This week, Today

The United States told some embassy staff that they could leave Israel and that those who want to must do so quickly as fears of an American attack on Iran fueled alarm throughout the region. The message, conveyed in an email, instructed those wishing to leave to “do so TODAY.” For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Brooks Spector, Veteran US Diplomat, Political Analyst and Founding Associate Editor of Daily Maverick

The Economic Freedom Fighters opened a criminal case against forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan following his dramatic walkout from the Ad Hoc Committee established to consider allegations made by KZN Police Commissioner, Lt-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Let’s get details from EFF MP, Mbali Dlamini, who joins me on the line now… GUEST: Mbali Dlamini, EFF MP

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has announced his candidacy for national leader of the Democratic Alliance, positioning himself to succeed outgoing John Steenhuisen before the party’s upcoming congress in April. At the same time, Gauteng DA leader Solly Msimanga has accepted his nomination for federal chairperson, signalling a broader leadership renewal within the party. Let’s dissect this a bit with… GUEST: Professor Dirk Kotze, Political Analyst from the University of South Africa

National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola and newly appointed National Director of Public Prosecutions, Andy Mothibi, briefed the media earlier today on their combined response to the Madlanga Commission’s recommendations. One of the things that came out was that the task team appointed to investigate police officers implicated in the Madlanga Commission has been given three months to finalise its work. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Prof Andre Duvenhage, Political Analyst from the University of the North West

Earlier this week, DA leader, John Steenhuisen, announced that he will not be seeking re‑election as the party’s leader and of course, this sparked new leadership discussions within the DA. John Steenhuisen’s longtime friend and fellow minister, Dean Macpherson says Steenhuisen would have won DA election but chose to ‘put the country first’. Let’s get an analysis on what’s happening in the DA and the party’s potential leadership race. Joining me on the line now is… GUEST: Dr. Ntsikelelo Breakfast, Political Analyst from the Nelson Mandela University  

It’s been another week of testimonies at the Madlanga Commission with Brigadier Rachel Matjeng taking centre stage until today’s adjournment. North West businessman and ANC member Suliman Carrim’s legal team was also granted postponement, meaning that his testimony before the Madlanga Commissioner of Inquiry will now happen at a later stage. Let’s get details on what’s been happening this week with SABC News Reporter, Sibahle Motha, who joins me on the line…  GUEST: Sibahle Motha, SABC News Reporter covering the Madlanga Commission  

GUEST: DR IBRAHIM - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND RESEACHER OF UBUNTU CENTRE FOR PEACE AND STRATEGIC STUDIES.

GUEST: ANGELO FICK - DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AUWAL SOCIOECONOMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE JOHANNESBURG

GUEST: DR KINGSLEY MAKHUBELA - FORMER SOUTH AFRICAN AMBASSADOR TO PORTUGAL

Witness C, a member of the elite Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) who is testifying anonymously, resumed his testimony yesterday at the Madlanga Commission. Witness C was picking up from where he left off on Friday, 24 October 2025. And as he did on that particular day, Witness C made some explosive allegations which we will try understand what they could possibly mean for those mentioned. To help us do this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Dr. Chris de Kock, Independent Crime Expert And former head of the crime information analysis centre

Madlanga Commission Witness C, a member of the elite Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) who is testifying anonymously, resumed his testimony yesterday at the Madlanga Commission. Witness C was picking up from where he left off on Friday, 24 October 2025. And as he did on that particular day, Witness C made some explosive allegations which we will try understand what they could possibly mean for those mentioned. To help us do this, I am joined on the line by…  GUEST: Dr. Chris de Kock, Independent Crime Expert And former head of the crime information analysis centre     

The latest Afrobarometer survey indicates that for the first time in more than 25 years of surveying South Africa, the share of citizens who support military rule is higher than the share who oppose it. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Nyasha Mpani, project leader at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, the national partner for Afrobarometer in South Africa  

The US has for the sixth time vetoed a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council that would have demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. US deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus said the text did not go far enough in condemning Hamas or recognise Israel's right to defend itself.. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… Guest: Khayelihle Khumalo-James, SABC News International Reporter Guest: Naeem Jeena, Senior Researcher at Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA)

Guest: Professor Kholofelo Rakubu, Criminologist from the Tshwane University of Technology The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system began its hearings on Wednesday. KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was the first witness to appear. For more on this, I am joined on the line by…    

