Update@Noon

Lehumo Investment's group CEO Maudi Lentsoane looks at the Asian Markets starts the new week with a negative open and the Central banks are also in focus, with the Federal Reserve expected to release its decision on interest rates later this week.

Former ANC Treasurer Matthews Phosa says it is time for the ANC to be led by people who are prepared to follow in the footsteps of leaders like Oliver Tambo who selflessly led the organisation during tough times. He has also accused the current leaders of the ANC of not acting against President Jacob Zuma because they are also benefiting from corruption. He was addressing close to 300 party member...

Roads leading to the Roodepoort CBD have been blocked off to traffic West of Johannesburg. This follows a protest by Davidsonville residents. The motive for the protest is not known at this stage. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Kay Makhubele...

· Late on Friday night Moody's announced the downgrade of South Africa's credit rating by one notch. Please re-cap for us, where do we now stand with the three big ratings agencies. Does this latest move by Moody's change anything? · The release of the 1st quarter GDP numbers last week confirmed what has been experienced by many of us - that the economy is in recession. But what is the significanc...

Residents of Knysna in the Western Cape have spent the second consecutive night outside their homes as raging fires continue to dominate the Garden Route. Fire fighters and defence force members worked troughout the night, trying to contain the fires, fanned by strong winds. A number of people were evacuated after the fire gutted 50 shacks in White Location. Victims are accommodated in various hal...

The MK National Council says it will not be attending this weekend's MK Military Veterans Association (MKMVA)'s elective congress which starts in Boksburg, on JHB's East Rand, today. The Veterans Association has inturn, called the decision by the MK National Council to boycott the elective congress as immature. Sakina Kamwendo speak to ANC stalwart General Siphiwe Nyanda, who leads the MK National...

Lungile Malinga , Equity Research Analyst at Effectus Capital Management looks at political developments amid the recession in SA, tell us more about that.

Firefighters and SANDF soldiers have brought the Knysna Fires under control along most of the Garden Route which began on Tuesday. The death toll from the Knysna fires now stands at five The area has been declared a disaster zone. Sakina Kamwendo speaks to Mcebisi Ngqina

Research Analyst Fundiswa Nkuta looks at the manufacturing production data released yesterday- what does this tell us about growth in South Africa? Mining production growth slowed to 1.7% in April and the the European Central Bank forecasts higher growth but keeps rates on hold.

On the Forum@8 this morning, we hosted the Mpumalanga education MEC, Reginah Mhaule, to talk about 'education' issues in her province. We have, in recent weeks, received sms's and emails from our listeners, about a variety of issues of concern.

The Chairperson of the DA's Federal Executive, James Selfe, has refuted allegations by Helen Zille that the party has treated her unfairly and had decided to suspend her even before she had a chance to give reasons why she should not be suspended. Zille, who is still Western Cape Premier, was suspended yesterday pending the outcome of her disciplinary hearing. The matter relates to her controversi...

Several areas around Knysna have been evacuated overnight after some places in the Southern Cape town was engulfed in flames. Raging fires are currently burning uncontrollably from two fronts. A church, a school hostel are among some of the establishments that have been razed to the ground. The Knysna provincial hospital was also evacuated overnight due to possible smoke inhalation. Meanwhile, the...

The Dept of Health is refuting claims by Francine Ngalula Kalala, the woman from the DRC who gave birth at Park Station in the Joburg CBD last Thursday, allegedly because she was turned away from three hospitals because of her asylum status. The Dept says Kalala refused to deliver her baby via cesarean section and willingly left the Tshwane District Hospital on the day she delivered her baby.

8 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the storm lashing the Western Cape. Gale force winds and heavy rains are being experienced in the province. Four people died when a house caught alight in Paarl. The storms also claimed a victim in Lavender Hill on the Cape Flats. Meanwhile, about one-thousand informal dwellers have been affected by the inclement weather lashing the province. Disast...

Police are now investigating a case of murder the post-mortem results of Thembisile Yende proved that she was assaulted. Family spokesperson, Mbobeni Yende has urged for anyone with information to contact the police so the family can eventually find closure...

NEHAWU in Parliament is calling for the suspension of the Secretary to Parliament, Gengezi Mgidlana. The union is accusing Mgidlana of maladministration and has written to the Presiding Officers asking them to suspend him. Stembiso Tembe, NEHAWU Chairperson in Parliament and Parliament's spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo talk to us about the issues raised by NEHAWU...

SAPU's General Secretary, Oscar Skommere and the police's Brigadier Div Odendaal, from its Human Resources department on the South African Policing Union (SAPU) is threatening to close down all 10111 centres across the country if management does not respond positively to their demands. Today the 10111 employees are undertaking a national march to Pretoria, in what they call, a stern warning to the...

The seventh provincial conference of the ANC women's league in the North West, has formally endorsed former African Union Chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, to become the next ANC President in December. The ruling party's women's league held its provincial elective conference over the weekend in Haartebeespoort near Rustenburg. Patrick Dintwa reports

The South African Communist Party has called for an independent judicial commission of inquiry into state capture to be established immediately. This is in the wake of continuing media reports of a trail of leaked emails cementing perceptions of the Gupta family's hold over the state. Speaking after the party central committee meeting SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande says the emails are worry...

Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille, says she wants to be given a chance to explain her case following the Democratic Alliance's announcement of its intention to suspend her. Over the weekend DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, announced that Zille would be suspended from all party-related activities pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing into her Tweets on colonialism. Zille says proper processes were...

The confusion surrounding the suspension or not of Hellen Zille from the Democratic Alliance (DA) has left many people wondering who really is in charge of the party. This follows the announcement by the Leader of the Party, Mmusi Maimane that Zille was suspended and a later clarification by Federal Executive chairperson James Selfe that it was actually an intention to suspend. Meanwhile former le...

The South African Communist Party has called for an independent judicial commission of inquiry into state capture to be established immediately. This is in the wake of continuing media reports of a trail of leaked emails cementing perceptions of the Gupta family's hold over the state. Speaking after the party central committee meeting SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande says the emails are worry...

Counting of ballots is under way following Saturday's general elections in Lesotho. The election is seen as a two-horse race between old rivals Pakalitha Mosisili and Thomas Thabane, who have both served as prime minister. The snap election was called after Prime Minister Mosisili lost a no-confidence vote in March after his seven-party coalition government broke up.

Two Metrorail trains have collided in Elansfontein on Gauteng's East Rand. The collision has affected traffic in the area. Metrorail is yet to give further details. Metrorail spokesperson Tony Games says they're still investigating on what happened.....

South Africa's constitutional democracy is under threat and constitutional accountability by government officials has been eroded. These were the words of The Board of Trustees of the Nelson Mandela Foundation as they added their views on the state of the country, during a media briefing yesterday evening. The Board of Trustees also lamented incidents of violence plaguing the country as well as wh...