TimesLIVE - In The News
TimesLIVE Podcasts
Subscribe
Podcasts and similar audio content from the Arena Holdings group, publishers of the Sunday Times, Business Day, The Times, Sowetan, etc.
News-orientated editorial content
Keywords: podcast, multimedia, politics, entertainment, news and views, economy, South Africa
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
1 day ago
Black consciousness, white tears: ubuntu’s challenge to liberalism
Eusebius discussed Black Consciousness, liberation theology and white liberals with Harvard University doctoral candidate and author Panashe Chigumadzi. In this latest episode of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, Chigumadzi starts off by explaining why it is important for black people to not be distracted by anti-black racism, puzzling through the conundrum that racism cannot be avoided in analysis and activism but that, nevertheless, aspects of the justice project requires white people to do work on and amongst themselves without the presence of black people.
playlist_add
1 day ago
Terry Pheto dishes on surviving lockdown, 'retiring' as an actress and GBV
“Guys we are still here. Thank god.”
Terry Pheto’s opening salvo as we sit down to lunch goes to the crux of our collective immediate past. I meet her at Red Chamber in Hyde Park Corner. The Chinese restaurant is an institution and the delightful owner, Emma Chen, has the same indomitable, thoughtful and singular spirit I have always admired in Terry. I wanted them to meet.
Does she have any new year’s resolutions? “Honestly I don’t think I have any — I think what the pandemic has taught us is all we have is this moment now. If you can do it now, do it now."
Don’t put things off. I don’t want to push my dreams into the future. The small things, the big things, just do them.”
playlist_add
4 days ago
Can't shake your Covid-19 symptoms? Here's why
25% to 30% of all people who contract and survive Covid-19 will continue to suffer from Long Covid, which is the persistence of Covid-19 symptoms three months from the time a person stops being infectious.
Long Covid cannot be formally diagnosed and there is no way of telling who will suffer from the ailment.
Thanks to the research done by SA's scientific community however, we can tell you why your body isn't recovering. TimesLIVE sat down with Prof Resia Pretorius to discuss what Long Covid is, its symptoms, the physical reason behind it and the efforts that are being made to diagnose and treat the ailment
playlist_add
4 days ago
Diagnosing the dramatic decline of the ANC
Political analyst and head of the political studies department at the University of Cape Town associate professor Zwelethu Jolobe says despite the ANC NEC clearly articulating how a renewed party should look, it's not capable of taking its subordinates along with it.
"The problem we have here is that we have an organisational environment that enables corruption," Jolobe says.
playlist_add
4 days ago
Gauteng COGTA's Lupi Ngcayisa on the collapse of Joburg council sitting
MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning and CoGTA, Lebogang Maile, has written a formal letter to the Speaker of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Councillor Vasco Da Gama, requesting the Speaker to provide the MEC with a comprehensive report on the collapse of the council meeting of 13 January 2022.
playlist_add
5 days ago
Law on driver demerit system ruled invalid: Outa wins court challenge
The Pretoria high court on Thursday found the Aarto Act and its amendment, on which the planned demerit system for traffic offences is based, inconsistent with the constitution.
Consequently, judge Annali Basson declared the Aarto Act and the Amendment Act “unconstitutional and invalid”.
playlist_add
5 days ago
Dr Phophi Ramathuba responds to 'open your books & close your legs' backlash
Media personality Siv Ngesi has joined the thousands of people expressing their outrage over Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba's recent school visit address where she advised the girls to open their book and close their legs.
A video of the Limpopo Health MEC went viral on Twitter after Ramathuba visited Gwenane secondary school in Sekgakgapeng on Wednesday to monitor the first day of the new academic year.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Dr Ramathuba hit back at "Twitter parents" and those lambasting her, saying not only did the naysayers use the video clip without context, they have chosen to be ignorant about the factors that make teenage pregnancy the scourge it is in rural areas and townships.
