Update@Noon

ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula briefed the media following the party’s NEC meeting this weekend, announcing the reconfiguration of the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng ANC Provincial Executive Committees. He clarified that these changes will be carried out in accordance with the ANC Constitution. This decision comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the closing remarks at the two-day...

Inanda residents in Durban Kwazulu-Natal are threatening to take the law into their own hands if 12 suspects arrested for the alleged hacking to death of five people last week are not released. The residents have gathered outside the Ntutuza Magistrates Court alleging that the suspects are part of a community group which has been protecting women and children against crimes such as rape. The commu...

Leaders from government, civil society, and business will gather in Davos, Switzerland, this week for the 2025 World Economic Forum. South Africa aims to position the country as an attractive investment destination. President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the South African delegation to the WEF for the first time in many years. The delegation, made mainly of business and government, is expected to hig...

Police say they believe one of four alleged illegal mining kingpins who escaped from police custody may have been aided to escape. The fugitive is part of the group that resurfaced from shaft 11 mine in Stilfontein in the North West. . Police say extensive investigation and tracing operations are underway to pinpoint those officials who aided the escape of the alleged kingpin who is a Lesotho Nati...

This Friday, SAfm’s radio anchor Sakina Kamwendo once again spoke to Martin Creamer, publishing editor of Engineering  News &  Mining Weekly.  

The National Treasury has assured retail depositors of Ithala Bank Limited that their deposits will be protected by a government guarantee, subject to the conclusion of the necessary technical work. This follows the Prudential Authority's application for provisional liquidation of the Bank. Ithala Bank has meanwhile threatened to take legal action against the application for its liquidation, which...

Government is holding urgent talks with ArcelorMittal amid the company's plans to close down its operations. Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth is meeting the management of ArcelorMittal South Africa today. ArcelorMittal South Africa announced that it would close facilities that produce long-steel products in the towns of Newcastle and Vereeniging and a rail-fabrication facility in eMalahleni beca...

Members of the Inanda Community Policing Forum (CPF) have urged various stakeholders, including SAPS and local churches, to unite in their efforts to combat the scourge of crime. It follows the discovery of five men's bodies in the area. The bodies were found in the Bambayi area in Inanda, hacked to death. They are believed to be between the ages of 19 and 26 years old. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Th...

While Day 1 of a long 12-year schooling career was seamless for some parents, other anxious and frustrated parents have been queuing at the Johannesbug central district offices in Pimville, Soweto, to have their children placed in schools. Some allege they could not effectively utilize the online admission process while others say they did apply on time through the Gauteng systems but have yet to...

One hundred and one-(101) illegal mine workers have been retrieved from shaft 11 in Stilfontein in the North West by the second day of operations led by government. Sixty bodies have also been retrieved thus far. The operation started on Monday and is expected to continue for about 10 days. 

Forum 4 Service Delivery has collaborated with ActionSA in preparation for the 2026 local government elections, during which the party will compete under the ActionSA banner. Here is the Action SA National Chairperson, Michael Beaumont elaborating further

Negotiators will meet in Doha TODAY to finalise details of a plan to end the war in Gaza which has drastically affected the Middle East, after U.S. President Joe Biden indicated a ceasefire and hostage release deal was imminent. Mediators gave Israel and Hamas a final draft of an agreement on Monday, an official briefed on the negotiations said, after a midnight "breakthrough" in talks attended by...

The Judicial Conduct Tribunal probing sexual harassment allegations against Judge President Selby Mbenenge has sought to understand why the complainant told him to "earn it" in response to his persistent requests for her images. This as the whatsapp message exchanges between the pair were put under the spotlight on the second day of the tribunal. According to the witness, Andiswa Mengo - the inter...

Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube says it is promising to have all nine provinces of the country obtaining no less than eighty-four percent of the pass rate. She was speaking in East London in the Eastern Cape where she lauded the province for its constant improvement in its pass rate. The Province obtained an 84.9 pass rate with nearly half of its matriculants obtaining bachelor passes. Gw...

In 2024, education expenses surged by 6.3% compared to the previous year, marking the sharpest increase since 2020, according to Statistics South Africa's March consumer inflation data. This rise outpaces the 5.7% hike recorded in 2023. High school fees saw the steepest climb at 7.3%, while primary schools and tertiary institutions raised their fees by 5.9%. Crèches also increased their fee...

The release of matric results can be a trigger for depression and anxiety in students, and in some cases may lead to suicidal thoughts. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) has also  noticed an increase in matric learners seeking assistance, and urges students to reach out if they are feeling overwhelmed. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Dr Sanele Gamede, a Lecturer at the Universit...

The Limpopo Department of Health says two nurses have been raped while working the night shift at the Ga-Chuene clinic, outside Polokwane in Limpopo. Health spokesperson, Neil Shikwambana says a heavily armed man entered the clinic shortly after midnight. The suspect then allegedly overpowered security personnel and abducted two nurses. For more on this, Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter, Pim...

Five suspects, including the grandson of late former President, Nelson Mandela, are expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court today. Police say the suspects, four men and one woman, were arrested at Mandela's former home Houghton, in Johannesburg on Wednesday, following a car hijacking incident. During the arrest, police recovered a white Toyota Corolla and an unlicensed firearm. S...

Concerns are mounting over the growing issue of unemployed doctors who have completed their community service but remain without placements. The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has raised the alarm, reporting that 1,800 doctors nationwide are left in limbo. To address this crisis, SAMA has initiated a survey to assess its scope and is calling on the government to create job opportunities,...

A former employee of the Midrand Christian College in Halfway House, in Gauteng, claims to have been fired with others, for speaking out against the school's non compliance with South African education regulations. The Whistle blower says most teachers are not registered with the South African Council of Educators (SACE), nor are their qualifications approved BY SAQA; the South African Qualificati...

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has re-affirmed its commitment to working with steel manufacturer, ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA), to find a workable and lasting solution to planned job losses at the company. In an effort to find a way forward, DTI Minister, Parks Tau, has set up a technical working group made up of various stakeholders, including the departments of Electricit...

The High Court, in Pretoria, has struck off the roll, the urgent application to prevent the basic education department from publishing matric results. The Information Regulator brought the case before the court in relation to the release of the 2024 matric results on forums including newspapers. The regulator says the publishing of the 2024 matric results which will be released on Monday would vio...

Reports indicate that Malawians are spending entire nights in kilometres-long queues at petrol stations, as the country buckles under a fuel shortage crisis. In an effort to address this, the Malawi government says it has bought about 51.5 million litres of diesel and petrol from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) under a government-to-government (G-2-G) arrangement. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Mi...

Former President Jacob Zuma  has threatened legal action over his expulsion from the African National Congress  (ANC) citing procedural and substantive concerns regarding the ANC's processes. Zuma's lawyers have written to the (ANC) seeking his immediate reinstatement as a member of the ANC and further information on his expulsion. In November last year, the ANC's National Disciplinary C...

Four suspects were arrested in Houghton this morning after JMPD officers recovered a hijacked Toyota Corolla and an unlicensed firearm at a property previously owned by former president Nelson Mandela. In a statement, the JMPD says the vehicle was tracked following its hijacking on Louis Botha Avenue earlier today.  The suspects, three men and a woman, were detained at Norwood SAPS. Sakina Ka...