The National Pulse

    World News: Yesterday, the UN's top court ruled largely in favour of Somalia in its long-running dispute with Kenya over their maritime border. The ruling comes after Nairobi last week said it had revoked recognition of the court’s jurisdiction. So what now for bilateral relations between these two countries? Guest: Abdulkarim Farah, Journalist working for Universal Somali TV

As governments prepare to discuss the 'TRIPS Waiver' at the World Trade Organization this week, Doctors Without Borders or MSF along with some treatment activists and civil society organisations have been protesting outside the embassies of Belgium, the Netherlands and the US in South Africa's capital, Tshwane. The international medical humanitarian organization and others are calling on governmen...

Independent candidates have positioned themselves to take over the running of municipalities with the aim to depoliticise the local government sphere and introduce professional leadership at a local level. We speak to Political Analyst Wayne Sussman about the function of Independent candidates ahead of the 2021 local government election GUEST: Wayne Sussman, political analyst

A R22-million Wits Surgical Skills Lab to train super specialists opens today. The new lab aims to address the critical shortage of expert medical specialists in the country, including surgeons. This as South Africa has been losing a number of surgical experts to the competitive overseas market due to the lack of sufficient highly specialised facilities, infrastructure, and advanced academic train...

Why are Zulu Kings apolitical - Why don't they vote or get involved in politics in the country? We explore these questions, this after the IFP received backlash for using King Misuzulu kaZwelithini on its election poster, ahead of the local government elections. The IFP have since retracted the poster saying the photo of Zulu King, Misuzulu Ka Zwelithini, was erroneously used. The party says disci...

At least 9 people have been killed in a tragic bus accident on the N3 near the Bergville off ramp in KwaZulu-Natal. But do we know what caused this horrific accident? Guest: Kwanele Ncalane, Spokesperson for the Department of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison in KwaZulu-Natal

Yesterday, National Treasury issued a circular that prohibits the use of imported cement on government-funded projects. This has been welcomed by Bryan Perrie, CEO of Cement and Concrete SA, saying that the sector was delighted by the designation, following years of lobbying for protection. Guest: Bryan Perrie, CEO of Cement and Concrete SA (CCSA)

Earlier today, Human Rights Watch launched a report documenting how the Covid-19 crisis and the economic downturn it has caused, have resulted in more people going hungry in Africa and across the world. The report also shows that, while African governments have tried to fill gaps in social protection systems during the pandemic, measures have been inadequate and the vast majority of households hav...

The 2021 Municipal Elections municipal elections will be held on the first of November. Registered voters will elect councils for all districts, metropolitan and local municipalities in each of the country's nine provinces. Many of our SAFM listeners have raised questions on how candidate lists work and whether political parties can change their candidate list immediately after the elections. To s...

The Democratic Alliance has referred the Eastern Cape Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to the South African Human Rights Commission, after it reportedly issued an irregular tender that excludes minorities from tendering. The tender for the Appointment of Professional Land Surveyors for the survey of Provincial State Land, which was issued in September this year by the Department, repo...

Eastern Cape public works MEC Babalo Madikizela has denied allegations that he improperly benefitted from the R1.1 million meant for the memorial service of the late Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela. This follows the Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s findings that Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, MEC Madikizela and the provincial ANC, benefitted from political stalwart Winnie Madikizel...

A trial on the assassination of Burkina Faso’s former president, Thomas Sankara is currently underway. Former President Blaise Compaore and 13 others face an array of charges in the death of Sankara. The most worrying thing as the trial kicks off is that Ivory Coast has refused to extradite Compaore since Burkina Faso put out a warrant for his arrest six years ago hence he will be tried in a...

President Emmanuel Macron has revealed that France is going to use its upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union to launch a global campaign to abolish the death penalty. Macron made the announcement on Saturday when France was commemorating the 40th anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty. Guest on the line (Scotland) Musa Mdunge, Political Analyst based at the University...

Reputation Management: In conversation with Janine Hills on how to save brand after crisis - this as we try to measure brand value and also understanding brand resilience through crises.   Guest: Janine Hills, Director of Janine Hills Authentic Leadership

The Department of Health in collaboration with the Denis Hurley Centre has embarked on a vaccination drive of undocumented persons in Durban. This includes homeless people, South Africans without identity documents, and undocumented foreign nationals. Guest: Raymond Perrier – Director of Denis Hurley Centre

The Public Protector has asked the Hawks to investigate allegations that Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane received R450,000 to renovate his house from R1m that was allocated to the memorial service of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. For more details on this, we are joined by…..   Guest: Oupa Segalwe, Spokesperson of the Office of the Public Protector

Former US President Donald Trump has once again hit out against refugees seeking asylum in the United States of America, this time claiming Haitians “probably have AIDS” and labelling their arrival a “death wish for the US.” Trump was speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday evening. To react to this is…….but before we speak...

Earlier today, Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla officially launched the country’s Covid19 vaccination certificate. The certificate is only accessible to the individuals who have received the COVID 19 Vaccine. Joining us to elaborate further on this is……   Guest: Milani Wolmarans, Chief Director of the National Department of Health and the national Electronic Vaccination Data...

Next week Monday, South Africa will officially be off the UK’s red list. This decision brings an end to a baffling diplomatic shambles that risked the economic recovery of the tourism and hospitality sector in the country as most of you are probably aware that a big chunk of the country's tourists come from the UK. For more reaction on this, we are joined by……   Guest: Tsh...

The Cape Independence Advocacy Group says 8 political parties are willing to support a referendum on Cape Independence. The Group, which has long advocated for the secession or independent state of the Western Cape from the rest of South Africa, had formally handed over a request for a referendum on Cape independence. This also comes in the wake of the DA's calls to have the Referendums Act amende...

The Congress of South African Trade Unions - COSATU today embarked on a nationwide protest action. The one-day strike action is aimed at putting pressure on the government to change its current fiscal policy of freezing public sector wages and cutting budget allocations to social services including the dispute resolutions body, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). The...

A newly released memo from the Ministerial Advisory Committee shows that President Cyril Ramaphosa didn't follow all the advice of the Ministerial Advisory Committee when he eased lockdown restrictions. Apparently, scientists had recommended that Ramaphosa keep the curfew from 11pm to 4am and they also suggested that the limits on the number of people allowed to gather be dropped. Guest:...

KZN Cogta MEC, Sipho Hlomuka is investigating a R5-million business breakfast. Mec Hlomuka has directed his department to probe the circumstances surrounding the breakfast that was hosted by the Zululand District Municipality in Durban last week to reportedly attract Investors. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Zululand district municipality, Thulasizwe Buthelezi has disputed the R5-million breakfast which...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a board of inquiry to look into National Police Commissioner Khehla Sithole's fitness to hold office. Sithole is accused of frustrating the Independent Police Investigative Directorate probes into suspected corrupt procurement deals in Crime Intelligence. Guest: Dr Chris De Kock, Former SAPS head of Crime Information Analysis Centre

World News: The World Health Organisation has approved the world’s first malaria vaccine for general use in children in sub-Saharan Africa, along with other regions with moderate to high rates of the disease. Many scientists have applauded this, calling it a historic moment. Guest: Professor John Frean, Deputy Director, National Institute for Communicable Diseases