GUEST: Advocate Tseliso Thipanyane –Human rights lawyer

GUEST: ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba

GUEST: Tom Eaton- an author, screenwriter and columnist

GUEST: Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster is co-founder and Deputy Leader of Build One South Africa (BOSA)    

GUEST: Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP –The President of United Democratic Movement (UDM)

GUEST: PATRICK KADIMA-INTERNATIONAL LAW ANALYST

Guest: Andre Duvenhage -Research Director at North West University Potchefstroom Campus  Investors bought hundreds of billions of dollars of Tesla stock after Donald Trump was elected on a bet that politics were more important than profits. In three hours Thursday, they learned yet again how dangerous that gamble could be.   Shares of Elon Musk’s electric vehicle maker plunged more than 14% in a stunning wipeout as investors dumped holdings amid a bitter war of words between the president and the world’s richest man. By the end of the trading day, $150 billion of Tesla’s value had been erased, more than what it would take to buy all the shares of Starbucks and hundreds of other big publicly traded U.S. companies.

Guest: Abigail Ngobeni, Legal analyst Moroadi Cholota was one of 18 people accused, including Magashule, in the high profile trial involving alleged fraud and corruption in an asbestos roofing contract in the Free State. But the Bloemfontein High Court has upheld her plea that it does not have jurisdiction to try her because her extradition from the United States was unlawful.

Earlier this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a proclamation for the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to determine whether attempts were made to prevent the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes. The commission will be chaired by retired Constitutional Court Judge Sisi Khampepe. Political Analyst, Professor Sethulego Matebesi joins me on the line to share his views on this… GUEST: Professor Sethulego Matebesi, Political Analyst

The main suspect in the murder of Olorato Mongale was shot and killed by police in KwaZulu-Natal this morning. Philangenkosi Makhanya was found by the police in Amanzimtoti, south of Durban. Fanele Mhlongo, SABC News Reporter in KZN joins me on the line to share details of what actually happened this morning... GUEST: Fanele Mhlongo, SABC News Reporter in KZN  

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered the third reiteration of the 2025 National Budget Speech this past Wednesday. The budget revised several key points, including the country’s economic status, growth projections, substantial debt servicing costs, the withdrawal of the contentious VAT increases, and the continuation of the social relief grant. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Matshidiso Lencoasa, Budget Analyst at SECTION 27

South Africa’s Communications and Digital Technologies Minister, Solly Malatsi, has gazetted a draft policy directive to relax Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) licensing requirements for satellite service providers. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Kwena Moloto, Spokesperson for the Minister: Department of Communications and Digital Technologies

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described his bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump as “robust and fruitful”, signalling a new chapter of engagement between South Africa and the United States, particularly in trade and investment. Professor Patrick Bond, Political Economist and Expert on International Relations at the University of Johannesburg, joins me on the line to share his views on the meeting and also, on Mcebisi Jonas’ absence from the US… GUEST: Professor Patrick Bond, Political Economist and Expert on International Relations at the University of Johannesburg

Donald Trump has said people are starving in Gaza and the US would have the situation in the territory “taken care of” as it suffered a further wave of intense Israeli airstrikes overnight. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… Guest: Naeem Jeena, Senior Researcher at Maphungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA)

On Wednesday this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the second phase of Operation Vulindlela. The President emphasised that this new phase is aimed at driving rapid and inclusive economic growth for the benefit of all South Africans. The second phase of Operation Vulindlela, will focus on three key reforms: tackling the legacy of spatial inequality, enhancing local government performance, and accelerating digital transformation.  GUEST: Dr. Lumkile Mondi, Political Economist

Guest: Andile Mbanjwa, SABC Reporter

Guest:Dumisane Baleni, EFF Gauteng Spokesperson

We are currently in National Child Protection Week in South Africa, a week that is commemorated in the country annually to raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and Children's Act. The week is an important event on the UNICEF calendar and has been celebrated in South Africa since 1997. Margaret Zulu, Migration & Displacement and Child Protection Thematic Lead at Save The Children South Africa joins me on the line to talk about the importance of this week as well as how we can end violence against children… GUEST: Margaret Zulu, Migration & Displacement and Child Protection Thematic Lead at Save The Children South Africa

Sarah, City of Johannesburg Public Safety Committee Chairperson

The Democratic Alliance and the African National Congress met for another round of talks relating to the Government of National Unity after the VAT debacle. For more on this, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, ANC National Spokesperson