The Limpopo Health MEC clarified that her full address had direct messages for both girls and boys.
playlist_add
6 days ago
'This is an insult,' says Zondo of Lindiwe Sisulu criticism
Acting chief justice Raymond Zondo addressed the media in response to an opinion piece attributed to tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu, published on the news and information website IOL, on December 7 2021, entitled: “Hi Mzansi, have we seen justice?”
In his public address on Wednesday, Zondo said Sisulu had no facts to back up her criticisms of the judicial system and that the piece as a whole was outright insulting.
He said the attack was unwarranted and pleads with the ruling party to take action against the minister for what he considers unacceptable behaviour.
playlist_add
6 days ago
Gauteng’s 700 unplaced pupils will be sorted by month-end: Panyaza Lesufi
Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says there are about 700 pupils who have not yet been placed in public schools across the province, a big improvement on last year.
“Last year almost 35,000 pupils were not placed. This year there are fewer than 700 who need to be placed,” Lesufi said on Wednesday when inland pupils returned to school.
playlist_add
6 days ago
What does it all mean? Three crucial insights from part one of the state capture report
In this week’s edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, Eusebius McKaiser offers some initial insights, as TimesLIVE contributor and analyst, into part one of the state capture report.
playlist_add
Jan 11, 2022
Suspected arsonist remanded for psychiatric evaluation
The Cape Town magistrates court has remanded alleged parliament fire arsonist Zandile Mafe to a mental institution for observation for a period of up to 30 days to established if he is fit to stand trail. This after the State provided evidence that the accused suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. The 49 year old was arrested on January 2 2022, near the parliamentary prescient after a devastating fire had broken out in parliament.The official cause of the blaze has not yet been established, but the state has charged Mafe with 2 counts of arson, possession of an explosive device, destruction of essential infrastructure and now a schedule 6 charge of contravening the Terrorist Act.
playlist_add
Jan 11, 2022
Suspected arsonist threatens hunger strike
Alleged arsonist Zandile Mafe, who stands accused of setting fire to parliament buildings last week, was accompanied by new, high-level legal representation in the form of advocate Dali Mpofu, former national chairperson of the EFF.
Mpofu told the court Mafe has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
After this revelation, the state requested that Mafe be committed to a mental institution for 30 days’ observation to decide whether he is fit to stand trial.
Mpofu said Mafe would refuse government-provided meals as a form of protest if he was not granted bail.
playlist_add
Jan 8, 2022
Ramaphosa urges government to finalise a policy on the introduction of vaccine mandates
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the government to finalise vaccine mandates.
He says for the economy to operate fully, everyone must be vaccinated against Covid-19.
He reiterated the importance of vaccination.
playlist_add
Jan 8, 2022
Malema's full EFF 'Siyabonga' rally address
The EFF held a “Siyabonga” (“thank you”) rally in Durban's People's Park on Saturday to thank its KwaZulu-Natal supporters for their support.
In the 2021 local government elections, the EFF secured 150 seats and 8.64% of the vote in the province — up from 59 seats and 3.46% in the 2016 election.
playlist_add
Jan 8, 2022
Limpopo ANC says Cyril has led well and deserves second term
When the ANC officially opens the party’s leadership race, Limpopo will campaign for Cyril Ramaphosa to win a second term.
The premier of Limpopo and ANC provincial chair Stan Mathabatha told the party’s January 8 celebrations on Saturday that the province was fully behind Ramaphosa.
Mathabatha said Ramaphosa had led the ANC well and that it was not jumping the gun in calling for his second term.
playlist_add
Jan 8, 2022
Someone sabotaged Ramaphosa's gala address, says Cele
Police minister Bheki Cele told journalists that someone deliberately shut down the power at the ANC gala dinner on Friday while President Cyril Ramaphosa was thanking the business community for its financial support.
playlist_add
Jan 7, 2022
The ANC will never die, it has the power and capacity to self-correct, Mabuza says
ANC deputy president David Mabuza addressed the crowd at Mankweng Cemetery in Limpopo at a wreath-laying ceremony for the late ANC Youth League president Peter Mokaba.
Mabuza reiterated the words of the province's premier Stanley Mathabatha that it is not the party that is corrupt, but individuals within the party who are.
