Update@Noon

A law that criminalises racism may be what the country needs to clamp down the scourge of racism but South Africans need to continue the dialogue. This is according to the director at the Cape Town based Goedgedacht Forum, Felicity Harrison. The forum is one of the post apartheid initiatives aimed at fostering reconciliation among South Africans. Harrison was reacting to growing calls for a legisl...

27 Four Investment Analyst Nadir token looks at the December US Federal Bank meeting minutes released last night and business sector in South Africa continues to wane

Sakina Kamwendo, speaks to Gauteng's top achiever, Minét Uys from Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool who achieved an average of 96% in her matric subjects.

There has been mixed reaction to government handing over houses in the mining township of Marikana in the North West. While recipients were elated, others have cried foul. President Jacob Zuma announced the Presidential Housing Project after the 2012 shooting that left 34 mine workers dead. Tension was further heightened in the township when residents heard President Zuma will no longer be handing...

Analyst at 27four investments Nadir Thoken speaks to Sakina kamwendo about the latest Eurozone inflation data. The impact of higher interest rates in the U.S. on equities and China's intervention in the stock market to restore some calm.

Asian markets are trading lower at this hour, although mainland China's bourses are higher after state media reported a ban on share sales by major shareholders will remain in place until new rules are announced to manage the sale of shares. The ban on share sales by major shareholders was put in place six months ago when the Shanghai Composite sold off around 30 percent in a short period of time....

The ANC has called for laws to criminalize racism. The governing party today (Tuesday 5 December) laid charges of crimen injuria against several South Africans for racist comments posted on social media. They include economist Chris Hart, Justin van Vuuren, DA member of parliament Mike Waters and Penny Sparrow. The ANC says using influential platforms such as social media to spread racism has the...

Most analysts and economists have warned that the downgrade of Eskom by ratings agencies will hamper growth and will hit consumers hard. This could also mean that electricity prices will go up next quarter as Eskom is due to review its annual tariff increases. Eskom was downgraded by all major ratings agencies last year. But government has warned that it will be tough on state-owned enterprises -...

The platinum capital of the Bafokeng Kingdom - Phokeng village near Rustenburg in the North West Province is gearing up to host the ANC's 104th anniversary. Thousands of ANC supporters are expected to flock to Rustenburg on Saturday to listen in as President Jacob Zuma delivers the party's January 8 statement at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. Members of the ANC National Executive have arrived in the...

Opposition parties in the national parliament in Cape Town have lamented the poor performance in matric pass rates in the three former homelands provinces of KwaZulu-Natala, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape. Even the majority party in parliament, the ANC has acknowledged the unfortunate decline as compared to well resourced provinces such Western Cape and Gauteng in particular. Our Senior Reporter in...

The JSE closed lower, except for the gold mining index, which rose by 6-point-4 percent on the back of a firmer gold price. The JSE's decline came amidst renewed concerns over China's economic slowdown as well as escalating tensions in the Middle East. Nadir Thokan, analyst at 27four investment speaks to Sakina Kamwendo

Several political parties in parliament say they are worried about the stalemate in the negotiations between South Africa and the US, over the African Growth and Opportunity Act, known as AGOA. Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies says government has made some significant progress on the negotiations despite the failure to meet the deadlines. Some political parties are hopeful that a win-win sol...

The JSE closed lower, except for the gold mining index, which rose by 6-point-4 percent on the back of a firmer gold price. The JSE's decline came amidst renewed concerns over China's economic slowdown as well as escalating tensions in the Middle East. Markets in the U.S. closed also lower, with the Dow Jones losing 1-point-6 percent -- its worst start to the year since 2008. This, as U.S. manufac...

Meanwhile, the King's family insists that King Dalindyebo is still the Abathembu king for as long as the certificate of recognition is not withdrawn by government. Fundiswa Mhlekude has more...

It's an anxious wait for thousands of matriculants ahead of the release of their results later today (tuesday 5 January). Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will officially announce the 2015 Matric results in Midrand, north of Johannesburg at 6pm this evening. The Department of Basic Education has confirmed that the 2015 pass rate has dropped, compared to the previous year. A record number o...

Nadir Thokan , analyst at 27four Investment looks at Saudi Arabian budget released last week and why that is relevant to South Africa, Stock pick ideas for 2016 and the impact of higher interest rates in the US

AbaThembu Royal Council says a successor to the recently jailed king Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo has been chosen. The Council says they are currently attending a number of royal meetings in the aim of announcing King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo's successor. For more we are joined on the line by was Chief Dalidumo Mtirara.

The African National Congress will be celebrating its 104th anniversary this weekend in Rustenburg in North West. As the party will today be intensifying its campaigns around the entire Bojanala region as part of a build up to the event, we look at the party's performance in both the last national and local government elections in the North West. Our political reporter Patrick Dintwa compiled this...

Transport Minister Dipuo Peters says law enforcement officers will continue to mount roadblocks to ensure that the country's roads are safe even after the festive season. Thousands of holidaymakers and migrant workers are travelling back to Gauteng and other provinces after the December holidays. Peters, who has been speaking to the SABC at the Capricorn toll plaza outside Polokwane in Limpopo, sa...

Markets Analyst Clive Ramathibela looks at, Asian stocks which are headed toward the biggest drop in three months as investors started the new year looking for safety amid renewed signs of a slowdown in China, Emerging-market stocks tumbled the most in three weeks and currencies slid and what to look out for in the local and emerging markets in 2016

Expelled DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard's fate will be decided by the party's federal legal commission in Johannesburg today. Kohler Barnard is appealing her expulsion from the DA after she was found guilty for bringing the name of the party into disrepute and for contravening its social media policy. This comes after Kohler Barnard shared a Facebook post calling for the return of former Apartheid st...

ANC Member of Parliament and former spokesperson Jackson Mthembu has accused Journalists of supporting the ZumaMustFall campaign and marches. In a weekly ANC newsletter Mthembu charged that the way in which the ZumaMustFall was covered followed the classic propaganda model. He says the media created a narrative that South Africa was doomed and Journalists followed on this line with their posts on...

1. Asian markets sudbdued by a strong dollar overnight upsetting most of the Asian currencies 2. Japanese Yen helps export numbers to increase as the Chinese Yuan continues to slide despite approval by the IMF 3. Rand volatility continues despite better perfomance by the JSE

The city of Tshwane will be hard on those selling fireworks illegally. The city says it will subject those found guilty to a fine of 2 thousand rand found using them without the approval of the municipality. Thousand of people are expected to be igniting firecrackers during the festive season. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Metro Police Department spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba

The convicted abaThembu King, Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, must this week hand himself over to prison authorities to start a 12-year prison sentence. King Dalindyebo is a nephew of the late first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela. King Buyelekhaya belonged to the ANC's liberation armed wing UMkhonto Wesizwe. He spent years in exile with his father King Sabatha Dalindyebo. When he came ba...