Update@Noon

Cabinet has confirmed the formal withdrawal of regulations gazetted by Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi which banned food products containing cannabis and hemp. Motsoaledi had expressed concern over unregulated imported foodstuffs containing hemp, its oils and cannabis. This caused an outcry from various stakeholders and businesses prompting a meeting with between Minister Motsoaledi and Presi...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says water and sanitation still remains a huge challenge in the country. He was speaking in Midrand, Gauteng today at the National Water and Sanitation Indaba at the Gallagher Estate in Midrand in Gauteng. The gathering has highlighted government's commitment to tackling SA's water security challenges. 

A reporter who was added to a messaging group with key U.S. national security officials has now released the entire Signal chat demonstrating exact details of attacks against Yemen's Houthis earlier this month. The additional release follows a breathtaking story published by the Atlantic Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg this week who was inadvertently added to a group of Cabinet princip...

Johannesburg power utility, City Power says 15 of its employees face disciplinary procedures, with another facing criminal prosecution, after they were allegedly identified to be involved in cable theft and vandalism in the metro. The utility is also undertaking a full-scale disciplinary and legal processes surrounding identified financial irregularities and mismanagement. The entity says as also...

South Africa's  Automobile Association (AA) has raised concerns over the financial viability of the Gautrain rapid rail system. This comes after Gauteng MEC for human settlements and infrastructure development Lebogang Maile revealed that the Gautrain has lost five million passengers in the last four years. AA says despite this decline, authorities are moving forward with a R120 billion expan...

The Joshlin Smith kidnapping and human trafficking trial has resumed in the the Western Cape High Court, sitting in Saldhana Bay. Proceedings were adjourned yesterday after the state's key witness, Lorentia Lombaard fell ill. Lombaard was being cross examined by Rinesh Sivnarain, the lawyer for Joshlin's mother, Kelly Smith, when she said that she was not feeling well. Sivnarain is the last of the...

Local and international law enforcement agencies have arrested 40 suspects linked to a sophisticated SIM box fraud scheme. Interpol and SAPS seized more than 1-thousand SIM cards, along with 53 desktops and towers. This setup, which reroutes international calls as local ones, is commonly used by criminals to carry out large-scale SMS phishing attacks. The arrests were made as part of Operation Red...

Judicial organisation, Judges Matter says a new draft directive by Gauteng Judge President, Dunstan Mlambo, will assist in the country's efforts to ensure timeous resolutions to civil trial matters. This comes a week after Mlambo urged parties in civil matters to first undergo mediation processes before the matters are set down for trial. The judge proposed a number of drastic measures as the judi...

A fund is currently being sought to help ease pressure on the overcrowded prisons system. This is according to a plan by the Judicial Inspectorate for correctional services. The inspectorate, which oversees prison conditions to ensure compliance with the law, says about  thousands of detainees are unable to pay bail amounts under R1 000. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Judge Edwin Cameron, Head of t...

Various law enforcement agencies have partnered together to form and launch the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum. The initiative forms part of the intensified and coordinated effort to clamp down on corruption in this sector. The Forum is made up of the Home Affairs Department, the Border Management Authority , the National Prosecuting Authority including civil society organ...

Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu has vowed to hunt and serve the law to those involved in the mass shooting of patrollers in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria. Mchunu visited the area a short while ago and confirmed that an undocumented Zimbabwean national found in possession of an unlicensed firearm has been arrested. The incident happened in the Mary Me Informal settlement last week. Mchunu further ela...

The Gauteng Department of Health in partnership with the Medical Bureau for Occupational Diseases  are rolling out an initiative to trace former mine workers who may be eligible for social security benefits for work-related illnesses and possible provident/pension funds due to them. While the programme will be rolled out across the province, Phase one has already began in the West Rand Distri...

Civil Organisation, On the Move is leading a community protest march to the Mogalakwena Local Municipality to demand removal of the municipal manager, Morris Maluleka. Maluleka is accused of neglecting service provision leading to the collapse of infrastructure. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter, Michael Makungo  

Roads have allegedly been blockaded at Nkowankowa township outside Tzaneen in Limpopo. Schooling is also reported  to have been disrupted today. Protesting residents are said to be unhappy over electricity  load reduction and water shortages. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter Jostina  Masedi, in Nkowankowa, Limpopo

The Western Cape High Court, sitting in Saldanha Bay, has resumed trial of the accused in the Joshlin Smith the kidnapping and human trafficking case. The state's star witness, Lourentia Lombaard has resumed her testimony after she turned state's witness. In her earlier testomony, Lombaards revealed that the three accused, Kelly Smith, Jacquen "Boeta" Appollis and Steveno van Rhyn, are responsible...

As we mark World TB Day today, South Africa stands on the threshold of creating only the second tuberculosis vaccine ever, and the first in more than a century since the BCG vaccine in 1921. This is according to Professor Willem Hanekom - Director at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI).  Hanekom says it is fitting that  we can proudly say that Africa, primarily South Africa, is p...

The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania has taken its commemoration of the Sharpeville Massacre to the Dlomo Dam in the Vaal in Gauteng. This as the country marks Human Rights Day today which the PAC still insists should instead be officially called Sharpeville Massacre Day. Secretary General, Apa Pooe says the struggle continues today to be about about land restoration to African people

Former International Relations and Co-operations Minister Naledi Pandor says many South Africans bravely shaped the future of the country during the apartheid era. Dr Pandor says today is an important reminder to commemorate them for freedom and human rights that we enjoy today. She was speaking a short while ago commemorating Human Rights Day through Dialogue hosted by Sol Plaatje University. The...

The first female president of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah, the fifth president of the Republic of Namibia is addressing the nation lets take you there.

Bafana Bafana are third in Group C with seven points, level with Rwanda but with a worse goal difference.  Lesotho are fourth on five points. Benin top the group, two points ahead of South Africa. Bafana captain Ronwen Williams says the returns of  Percy Tau has brought moral boost to the team. Jon Gericke has more from the Sports Desk

The farming community has bemoaned the lack of support from authorities to combat stock theft. The sector loses billions of rands annually due to stock theft. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu ,his deputy Cassel Mathale and National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, held a stakeholder engagement with the farming community in Bloemfontein to address the issue. The event brought together top...

The presidency has appealed for restraint during the planned welcoming of US ambassador, Ibrahim Rassol. Rassol is expected to return back to the country soon following his expulsion from the US. Unions such as COSATU in the Wstern Cape together with regional structures of the ANC have vowed to give Rasool a hero's welcome. This follows comments alleged to have been made by Rasool during a foreign...

Four people have been shot and killed in Jeppestown, Johannesburg. Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni says that the incident is linked to taxi violence. Two of those killed are bystanders, and the other two are taxi association members. Last night, three people were killed in a similar taxi-related incident at the Zonkiziwe taxi rank at Vosloorus in eastern Johannes...

Member of Parliament, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla's case of alleged incitement of terrorism and violence has been remanded to the 14th of August this year. The MK Party member and daughter to former president, Jacob Zuma made a brief appearance today at the High Court in Durban. She stands accused of using her X account, formely known as Twitter, to incite violence and support of violence during the wi...

The City of Ekurhuleni says it notes with concern the ongoing illegal strike action involving members of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD). The officers are using state vehicles to block some of the major freeways including the N3, N17 near Carnival City,  N12 between Daveyton and Benoni. Ekurhuleni Metro Police are protesting against their working conditions. Sakina Kamwen...