“We will correct ourself and get rid of unwanted elements," Mabuza said.
playlist_add
Jan 6, 2022
The land of our forebears will be returned to the people of our country, says Ramaphosa
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa is in Limpopo gearing up for the ANC January 8th statement on Saturday.
Other ANC leadership figures, including deputy president David Mabuza, chairperson Gwede Mantashe and treasurer-general Paul Mashatile are also in the province garnering support for the ANC's 110th birthday celebrations.
Ramaphosa says he is determined that the land will be returned to the people of the country.
playlist_add
Jan 6, 2022
Ramaphosa walks out of ANCWL event over breached Covid-19 rules
Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday walked out of what was supposed to be a memorial lecture in memory of Lilian Ngoyi.
According to ANC Women's League (ANCWL) secretary Meokgo Matuba, Ramaphosa left because of failure to comply with Covid-19 regulations.
playlist_add
Jan 6, 2022
Australians' distaste at ‘Novax’ Djokovic’s jab exemption puts pressure on authorities
Australians on Wednesday said they were unhappy with the decision to grant world No 1 men's tennis player Novak Djokovic medical exemption from Covid-19 vaccination to enter the country and play in the Australian Open Grand Slam tournament.
“I think it's a disgrace. We've all done the right thing, we've all gone out and got our jabs and our boosters and we have someone that's come from overseas and all of a sudden he's been exempt and can play,” said Melbourne local Christine Wharton.
On Thursday, the government reportedly cancelled Djokovic's visa to pacify public anger over the decision to give him medical exemption from vaccination.
playlist_add
Jan 6, 2022
'We don't see your Thuma Mina here' clergy tell Ramaphosa in Makopane
The ANC is not getting any prayers from the clergy in Mokopane, Limpopo ahead of its birthday celebration but rather a strong dose of the "shame" that its governance has subjected South Africans to.
Religious leaders on Thursday greeted President Cyril Ramaphosa with fierce criticism of the ANC as an organisation and its governance under his leadership.
playlist_add
Jan 5, 2022
‘My crime is being spokesperson for the most-hated man’ — Manyi on being implicated in state capture report
Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson and former Government Communications Information System (GCIS) CEO Mzwanele Manyi has responded to being implicated in the state capture inquiry report, claiming the commission “got it all wrong”.
He said he is being targeted for being Zuma’s spokesperson.
playlist_add
Jan 4, 2022
Shivambu says Ramaphosa ‘irrationally praised’ response to parliament fire
EFF MP Floyd Shivambu has taken aim at President Cyril Ramaphosa for praising the City of Cape Town’s response to the fire in the parliamentary precinct on Sunday.
Taking to social media, Shivambu implied the extent of the damage caused by the fire contradicted remarks made by the president about the city being “one that works”.
playlist_add
Jan 4, 2022
Alleged parliament arsonist faces multiple charges
The case against alleged parliament arsonist Zandile Christmas Mafe has been postponed. Multiple charges have been brought against Mafe including theft, arson and housebreaking.
playlist_add
Jan 3, 2022
Re-emergence of fire in the national assembly building
The Presiding Officers of Parliament have noted with distress yet another flare up of flames on the roof of the National Assembly Building in Cape Town. The almost two-day brave and courageous battle by firefighters against the flames that gutted various buildings of Parliament suffered a set-back when flames suddenly flared up from the roof of the Building this afternoon.
playlist_add
Jan 1, 2022
'A crusader in the struggle for freedom, for justice, for equality and for peace' — Ramaphosa pays tribute to Tutu
President Cyril Ramaphosa was one of many who took to the podium to bid farewell to the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu at his funeral service held on Saturday 1 January 2022.
playlist_add
Dec 30, 2021
“He was a man of enormous courage” — The SACC and interfaith communities speak of Tutu’s legacy
The South African Council of Churches and the Anglican Church of Southern Africa hosted an inter-denominational and interfaith memorial service in celebration of the life and six-decade service of the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu at the Cathedral Church of St Alban in Pretoria on Thursday.
