Update@Noon

The Department of Education in the Free-State is optimistic about the matric results for 2016. In 2013, the province managed to achieve the number one spot with an 87-point-four per cent pass rate. In 2014, the province came second after Gauteng and in 2015, it fell to third place after the Western Cape and Gauteng. Free State Education spokesperson, Howard Ndaba, says the province will be aiming...

A violent storm that swept across parts of the Eastern Cape has claimed the life of one person at Mqanduli in the King Sabatha Dalindyebo Municipality. More than 70 people sustained injuries, with many hit by bricks and flying corrugated iron sheets. As Mbasa Kwaza reports, schools and churches have not been spared

Residents of Dooringlaagte outside Zeerust in the North West, say the government is yet to fulfil its promise of building them houses. Many of them come from the farms and have been staying in mud houses and dilapidated shacks for almost twenty years. Government says the transfer of land from the Rural Development department to the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality is delaying the process of bu...

The ANC has called for the confiscation of all official and diplomatic passports from officials who are found to be willfully undermining South Africa's foreign policy. The ruling party has condemned the mayor of Tshwane, Solly Msimanga, for his visit to Taiwan. We spoke to Zizi Kodwa, ANC National spokesperson and DA spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Stevens Makgolopa...

There is a very special class and teacher in the Langkloof in the Eastern Cape. An eleven year old teaches pupils - six times her age - to read and write. There is a magic between her and the eager learners, and she inspires them to be the best they can be. Veronica Fourie reports

Taxis at the Maseru are still not operational as the Lesotho taxi operators protest against what they say is refusal to do business in South Africa by the police. Many commuters have been left starnded as the operators blockaded roads and ceased operations. Commuters are trying to travel back to their jobs in South Africa. For more on this we are joined on the line by our reporter Thabiso Radebe

The year, 2016 can be remembered about fierce debates around the controversial land ownership. Given that, there are no definitive success in several government programmes for land re-distribution and restitution initiatives, some political parties saw it and used it as Ace-card in the recent government elections. The matter has now cascaded into chaos in the populated mining areas of Brits and Ru...

The South African Weather Service is predicting more rain for Gauteng this week. Heavy rainfall is also predicted for Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces. Emergency services in Gauteg are calling on mororists to be cautious on the road. We spoke to Robert Mulaudzi, Spokesperson for the Johannesburg Emergency Services...

The ANC Greater Tshwane Region Caucas has labelled the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Solly Msimanga's visit to Taiwan as treason. The ruling party's Tshwane Region says it will approach the country's law enforcement agencies to investigate the implications of this visit. The party added that the Mayor does not seem to understand the functioning of the three layers of the state and how they are inter...

NGO, OperationSA has presented almost R 10-million to seven charities for the #SAveSyria humanitarian efforts. The organisation says that the money was raised following an urgent call for donations over the past ten days. We spoke to Yusuf Abramjee Social Activist..

Parliamentarians are away for the December recess. They will return to work in January and February. As we look back at 2016, the SAA debate that took place on the 13th of September, the same day President Jacob Zuma had his oral reply session, was one of the critical debates. Our Parliamentary Correspondent Mercedes Besent gives us a glimpse at what transpired during the SAA debate and filed this...

It has been another tough year for President Jacob Zuma both domestically and on the continental and international stage. Issues ranged from successfully steering the economy to avoid credit rating downgrades to forging new relations with various countries and institutions around the world. He concluded his international programme by attending the funeral of the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro. Our Pre...

It's Almost four months since the August 3rd elections took place- however, Inchanga‚ west of Durban, KwaZulu Natal is still marred by political violence. Last week, three memebers of SACP were killed in Entshangwe, in what the party alledges to be a hit squad. Members of the community have since been urged to defend themselves amid fears of further violence in the area over the festive season. We...

The top leadership of of the Correctional Services department is expected to visit St Albans Prison on Tuesday. This after three inmates died after inmates allegedly attacked prison warders. The department says 25 other inmates and five officials sustained injuries. Over the weekend thirty-six inmates sustained burn wounds at the Leeuwkop Prison after a fire broke out. We spoke to Miles Bhudu, Pre...

The National Sea Rescue Institute has issued a warning to holiday makers, beach-goers and fisherman that the New Moon Spring Tide has been building intensity since Monday and will peak on Thursday. The institute says any beach bathers planning on heading to the beach will notice a gradual increase in the daily tides. It also warns of stronger rip currents. We spoke to Craig Lambinon, spokesperson...

Family members of the three Lily gold mine workers still trapped underground have expressed uncertainty about the future of the children of Solomon Nyirenda, Pretty Nkambule and Yvonne Mnisi. This follows the closure of another nearby Baabrook mine a wing of the Lily gold mine near Barberton in Mpumalanga. The families have been receiving salaries of the trapped workers since the incident happened...

Parliament's Police Committee says it will consider the Board of Inquiry's report into suspended National Police Commissioner Riyah Phiyega, in February. But COPE supported by the PAC says parliament should further probe the alleged involvement of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and former Minister Nathi Mthethwa in the 2012 Marikana tragedy in which 34 mineworkers were killed. Our Parliamentary...

National Freedom Party (NFP)'s Secretary General Nhlanhla Khubisa and former National Chairperson Maliyakhe Shelembe have been suspended for six years from the party. This after the NFP's National Disciplinary Committee found them guilty of failing to pay the IEC registration deposit on time, which resulted in the party being disqualified from contesting in the August municipal elections. We spoke...

Authorities are calling on motorists and pedestrians to be vigilant on the roads as the national death toll approaches one thousand. In he last 24 hours alone - close to 40 people have been killed in a number of crashes. We spoke to Simon Zwane, Spokesperson for the Road Traffic Management Corporation…

Anglican bishops in the Western Cape have rejected President Jacob Zuma's call for religious leaders to stay away from politics. This is according to Cape Town Archbishop Thabo Makgoba. He was addressing congregants during the annual Midnight Mass at the St George's Cathedral in Cape Town on weekend. Makgoba also re-iterated his reasons why Zuma should step aside, as our Parliamentary Corresponden...

At least 350 babies have been delivered on Christmas day nationally. Gauteng registered the most number of newborns with more than 114, followed by Limpopo with over 65. The least number of babies were born in the Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape. The mothers of the newborns have expressed joy after giving birth on Christmas. Wisani Makhubele compiled this report.

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is urging you to assist them in encouraging members of your families who are behind bars not to smuggle contraband in prison. Three days ago, department confiscated a number of illegal items from one of the corrections centres in the North West. One of the unauthorised items impounded from offenders is a device to break windows. Correctional Services N...

The West Coast Rock Lobster, best known as kreef is now clarified under the seafood we should not buy. In their campaign called skip the kreef this summer, WWF South Africa says the Lobster has now been moved to the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative's red list. To tell us why, we are joined on the line by the SASSI Manager, Pavitray Pillay .

President Jacob Zuma says he will never resign on his own and surrender himself to monopoly capital. He shared the stage with ANC Youth League President - Collen Maine - at the Youth League's Economic Freedom Lecture held in Durban. While Maine called for the transformation of the Treasury, he was also quick to add that he does not mean Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan must be removed. The Youth Le...

A mother who abandoned her newborn baby in a minibus taxi at the Pavilion shopping centre two weeks ago is expected to appear in court today. The baby was found with a note from his mother apologising for abandoning him and asking for forgiveness. For more on this we are joined on the line by police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala ......