Point of View with Phemelo Motene
Point of View with Phemelo Motene, delves into the day’s current affairs, touching on real issues and sharing expert advice on the audience questions between 8pm to 10pm Mondays to Thursdays.
‘Time is Not on Our Side’: ANC Confronts Its Decline
At the ANC’s National General Council in Boksburg, secretary-general Fikile Mbalula struck an unusually candid tone, admitting the party’s electoral decline is long-running, beginning with the loss of key metros in 2016, worsening after the 2021 hung councils, and culminating in the ANC falling below 50% in 2024.Mbalula blamed a…
NUMSA’s Big Stand - “Cut Tariffs or We Lose 7,000 Jobs”
NUMSA took its fight straight to the Union Buildings, demanding urgent intervention to save South Africa’s smelting industry. With electricity tariffs crippling operations, the union wants energy for smelters cut to 62 cents per kilowatt-hour, warning that companies like Samancor, Glencore and Almar could retrench around 7,000 workers next year…
SA’s Water–Energy–Food Crisis - A Triple Threat
South Africa’s water, energy and food emergencies aren’t separate, they’re tangled together. Drought and ageing infrastructure are choking water supply, coal-powered electricity is becoming unsustainable, and food is slipping further out of reach for millions. A research team has found that poor coordination and fragmented planning are making all three…
ANC NGC Disruptions - Staff Unpaid Again
Despite promises from the ANC’s top brass that salary issues were “resolved,” the party’s 5th National General Council began with frustration boiling over. Unpaid ANC workers gathered outside Birchwood Hotel, the fourth time this year salaries haven’t arrived holding placards about suspended medical aid, halted pension contributions and months of…
Witness D’s Murder - Whistleblower Protection Under Fire
It’s a story that shook the country. A key witness from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, known only as Witness D, was gunned down outside his Brakpan home, ambushed with an AK-47 after stepping out to open his gate. He had no state protection. His killing has pierced his anonymity…
Loyiso Masuku - The ANC’s New Power Player in Joburg
Loyiso Masuku has become the first woman to lead the ANC in Johannesburg, sweeping the regional chair with a decisive 184 votes. And she steps in at a time when Joburg’s finances are hanging by a thread. Fresh from her appointment to the mayoral committee, Masuku now holds the crucial…
Madlanga Commission Wrap: Julius Mkhwanazi & Senzo Mchunu
Suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi insists payments from tender boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala were not bribes despite claims he helped illegally kit out Matlala’s private cars with blue lights normally reserved for law-enforcement. The drama stems from a 2021 MOU that saw Matlala offer four vehicles to the EMPD,…
What To Watch: Rental Family, Zootopia & Left Handed Girl
This week on What to Watch, Leroy Marc dives into the quirky new comedy Rental Family and the colourful world of Zootopia, both now in cinemas plus the haunting Netflix release Left Handed Girl.
Health Ombud slams hospital failures
Health Ombud Professor Taole Mokoena has delivered a damning report on the deaths of Dr Edward Mabubula and Pitsi Eliphuz Ramphele, revealing deep-rooted failures in both a public and private hospital. After months of investigation, he found widespread lapses from poor supervision and slow intervention to a breakdown in basic…
Music Feature: Songs About Nelson Mandela
This week’s music feature musicologist Dr Sheldon Rocha Leal honours Nelson Mandela through the songs that carried his legacy from Johnny Clegg’s iconic Asimbonanga and Hugh Masekela’s Bring Him Back Home to Zahara and Mzwakhe Mbuli’s heartfelt tribute Mandela. A musical remembrance of Madiba’s enduring impact.
ANC Johannesburg leadership race tightens
As the ANC’s Johannesburg elective conference gets under way later than planned due to registration delays the contest for regional chair is neck-and-neck. Outgoing chair and Joburg Mayor Dada Morero is fighting to retain his position, but insiders say his challenger Loyiso Masuku has early majority support from branches. Voting…
Free State launches holiday programme to keep children safe and engaged
The Free State Education Department has launched a seven-day Holiday Support Programme to keep Grade R–9 learners safe and active during the festive season. Led by MEC Dr Mamiki Julia Maboya, the initiative combines academic support, values-based learning and sports activities, aligning with the 2025 16 Days of Activism theme…
Art & Bubbles Affair offers two days of world-class sparkling wines
Over 20 leading local and international producers of Cap Classique, Champagne, Prosecco and Cava are showcasing their finest at The Art & Bubbles Affair from 6–7 December. The event promises a vibrant tasting journey celebrating the craft behind sparkling wines. Phemelo is joined by Monwabisi Thethe, CEO of The Art…
Joburg reclaimers seek urgent plan as landfills near capacity
Johannesburg’s four landfills , all more than 95% full could reach capacity within a year, threatening thousands of reclaimers who collect most of the city’s recyclables. Reclaimers are demanding clarity after talks between the City, Pikitup and the African Reclaimers Organisation stalled, leaving unresolved plans for workers affected by landfill…
Students in Antarctica: A South African Adventure Goes Continental
For five years, explorer Riaan Manser has taken South African learners to one of the most remote classrooms on Earth - Antarctica. Now, that once-in-a-lifetime experience is opening to students across Africa through the expanded Students in Antarctica (SIA) programme. Grade 11 learners have until 19 November 2024 to enter…
NCOP Oversight in Gauteng: Delegates Probe Delays and Service Failures
Gauteng’s permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces spent a week on the ground assessing the province’s troubled service-delivery landscape. From 18 to 21 November, they inspected stalled, delayed and abandoned infrastructure projects as part of the NCOP’s Provincial Week, themed “Building Viable Municipalities for Enhanced Delivery of Basic…
‘Made in Emirates’… Or made in SA? Whistleblower Exposes Armoured Vehicle Scandal
A major whistleblower leak has revealed that armoured vehicles sold across Africa under a flashy “Made in Emirates” badge were in fact designed in South Africa and built by South African staff. According to documents obtained by Open Secrets, the UAE-based factory relied on expertise and exported parts from Cape…
BOSA Fails in Bid to Raise Matric Pass Mark to 50%
A heated education debate ended in disappointment for Build One SA, as Parliament voted down its proposal to raise the matric pass mark from 30% to a more ambitious 50%. 119 MPs, including the ANC, DA and FF Plus, opposed the motion, while 87, led by the MK Party, EFF,…
Morero Holds On: No-Confidence Bid Withdrawn in Joburg Council Drama
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has survived yet another political storm this time thanks to the very councillor who moved to oust him. Former mayor and Al Jama-ah councillor Kabelo Gwamanda dramatically withdrew his own no-confidence motion, saying behind-the-scenes talks with the ANC-led coalition had produced “a collective decision.” Minority parties…
DWS to Release Explosive Report on Jagersfontein Dam Collapse
A long-awaited report into the deadly 2022 Jagersfontein tailings dam collapse has revealed that the mine’s owners may have known years in advance that the facility was unstable. The investigation commissioned by the Department of Water and Sanitation and conducted by experts from the Universities of Pretoria and Witwatersrand found…