playlist_add
Dec 30, 2021
In review | A look back at the some of the biggest news stories of 2021
TimesLIVE has compiled a review of the year that was 2021 in terms of the biggest news stories — from the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma to the July unrest and looting to the death of the longest ruling Zulu monarch, King Goodwill Zwelithini.
playlist_add
Dec 29, 2021
'He had faith in God and the people': Soweto remembers Tutu
Mourners and religious leaders of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa gathered at Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu's Soweto house to celebrate his life and legacy. Tutu passed away at the age of 90 on Sunday. Speakers included leaders of the church and Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse.
playlist_add
Dec 26, 2021
IN FULL: Media briefing on the passing of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
The Desmond Tutu Foundation briefed the media on Sunday after the death of the archbishop.
Desmond Mpilo Tutu Born: October 7, 1931 in Klerksdorp was known for his charisma and his love for peace and humanitarianism. Desmond Tutu's influence globally remains formidable.
The foundation sent its condolences to Mama Leah and the Tutu family. “We are devastated that the Arch is no longer with us, but his passing has strengthened our resolve to spread his warmth and compassion even further afield,” the foundation said.
playlist_add
Dec 26, 2021
Two years of Covid-19: Some take-aways
On December 31 2019, little did we know that a novel virus that would greatly disrupt our lives had already emerged in the city of Wuhan, China.
The question of how the virus emerged still linger. It has now been two years since the emergence of Covid-19.
We speak with Infectious diseases epidemiologist Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim about the some of the lessons lessons learnt from the pandemic thus far.
playlist_add
Dec 23, 2021
Celeste Ntuli questions 'men must' culture and speaks of 2021 success
Comedian and actress Celeste Ntuli has spoken about how expectations that men should provide money in relationships can be damaging to the fight against GBV.
playlist_add
Dec 22, 2021
SA's scientific contributions to curb HIV/Aids
It has become apparent HIV/Aids is no longer as threatening as it was 40 years ago when the world was introduced to the human immunodeficiency virus. Perhaps this can be attributed to the work of scientists and the discoveries, innovations and research around HIV/Aids over the years.
Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim, associate scientific director at the Centre for the Aids Programme in SA (Caprisa), speaks to TimesLIVE about SA scientists’ efforts to curb HIV/Aids.
playlist_add
Dec 21, 2021
SAHRC WRAP: Blame game, crisis of leadership
One of this year’s most tragic moments was the July looting and destruction of businesses in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng after the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) started its National Investigative Hearing into the unrest in November.
Nivashni Nair, senior reporter at TimesLIVE, tells us what happened during the hearing.
playlist_add
Dec 20, 2021
In limbo: The long wait for gender-affirming surgery in SA
The transgender community in South Africa continue to face many battles along their journey to medically transition. One of the greatest challenges is the inaccessibility to funding to cover the high costs of treatments, and most importantly gender reassignment/affirming surgery which is pivotal part of the transitioning process.
playlist_add
Dec 17, 2021
Political parties should 'introspect or close shop'
Sunday Times columnist Prof William Gumede argues that political parties should either be willing to introspect after the recent local government elections or “close shop”.
He appeared on Eusebius on TimesLIVE, responding to a sustained critique of his recent work by veteran ANC leader and activist Mavuso Msimang.
Msimang had accused Gumede of “intellectual paucity” for speculating about the reasons why many voters had this time not chosen to vote ANC.
playlist_add
Dec 15, 2021
Reconciliation gap in SA is the fault of politicians, says TRC commissioner
As SA observes the Day of Reconciliation on Thursday, the legacy of apartheid continues to work against national unity. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was set up to build unity in the rainbow nation, but some believe its work was futile.
Former TRC commissioner Yasmin Sooka says the blame should be directed at the state, not the commission, as it had completed its task.
She spoke to TimesLIVE.
playlist_add
Dec 15, 2021
Jacob Zuma files leave to appeal medical parole ruling
Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson Zwanele Manyi confirmed that the former president Jacob Zuma has filed leave to appeal the high court's rulings to set aside his medical parole, ordering him to go back to jail.
playlist_add
Dec 15, 2021
‘Ramaphosa made fundamental mistakes after ascending to power’ - Mavuso Msimang
Veteran ANC leader and activist Mavuso Msimang has critiqued the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa in a frank discussion with TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser.
playlist_add
Dec 10, 2021
How a pastor & wife convinced their victim to take a blood test in life insurance murder
In order to explain how Pastor Melisizwe Monqo and his wife Siphosihle Pamba operated, we need to delve further into the audio recordings which were revealed in the high court during their murder trial. If you haven’t already, please visit the explainer video we have produced on this matter to give you an overview of the case.
playlist_add
Dec 10, 2021
Gauteng education department hopes 4,712 pupils will be placed by end of Friday
The Gauteng education department is hopeful that 4,712 grade 1 and 8 pupils will be placed by the end of Friday. Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said of the 335,091 grade 1 and 8 online applications received by noon on Friday for the 2022 academic year, 278,029 applicants had submitted proof of residence to enable the department to facilitate their placement.
playlist_add
Dec 10, 2021
Omicron spreading faster than other variants, but don’t be alarmed — Health minister
Health minister Joe Phaahla said the Omicron Covid-19 variant is highly transmissible but cases don’t seem severe.
He said Omicron is accounting for 70% of infections in Gauteng but there is no need to be alarmed.
“Weekly cases in Gauteng have increased by more than 400%,” he said.
The minister was addressing the media on Friday morning.
playlist_add
Dec 10, 2021
Mobile applications play pivotal role in the fight against GBV
With the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) increasing in SA, more people are using mobile technology like applications to help in the fight against GBV. Apps have become an important stakeholder in this fight, allowing people access to emergency services and information.
playlist_add
Dec 8, 2021
Government could hand black South African's title deeds for land without amending the constitution — expert
The attempt by the ANC to push through the Constitution 18th Amendment Bill to allow land expropriation without compensation fell flat on Tuesday.
However, according to founder and president of the Free Market Foundation Leon Louw, the bill was unlikely to benefit dispossessed black South Africans and would instead have made them victims of state-sanctioned land seizures. The governing party, with only 200 members in attendance at the National Assembly sitting, managed to garner 204 votes in favour of the controversial bill. It needed 267 for the bill to pass.
Louw suggested the bill is unnecessary. He said government could furnish black South Africans with title deeds for land the state owns and which black South Africans already occupy.
playlist_add
Dec 6, 2021
'SA nowhere near dealing with scourge of GBV', says NPA's Batohi
National director of public prosecutions Shamila Batohi said gender-based violence and corruption are key priorities for the National Prosecuting Authority. She briefed the media on Monday morning.
playlist_add
Dec 4, 2021
Human trafficking boom as SA kids sold for sex and labour
Twenty-eight day old Eastern Cape twins sold by their mother for R50; a 13-year-old girl sold for R30,000 by her stepmother, who runs a Bible study group in Heidelberg. These cases, currently before the Eastern Cape and Gauteng courts, are among scores feeding SA’s allegedly booming human trafficking trade.
playlist_add
Dec 4, 2021
The world is her kasi
Mampho Brescia is glamorous. Even in a pair of shorts whilst tucking
into some edamame beans, she exudes a worldly glow that speaks to her global outlook.
The fact that she can break into Japanese and Italian with breezy insouciance adds to the general effect. She has a kind of Old Hollywood presence, as if she is glimmering on a silver screen. She’s also damn fine company. I meet her for lunch in Hyde Park at So Yum for dim sum and a tutorial in how to be a global citizen while staying true to your roots.
playlist_add
Dec 3, 2021
N3 truck protest follows government’s ‘failure’ to report back on employment of foreign nationals
The failure by government to provide feedback on November 3 to small truck operators regarding the employment of foreign national truck drivers working in SA resulted in the blockade of the N3 highway near Van Reenen on Friday.
