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.
SAHRC sounds alarm over unsafe, unequal schools
The South African Human Rights Commission has painted a grim picture of public education in its latest school readiness report. Inspectors visiting schools across all nine provinces found crumbling classrooms, pit toilets, and unsafe hostels - especially in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal. Despite years of reform promises, many…
Trump’s false “Christian genocide” claims in Nigeria
US President Donald Trump is under fire for spreading a myth about a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria. The claim, amplified by US conservatives like Senator Ted Cruz, distorts a complex reality of extremist violence rooted in politics, inequality and history, not religion alone. Senior Professor at the Centre for Gender…
Book Feature: Neo’s Invisible Blanket by Salamina Mosese
Actress and producer Salamina Mosese is turning the page literally with her new children’s book, Neo’s Invisible Blanket. It’s a heartwarming story about Neo, a little boy with a big imagination who sometimes gets scared of new things. His brave sister Thandi comes up with a clever idea: she gives…
Parliament Moves Closer to Impeaching Judge Nana Makhubele
Parliament has officially started the process that could see Judge Nana Makhubele removed from the bench after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) found her guilty of gross misconduct. National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza has referred the JSC’s findings to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, which will now…
Wits Students Protest After SRC Member Accused of Rape
Tensions flared at Wits University on Monday night as students took to the streets in Braamfontein to protest against gender-based violence, following allegations that a newly elected SRC member raped a fellow student. The university confirmed that the case has been reported to its Gender Equity Office (GEO), which is…
ANC Bows to Mchunu’s Request to Step Aside After Initial Refusal
The ANC has done an about-turn, granting Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s request to step aside from his roles in the party’s national executive and working committees after initially rejecting his offer. Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had…
Westbury Residents Cry Foul Over Police Ministry ‘Exclusion’
Tensions are simmering in Westbury, where some residents say they’ve been shut out of key Police Ministry engagements aimed at tackling crime and gangsterism. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia met with selected community leaders in Sophiatown but others claim they were never informed. Community leader Eugene Dooms says he only…
TRC Commission Postponed After Legal Storm Over Evidence Leader
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s new inquiry into apartheid-era crimes stumbled this week, proceedings were abruptly postponed to November 26, following objections to evidence leader Advocate Ishmael Semenya. Lawyers for the Justice Department and the NPA questioned Semenya’s impartiality, pointing to his past prosecutorial involvement. Retired Judge Sisi Khampepe, who…
AARTO Rollout Delayed, Drivers Get a 19-Month Reprieve
The long-awaited rollout of the AARTO traffic demerit system has hit yet another red light. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has pushed the implementation to July 1,2026 - a delay from the planned December start date. The Department of Transport says several municipalities simply aren’t ready, citing gaps in training, system…
Joburg’s Major Clean-Up: A City Under Scrub Ahead of the G20
Johannesburg is getting a facelift. Mayor Dada Morero and Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environment Sithembiso Zungu have kicked off a massive clean-up drive aimed at restoring Joburg’s image ahead of the upcoming G20 Summit. Teams have been repainting shopfronts in Hillbrow and sending inspectors into the streets to…
UN Sounds Alarm on ‘Unimaginable Atrocities’ in Sudan’s el-Fasher
The UN Human Rights Office has sounded the alarm over escalating violence in el- Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, now under siege by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces. UN representative Li Fung described the city as “a city of grief,” saying civilians who survived 18 months of siege are now…
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…
‘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.”…