The N3 towards KZN, N4 towards Rustenburg and eMalahleni as well as the N1 towards Limpopo have been very busy. High traffic volumes on all major routes, and unfortunately, we know how things end during this time of the year. There was already a tragic accident reported on the N4 so we thought we should get an update on what’s been happening in Limpopo seeing that ZCC members were traveling to Moria today and there were reports that PUTCO dispatched close to 500 buses for these members. Stephen Matjena, Head of the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community, joins me on the line to give us an update on traffic volumes, reported incidents and any plans the department has put in place to minimise fatalities during the Easter period…  GUEST: Stephen Matjena, Head of the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community

The correctional services department has launched an investigation into the “unnatural death” of an inmate at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein. The inmate, Mpho Mkhumbeni, was serving a life sentence for a murder conviction handed down on November 4 2014. To give us more details on this story, I am joined on the line by… GUEST: Singabakho Nxumalo, Department of Correctional Services spokesperson

Guest: Professor Patrick Bond, Political Economist and Expert on International Relations at the University of Johannesburg US President, Donald Trump, imposed the steepest American tariffs in a century, stepping up his campaign to reshape the global economy and unnerving investors who see a trade war as a risk to US growth. Trump imposed a 30% levy on goods imported from South Africa. Yesterday, the Presidency released a statement noting with concern the newly imposed tariffs on South African exports to the United States of America. Question then is, should South Africa react? Professor Patrick Bond, Political Economist and Expert on International Relations at the University of Johannesburg joins me on the line to shed light on this…    

Guest: Kevin Smith, Legal Expert Yesterday, the Democratic Alliance filed papers in the Western Cape High Court to challenge Parliament’s passing of the 2025/26 National Budget. The party seeks, among other things, for the Minister’s VAT hike to be declared unconstitutional and invalid and set aside. To help me make sense of what’s contained in the DA’s founding affidavit, I am joined on the line by…    

Guest: Lawson Naidoo, Executive Secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC) One of the country’s most senior judges set out damning evidence showing high levels of incompetence and deceit on behalf of the prosecutor in the case of Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso, a senior pastor of Jesus Dominion International and his co-accused Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho. This resulted in a lot of criticism for the NPA. My question then is, does the NDPP deserve blame in the NPA’s negligent handling of the case and should she resign or be removed from office? To help me answer this question, I am joined on the line by…    

President Cyril Ramaphosa undertook an oversight visit to Gauteng where he met with the Provincial Executive Committee as well as the leadership of the Johannesburg Metro Council. Safe to say, the President was not impressed by the State of the City of Joburg… Guest: Julius Kleynhans, Joburg Crisis Alliance Steering Committee member 

GUEST: Professor Vally Padayachee, Power and Energy Expert and a former executive manager of Eskom and a former senior executive of City Power JHB We are back to load shedding again as Eskom announced the implementation of stage 3 load shedding earlier today. The power utility says their decision comes after a loss of 2700MW in the past 14 hours. While we deal with this, yesterday we also found out that the Trump administration has officially cut $1bn in planned investment in South Africa’s energy transition. Let’s get a view from someone who understands energy and what all of this could mean for us. I am joined on the line by…  

We unpack the sweeping changes President Donald J. Trump has set into motion during his first days of his second term. From immigration crackdowns to policy rollbacks and defunding international organizations, these actions are already sending shockwaves across the globe. What do these moves mean for Americans—and the rest of the world? To help us analyze these policies and their far-reaching implications, we’re joined by Pearl Matibe, a distinguished White House Correspondent and international security expert based in Washington, D.C. Having covered President Trump’s first term and multiple U.S. Presidents, Ms. Matibe brings us unique insights into the workings of the American presidency, the policies in play, and how they might impact South Africa, the broader African continent, and the world.     Guest:  Pearl Matibe - Foreign Policy Columnist

  President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law yesterday. The Expropriation Act repeals the pre-democratic Expropriation Act 63 of 1975 and sets out how state organs may expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons. It outlines how and on what basis expropriation can be conducted. This law will assist all state organs—local, provincial, and national authorities—in expropriating land in the public interest for varied reasons. This Act promotes the expropriation of land in the public interest for various reasons, including promoting inclusivity and access to natural resources. Expropriation may not be exercised unless the expropriating authority has without success attempted to reach an agreement with the owner or holder of a right in property for the acquisition thereof on reasonable terms. In the same breath it seems as if this bill is causing tension within the GNU government Guest:  Dr Piet Croucamp - Professor of Political Studies at the North West University