Several sources within the trucking fraternity told TimesLIVE Friday’s truck protest followed a memorandum of demands handed to transport and labour ministers Fikile Mbalula and Thulas Nxesi on October 25 during a protest on the N9 and N10 highways outside Middelburg in the Eastern Cape.
playlist_add
Dec 2, 2021
SA HIV studies paved the way for SA Covid-19 discoveries: scientists
Recently SA scientists discovered the B.1.1.529 variant of coronavirus, named Omicron by the WHO. B.1.351 (Beta), the first variant of concern in the world, was discovered by SA scientists in May last year, just two months after Covid-19 was first detected in the country.
Prof Thumbi Ndung'u, director for basic and translational science at the Africa Health Research Institute, and Dr Ahmad Haeri Mazanderani, a clinical virologist at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, attribute the accomplishments to HIV research.
playlist_add
Dec 1, 2021
Sassa KZN issued R3.8m worth food vouchers to 5,518 families after unrest: Zulu
Social development minister Lindiwe Zulu appeared before the SA Human Rights Commission on Wednesday.
She outlined to the commission how her department helped the most vulnerable after the unrest.
The minister said, “Sassa in KwaZulu-Natal issued food vouchers to 5,518 destitute families to the value of R3,862,000, benefiting more than 16,554 individuals”.
playlist_add
Dec 1, 2021
The war against Aids 'set to end by 2030'
The world has been fighting HIV and Aids for 40 years, with world leaders hoping to end the public health threat by 2030. Despite the strides made in the fight against the virus, there are still many challenges in the way of achieving this global vision.
playlist_add
Nov 30, 2021
Police commissioner Sitole says he wasn't unavailable during unrest, raises concerns about police budget
The SA Human Rights Commission continued its national investigation into July's unrest and riots on Tuesday. National police commissioner Gen Khehla Sitole and KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi gave evidence. Sitole told the commission that anyone who wanted to find him during the crisis could have found him.
playlist_add
Nov 29, 2021
Gauteng 'well prepared' for rise in Covid-19 hospitalisations
The head of hospital services at the Gauteng Health Department, Dr Freddy Kgongwana, says the province is well equipped for a Covid-19 fourth wave. He said the province' hospitals has 4,407 beds and is well equipped with oxygen tanks.
He said the province's hospitals have 4,407 beds and are well equipped with oxygen tanks.
playlist_add
Nov 29, 2021
What you need to know about the new Omicron variant
The emergence of a new Covid-19 variant known as the Omicron has rocked the world. TimesLIVE podcasts brings you a round-up of all you need to know regarding the new variant, including what is known about it, the politics of travel bans implemented against SA, and the readiness of the country to deal with the new variant of concern.
playlist_add
Nov 28, 2021
FULL ADDRESS | President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the nation on SA's response to the Covid-19 pandemic
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday night. His address comes a few days after the announcement of a newly detected Covid-19 variant identified as B.1.1.529, given the name Omicron by the World Health Organisation.
playlist_add
Nov 27, 2021
LISTEN: What Ace Magashule’s PA told the Hawks
A leaked audio recording has shed light on how Ace Magashule’s former PA refused to implicate her ex-boss when she was interrogated by Hawks investigators in connection with the Free State asbestos case.
This explains why the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) removed Moroadi Cholota from the witness list and intends to charge her alongside Magashule.
The recording reveals that Cholota asked the Hawks investigators and an FBI agent why the state had made her a witness without consulting her. The interview took place last month in Baltimore, US, where she is studying.
playlist_add
Nov 26, 2021
Thembisa Mdoda Nxumalo talks surviving long COVID
Thembisa Mdoda Nxumalo has survived a year of repeat hospitalizations for long COVID - here she tells us what she has learnt from the ordeal and her second chance at life!
playlist_add
Nov 23, 2021
Zuma's parole under spotlight on Tuesday as parties question his release
The decision to release former president Jacob Zuma on medical parole will come under scrutiny in the Pretoria high court on Tuesday.
The questions are to come from the DA, AfriForum and the Helen Suzman Foundation.
