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.
Music Feature: When Music Videos Changed the Game
This week’s Music Feature Dr Sheldon Rocha Leal takes a nostalgic yet critical look at The Death of MTV and how landmark music videos shaped pop culture as we know it. From Michael and Janet Jackson’s “Scream” to The Weekend and Daft Punk’s “I Feel It Coming”, and Missy Elliott’s…
What to Watch: Train Dreams, In Good Fortune
Looking for your next binge or big-screen escape? In this week’s What to Watch Leroy Marc dives into the hauntingly beautiful Train Dreams on Netflix, the feel-good cinematic ride In Good Fortune in theatres, and the festive fun of A Very Jonas Christmas on Disney+. From drama to holiday sparkle,…
Tshwane Told to Pay Up: Wage Hike Battle Heats Up
The City of Tshwane has been told to pay its workers the long-disputed 3.5% wage increase for 2021–2022 after the South African Local Government Bargaining Council dismissed the city’s plea for exemption. Despite arguing that the city’s coffers are dry, critics were quick to note that there was still room…
Legal Matters: Prescription of municipal debt, fake court orders in evictions
This week on Legal Matters, Nthabiseng Dubazana breaks down three important cases: a groundbreaking judgment on the prescription of municipal debt, the worrying rise of fake court orders in evictions, and a bizarre twist where a butchery that went solar still got its power cut.
‘Not enough to feed a child’: Report calls for increase to the Child Support Grant
South Africa’s most important safety net for children - the Child Support Grant - is falling dangerously short. A new Child Gauge Report from UCT’s Children’s Institute warns that the R560-a-month grant leaves millions of children hungry, as it still sits below the food poverty line of R796. While the…
Shop steward suspended after Sowetan hospital exposé
Tensions are running high at Sebokeng Hospital in the Vaal after a union shop steward was suspended just days after Sowetan’s shocking exposé on unsafe working conditions. The hospital’s management is accused of being on a witch hunt, targeting workers who allegedly spoke out about the dire state of the…
Led By Shepherds: A Powerful Reflection on Masculinity and Violence
In an intimate conversation with author Jeffrey Rakabe, Phemelo explores Led by Shepherds - a poignant, personal and provocative journey through boyhood and the making of men in South Africa. Rakabe’s memoir cuts to the heart of traditional masculinity, questioning how cultural myths can feed into misogyny and violence. With…
Amnesty SA Slams Government as Floods Ravage Informal Settlements
“Flooded and Forgotten.” That’s the damning title of Amnesty International South Africa’s new report, which accuses government of abandoning millions living in flood-prone informal settlements. The report paints a grim picture - homes washed away, livelihoods lost, and communities left to fend for themselves in Johannesburg, eThekwini, and Cape Town…
High Court Orders Joburg to Act Fast on Informal Traders
A Johannesburg High Court judge has ordered the City of Joburg to verify, register, and allocate trading spaces to informal traders within just two weeks. The ruling, delivered by Judge Brad Wanless, follows an urgent court challenge by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) on behalf of the South African Informal…
GNU Leaders Say Coalition More United and Focused Than Ever
After a two-day retreat with President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Cradle of Humankind, Government of National Unity (GNU) leaders are declaring a new chapter of unity and purpose. Once criticised for stalling after budget and National Dialogue tensions, the coalition now says it’s “more cohesive, determined and focused than before.”…
The UAE’s Hidden Hand: How Abu Dhabi Bought Sudan’s Normalisation with Israel
The United Arab Emirates is once again being accused of pulling strings behind Sudan’s political chaos. Analysts say Abu Dhabi is funding separatist movements and leveraging Sudan’s fragile transition, even using its influence to secure Sudan’s normalisation with Israel. Critics like Mohamed Ali Al-Jazouli of Sudan’s State of Law and…
Court Confirms Chief Albert Luthuli Was Murdered, 58 Years After Apartheid Cover-Up
A historic ruling in the Pietermaritzburg High Court has finally cleared the record: Nobel Peace Prize winner and ANC leader Chief Albert Luthuli did not die in an accident, he was murdered by apartheid forces. Judge Nompulelo Hadebe found that the original 1967 inquest was a whitewash, part of a…
NSFAS in Turmoil as Board Chair Quits, Citing Racism, Bullying and “Collapse Risk”
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has been plunged into crisis after board chairperson Dr Karen Stander dramatically resigned, accusing the Higher Education Department of interference, racism and threats to her family. In a scathing letter to Deputy Minister Buti Manamela, Stander warned that NSFAS was “on the brink of…
Gauteng Education Cuts Hit All Quintile 5 Schools - Not Just Afrikaans Ones
The Gauteng Education Department is under fire after confirming that all Quintile 5 schools - not just Afrikaans or former Model C institutions, will face deep funding cuts. At least 600 schools will lose over 60% of their state subsidy, dropping from R879 to R315 per learner by April 2026…
What to Watch: From heartbreak to high-octane action
In this week’s What to Watch, Leroy Marc dives into Regretting You on Netflix - a moving family drama, as well as the explosive House of Dynamite and the thriller The Asset.
Music Feature: Stars who were discovered in the most unexpected ways
In this week’s music feature, Dr Sheldon Roch Leal explores how some of the world’s biggest names – from South Africa’s Zahara to SZA to Khalid, got their big breaks in the most unconventional ways. It’s a reminder to every aspiring artist: stay ready, stay open, because you never know…
Taxi boss gunned down in Alexandra
A hail of bullets shattered the calm in Alexandra on Thursday when Victor Molefe Moekeletsi, chairperson of the Alexandra, Randburg, Midrand and Sandton Taxi Association (Armsta), was shot dead alongside his bodyguard. Police say gunmen in a BMW X5 opened fire on Moekeletsi’s convoy on 8th Street in Marlboro, killing…
“He’s a criminal himself”: Explosive claims rock Madlanga Commission
The Madlanga Commission heard jaw-dropping testimony this week when accused tender tycoon Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala claimed he gave suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya a R300,000 “wedding gift” for his son - in cash. A four-hour recording, played before the commission, captured Matlala telling investigators: “I withdrew about R500,000…
No-confidence motion filed against Joburg Mayor Dada Morero?
A motion of no confidence has been filed against Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero - and interestingly, it’s coming from within the ANC-led coalition itself. The Minority Governing Parties (MGP), made up of smaller coalition partners like the UDM, Al Jama-ah, the African Independent Congress and the African Heart Congress, say…
3. Legal Matters: Dismissal over WhatsApp, insubordination in the workplace
In this week’s Legal Matters segment, Nthabiseng Dubazana explores three fascinating cases: a R16 million compensation award after a police shooting, a worker who was dismissed over WhatsApp, and a discussion on the fine line between insolence and insubordination in the workplace.