  President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law yesterday. The Expropriation Act repeals the pre-democratic Expropriation Act 63 of 1975 and sets out how state organs may expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons. It outlines how and on what basis expropriation can be conducted. This law will assist all state organs—local, provincial, and national authorities—in expropriating land in the public interest for varied reasons. This Act promotes the expropriation of land in the public interest for various reasons, including promoting inclusivity and access to natural resources. Expropriation may not be exercised unless the expropriating authority has without success attempted to reach an agreement with the owner or holder of a right in property for the acquisition thereof on reasonable terms. In the same breath it seems as if this bill is causing tension within the GNU government Guest: Christo van der Rheede - Former CEO: of Agri SA and Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation

  The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos took place on 20 – 24 January 2025. The Annual Meeting 2025 convenes global leaders to address key global and regional challenges. These include responding to geopolitical shocks, stimulating growth to improve living standards, and stewarding a just and inclusive energy transition. This is the 55th year of the World Economic Forum as a leading proponent of the liberal economic consensus and globalisation. About 3 000 leaders attended from over 130 countries. Around 350 governmental leaders, including 60 heads of states and government, from all key regions, will also be in Davos mountain resort. Over 1 600 business leaders, including over 900 of the world’s top CEOs. The Forum concluded today and we are getting the wrap from SABC Economins News Editor Tshepo Mongoai Guest: Tshepo Mongoai- SABC Economic News Editor

We delve into a critical issue affecting our educational institutions: the vetting of school staff. In light of recent alarming article by Ashleigh Laurent, Legal Counsel at TPN Credit Bureau revealing allegations of sexual abuse, grooming, and the discovery of fraudulent qualifications among educators, the necessity for rigorous screening processes has never been more pressing. As schools are entrusted with the care and education of our most vulnerable citizens, ensuring that these environments are safe is non-negotiable.  The statistics paint a concerning picture. Recent data from the South African Police Service reveals a troubling trend: a significant number of violent crimes, including murders and rapes, are occurring within the premises of educational institutions. Guest: Ashleigh Lourent, Legal Counsel at TPN

78 lives and left 248 survivors in critical health, this horrifying has been happening in the past few days, where rescue operations have unearthed the devastating conditions faced by artisanal miners, has resulted in mass fatalities and overwhelming human suffering. We delve deeper into how systemic negligence, dehumanization, and the brutal clampdown on these individuals have led to a horrific ending. It is alleged that today the SAPS have blasted Shaft 10 which is allegedly the shaft that can be used an exit point. However, previously the miners who were underground had made demands and have never in one of those alleged demands they made, have they requested to come out. Guest: Zaki Mamdoo – Member of Workers and Socialist Party (WASP)

The United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva says while the organisation welcomes the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, it is concerned that the bombardment of Gaza by the Israel Defence Force continues, and people are being killed. This after 15 months of a ferocious war that left over 40 000 people killed in Gaza since Hamas launched an incursion against Israel. Pretoria also took Israel to the International Court of Justice accusing it of committing a genocide in the besieged enclave. South Africa says the ceasefire agreement must lay the basis for a just peace which should include the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the ceasefire agreement with Hamas has been given the greenlight, pending a meeting with his cabinet later today. Guest: Qaanitah Hunter - Award-winning political journalist and editor

For suspected war crimes, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders Yoav Gallant and Benyamin Netanyahu.The judges ruled that the three individuals had "criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, citing "reasonable grounds." The accusations have been denied by both Israel and Hamas. Additionally, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, the leader of Hamas, has an arrest order issued for him. The South African government has welcomed the issuing of arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri. However, Netanyahu says the warrant of his arrest is anti-semitic       Guest: Dr Litlhare Radele - African politics lecturer

A close race that might represent a turning point in Namibia's political history is predicted by early postal voting results as the country approaches the general elections on November 28. A relatively recent addition to the political scene, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has become a formidable rival to the Swapo party in power. This outcome is consistent with a regional trend in which burgeoning opposition forces have gained ground against long-standing ruling parties, such as the Botswana Democratic Party and Zambia's Patriotic Front. The question that everyone is asking is: “Can Swapo weather the Storm?”       Guest: Advocate Sipho Mantula - Human Rights Activist