The Lead

Celebrating SA's heroes on Good News Day

On 1 April, here at News24, we ditch the pranks to focus on the feel-good factor for what we have dubbed Good News Day. Instead of making you wonder what is fact and what is fiction, we have decided to flood our website with 21 good news offerings. Not even…

1 Apr 19 min

Minister Simelane, Vitrovian and the Kusile cash grab

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane is in hot water, again. On Monday, News24's investigations team revealed that the minister bagged a cool R700 000 from an Eskom contractor for an invoice she signed off on in 2011. Vitrovian, an ANC-linked company, scored more than R300 million from Eskom over seven…

31 Mar 31 min

SA steels itself against plant closures

Three thousand five hundred jobs hang in the balance if ArcelorMittal were to close its two long steel plants in Vereeniging and Newcastle. Towns will be decimated and local economies crushed. Will the government's plan of hiking steel import tariffs protect local steelmakers' future? This could be critical to saving…

27 Mar 17 min

Diplomatic Dilemma: Trump nominates new SA ambassador

It's an extraordinary time for Pretoria and Washington. Both cities' embassies await new diplomats after SA / US relations took a turn for the worse. If the Trump Administration gets its way, senior conservative media man Brent Bozell III, whose son was recently pardoned for storming Capitol Hill, will become…

26 Mar 24 min

Will Rassie cull some older Springboks before RWC 2027?

The quality of depth in our Springbok men's squad is undoubtedly the envy of every rugby nation. Thanks, in large part, to Rassie Erasmus. But for our more seasoned players, possibly lifting the World Cup for a third time is not a foregone conclusion come the 2027 tournament in Australia…

25 Mar 24 min

Air Force None with Sikonathi Mantshantsha

South Africa's skies are primarily unprotected, which should be of concern. On Monday, News24 revealed that only six of the 330 SA Air Force aircraft were in working order. That's two fighter jets, a helicopter, and three fighter jet trainers; the rest are gathering rust. In his exclusive report, News24's…

24 Mar 36 min

The good news edition

We all deserve to stop, breathe, meditate and smile about the good things happening in our lives and South Africa today. Sometimes, we just need that nudge to remind us about the beauty hiding in plain sight. To mark International Day of Happiness and Human Rights Day, this edition of…

20 Mar 22 min

Are South African women safe in Ubers?

Are South African women safe in Ubers? This question comes after the e-hailing service stated that they have finalised their finding around the harrowing Uber ride of media personality, Anele Mdoda in February where an Uber driver in Cape Town allegedly threatened with rape. In a briefing where they highlighted how…

19 Mar 20 min

City Power fraud exposed: 15 staffers to be disciplined

"City Power is taking disciplinary action against 15 of our staff members following a full-scale investigation,” confirmed Johannesburg City Power Spokesperson, Isaac Mangena on Tuesday, a day after News24’s investigations team revealed the extent of the municipal electricity utility’s persistent fraud problems. From trolley mops to pens, City Power’s been doling out exorbitant figures for inflated invoices. And now, according to Mangena, 15 of his colleagues…

18 Mar 15 min

Persona non grata: The ousting of Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool

"They're (South Africa) taking away land, they're confiscating land. And actually, they're doing things that are perhaps far worse than that," US President Donald Trump told reporters in February. Trump's comments kicked off an unprecedented episode of diplomatic drama with the South African government, which now appears to be reaching…

17 Mar 20 min

'It's not a bad budget, considering the mess we're in,' says News24's Carol Paton

"I think it's not a bad budget in the context of the absolute terrible mess we're in," says Carol Paton, News24's Writer-at-Large. On Thursday, she spoke to The Lead host, Graeme Raubenheimer, about the politics of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's proposed VAT increase, his gripe with the DA's rejection of…

13 Mar 18 min

BUDGET BREAKDOWN: A compromise, an increase and extension – here's what you need to know

It's been a tale of two budgets. On Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana proposed a one-percentage-point value-added tax (VAT) increase over the next two years. The minister promised not to increase personal income tax; however, the tax bracket has not been adjusted for inflation. For News24's business editor, Helena Wasserman,…

12 Mar 17 min

Corruption, incompetence and a dark city: How City Power, Prasa flout tender process

In the studio with host Graeme Raubenheimer we have News24's Khaya Koko and Sipho Masondo. They talk us through what News24 understands to be dodgy deals at Johannesburg's City Power utility and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa). Koko found that City Power had been dishing out millions…

10 Mar 31 min

A conversation with Adriaan Basson about News24's new podcast

Welcome to "The Lead", a brand new, regular podcast from News24 showcasing the best of our in-depth reporting. Through candid and honest conversations with our host Graeme Raubenheimer and News24's leading journalists, you'll gain insight into what they saw, heard and uncovered in the pursuit of the big story. Join…

6 Mar 31 min