Update@Noon

Deputy Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Obed Bapela, says government is drafting a bill that will deal harshly with those involved in running illegal circumcision schools. This emerged at a launch of the circumcision winter season in Bhisho in the Eastern Cape. Bapela says this is one of government's initiatives to put an end to the commercialisation of this ritual and...

Market Analyst Clive Ramathibela looks at Asian stocks which fell as Chinese trade data showed exports from the world's biggest trading nation dropped. Volkswagen opens talks with unions on how to cut costs without eliminating jobs as the German carmaker grapples with rapid technological change and billions of euros in damages from cheating on diesel-emissions tests and China imported nearly a bil...

Nerina Vissar, Strategist and Advisor at ETFSA looks at the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Business Confidence Index for May which was released yesterday and South Africa’s economy has had some body blows in recent times

The South African Broadcasting Cooperation's Chief Operations Officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng says the cooperation stands by it's decision not to show people burning property on news bulletins. Motsoeneng was part of a panel of discussion, hosted by the National Press Club in Pretoria, to debate SABC's decision not to show footage of people destroying or burning public property. SABC issued a statememnt...

Top water experts from Israel are in South Africa to share their successes in overcoming the Middle Eastern country's recent chronic water shortages. The IsraelSA Water week comes at the time when South Africa has been experiencing its worst drought in decades. Professor Eilon Adar a Hydrologist and one of Israel's leading researchers in water sources, use and technology, will be one of the partic...

Mining operations at the Northam Platinum Mine in Limpopo have been halted. This follows the murder of a member of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) at the weekend. NUM blames members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) for the incident. The situation is tense and police have been deployed. For the latest on this, we spoke to the Chief Executive Officer of Northam...

Market Analyst Clive Ramathibela looks at Asian stocks, US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen speech boosts global stocks and Saudi Arabia to Reduce Public-Sector Wages in Post-Oil Plan.

Violent clashes have erupted between mine-workers affiliated to rival unions AMCU and NUM at Northam Platinum Mine in Limpopo. Two mine-workers, reportedly affiliated to the rival two unions, were killed during the confrontations. At least two vehicles belonging to fighting mine-workers were also set alight. Lucas Mothibedi reports

About thirty political parties in the North West have registered with the Independent Electoral Commission, to contest the August 3rd municipal elections. The electoral commission says of these, fifteen are newcomers. Independents from across the province have also registered ninety candidates in all four districts. Political commentators and observers believe the coming elections will be highly c...

Refuse removal entity Pik-it-up has been dragged into the local government elections campaigns with the DA proposing its dissolution. City of Johannesburg Mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba says if he wins the elections, he would privatise the entity which has been going through a hard time in the last few years. Senior Political Reporter Angela Bolowana reports

Nerina Visser, Strategist and Adviser at ETF SA looks at the Sasol share price was down more than 10% what caused the sharp drop and the Rand strengthened to below R15 to the dollar.

The reshuffle of the KwaZulu-Natal cabinet by the newly-appointed Premier, Willies Mchunu, has been met with mixed feelings from unions and opposition parties. The ANC announced a shake-up of the cabinet two weeks after Willies Mchunu replaced Senzo Mchunu as Premier. The party dropped Education MEC Peggy Nkonyeni, Sports MEC Ntombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha, Agriculture's Cyril Xaba and Economic De...

Market Analyst Clive Ramathibela looks at the robust Asian markets and Chinese retail investors finding it harder to bargain in the new equity market

Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, says South Africans should stop making negative comments to improve confidence in the country. He was reacting to a decision by S&P Global Ratings to keep South Africa's credit rating unchanged. S&P maintained the negative outlook on the rating‚ citing concerns about economic growth and warned it could lower the rating by year-end or next year if policy measures d...

The ANC in Gauteng has hailed the staging of a rally to mark the launch of its local government election manifesto as a major success. About 85-thousand party's rank and file filled the FNB stadium in SOWETO on what is viewed as the show of force by the ruling party ahead of the August 3rd local government elections. Gauteng is expected to be hotly contested terrain as the opposition DA and the EF...

Police minister Nkosinathi Nhleko has expressed his serious concern at the rising number of political killings. The minister has set up task team has to investigate the killings. Recently a number of political leaders have been killed especially in KwaZulu-Natal. We caught up with the police minister for more on this...

ANC National Chairperson Baleka Mbete has endorsed the party's decision of replacing former KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu with Willies Mchunu. She was alongside provincial ANC chairperson Sihle Zikalala on a fact-finding campaign at Hopewell, near Richmond, in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. Mchunu resigned as premier two weeks ago following a directive from the ANC National Working Committee. Mbete says t...

The EFF has promised to change the status quo at the whites-only town of Orania, in the Northern Cape, should they win the local government polls at Thembelihle Municipality. Mayor of the municipality, Danny Jonas, who is an EFF candidate, says the whites-only enclave might cease to exist after the elections. Mpho Lepedi compiled this report.

The ANC in Gauteng has hailed the staging of a rally to mark the launch of its local government election manifesto as a major success. About 85-thousand party's rank and file filled the FNB stadium in SOWETO on what is viewed as the show of force by the ruling party ahead of the August 3rd local government elections. Gauteng is expected to be hotly contested terrain as the opposition DA and the EF...

As the world mourns the death of Muhammad Ali, Harry Horton takes a look at his influence outside of sport, and how, even after his death, he continues to shape attitudes and opinions in America and beyond. Harry Horton, reports

Nerina Visser, Strategist & Advisor at ETFSA looks at S&P decision not to downgraded South Africa’s sovereign rating, continued concerns about the lack of domestic economic growth and questions about the future of the State-Owned Enterprises.

There are reports of uprisings across the country over ANC candidate lists for the local government elections. ANC members from different branches in Gauteng are reported to have gone to Luthuli House to protest, while others from Ekurhuleni are reported to have marched to Walter Sisulu House. The ruling party was expected to submit the names of its candidates Councillors to the IEC yesterday. We...

Ratings agency Standard and Poors is today expected to announce whether South Africa will be downgraded to junk status or not. The agency has placed the country's economy two notches beyond junk status. economists are waiting with bated breath the outcome of Standard and Poors announcement. We spoke to FNB economist, Chris Gilmore for more on this...

SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande has challenged NUM leaders to take up the battle against the Gupta family's influence on the ANC - describing it as toxic. Nzimande was addressing the union's Central Committee meeting. He says exposing the Gupta family's influence should not be viewed as an attack on President Jacob Zuma. He called on NUM to stand up for the movement. This is despite the ANC...

A general household survey released by Stats SA yesterday reveals that almost a third of the population is now relying on social grants. There's been a steady increase from 12 point 7 percent of the population in 2013 to 30 point 1 percent in 2015. The percentage of learners who reported that they were exempted from paying tuition fees climbed by more than 60-percent. Tshepo Mongoai reports...