine which of the donated food is fit for human consumption. We spoke to our re...

Eskom's technical services provider Oracle, is threatening to withdraw their services to Eskom due to non-payment. Eskom approached the high court to compel Oracle to continue providing the services for the duration of the agreement until April 2022, however its bid failed in court...Eskom has warned that South Africa can be plunged into total darkness if the company is not stopped from withdrawin...

South African artists want to know what happened to the millions of rands that were meant to help them when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. They have staged a sit-in at the National Arts Council offices. They've vowed to continue occupying the offices of the arts council until they are paid out monies promised to them. The impasse is over a 300 million rand presidential employment stimulus programme, m...

Home Affairs Department will this weekend be doing a follow-up to a pilot they started last weekend where they are availed officials at all health facilities with maternity wards. This is in order to fast track registration of new-born babies at medical facilities where the child is born. A family has up to 30 days to register a birth. Registration of birth after 30 days is considered to be a late...

The Democratic Alliance (DA) have called for an investigation into some 40-thousand public service employees who applied for the SASSA SRD grant since February. This was revealed by the minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, in a written response to a parliamentary question posed by the Democratic Alliance (DA). We spoke to DA shadow deputy minister of social development, Dr Mimmy Gondwe.

An independent review panel in the United States has raised concerns around the information released by AstraZeneca yesterday showing its COVID-19 vaccine was 79 percent effective in preventing symptomatic illness. A statement released in the early hours of Tuesday by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases -- or NIAID -- pointed to concern expressed by an independent panel of ex...

The Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has described as 'completely unacceptable' the conduct of a teacher who was seen forcibly running a comb through a learner's hair, in a video that has gone viral on social media. In the video the teacher has other learners lined up to get their hair combed. The incident has drawn condemnation and has reignited conversation on socially acceptable conditions...

Wrestled to the ground, handcuffed, and allegedly shot in the back. This is the disturbing detail of yet another murder, allegedly at the hands of police. 22-year-old Musa Magasela was shot and killed in an apparent case of mistaken identity in Olifantsfontein's Clayville East on Thursday. It's believed police mistook him for a hijacker. But there are conflicting reports. Our reporter Maageketla M...

Authorities at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) have a plan to allow for a smooth registration process. This follows threats of widespread protests at universities against financial exclusion. We spoke to UWC spokesperson, Gasant Abarder...

The 8th Amazulu King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekuzulu has passed away at the age of 72. The news was confirmed in a statement from the royal house this morning. King Zwelithini had been in hospital for weeks for more than a month for diabetes treatment. The royal house says his health took a turn for the worst and he passed away in the early hours of this morning. King Zwelithini made history as th...