Zuma’s spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi, provided comment on the matter.
playlist_add
Nov 22, 2021
Mapisa-Nqakula not happy with SAHRC's 'insensitivity'
The SA Human Rights Commission is in its second week investigating the July unrest that affected parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Before the commission today were national police commissioner Gen Khehla Sitole, Gauteng provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela and former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
Mapisa-Nqakusa said she was not happy with the SAHRC insisting she appear before the panel on Monday despite attending an emergency.
playlist_add
Nov 19, 2021
A free coffee a day keeps the blues away
A small coffee shop in Fourways is quietly establishing itself as a community hub, uniting people, paying it forward and increasingly making good things happen for growing numbers of people.
The DC Coffee Company in Pineslopes is the brainchild of Neil and Samantha Golding, who have not only built the business from the ground up, but see it as “living the dream that makes us happier than we ever thought possible”.
The couple's coffee shop runs as an NPO, which allows people to donate and redeem coffee and food vouchers from strangers. Neil explains how the idea works and how it came about.
playlist_add
Nov 19, 2021
SAHRC hearing on July 2021 riots - first week
This week the SAHRC heard from victims, community forums and representatives of businesses affected by the July riots.
playlist_add
Nov 19, 2021
Joburg matric pupil survives kidnapping attempt while walking to school
An 18-year-old matric pupil survived an alleged kidnapping attempt in Johannesburg on Friday, the Gauteng education department said.
Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said the Sandringham High School pupil was on her way to school when a white Chevrolet sedan with four male occupants reportedly drove towards her and one of them allegedly attempted to pull her into the vehicle.
playlist_add
Nov 19, 2021
'Deliberate sabotage' at power station could have triggered stage 6 load-shedding: Eskom CEO
Eskom group CEO André de Ruyter says clear evidence has emerged of sabotage at the Lethabo Power Station in the Free State.
This comes after the collapse of a power pylon which “fell uphill” on Wednesday onto a second distribution line, knocking out both lines.
De Ruyter said there was evidence that the pylon supports had been cut. There was no erosion observed on the structure.
playlist_add
Nov 18, 2021
July riots were an insurrection and took months of planning, says business representative
Melanie Veness, CEO of the Pietermaritzburg & Midlands Chamber of Business, says the July riots were part of a plan to overthrow the government. She says they were well planned.
playlist_add
Nov 18, 2021
PA leader Gayton McKenzie is in the hot-seat over ANC coalition decisions
In this first Afrikaans interview on Eusebius on TimesLIVE, McKenzie dodged bullets from Eusebius McKaiser who engaged him on his decision to form coalitions with the ANC in municipalities.
McKenzie criticises both the DA and the ANC, but attempts to offer justification for why the ANC is preferable to work with despite its shoddy governance record.
playlist_add
Nov 17, 2021
No-one helped us, everything was properly organised - Phoenix unrest victim tells SAHRC
Refugee Mkhize, one of the July unrest victims, has told the SAHRC that no-one helped them during the Phoenix killings, which have been labelled by many as a “massacre”. He hopes for justice and to regain trust in the police and courts.
playlist_add
Nov 17, 2021
High risk of load shedding: De Ruyter
The embattled power utility said the electricity system was “severely constrained” after the failure of five generating units.
Five generation units at various power stations had failed throughout yesterday.
Load-shedding would be required to be implemented at very short notice, Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said.
playlist_add
Nov 16, 2021
Coalition talks sow more division than unity
Opposition parties the DA and EFF held press briefings to update the public and supporters on their ongoing coalition talks, including the progress and outcomes of negotiations so far. The briefings revealed there was much tension arising between the different parties.
playlist_add
Nov 16, 2021
What happened in Phoenix are killings, not a massacre, SAHRC hears
Sham Maharaj of the Phoenix Ubuntu Forum has told the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) that what happened in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal, was not a massacre but killings.
The commission is on day two of its hearing about the unrest and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July.
playlist_add
Nov 15, 2021
Family of teen killed during July unrest calls for justice at hearings
The aunt of slain 17-year-old Sibahle Nguse has called for justice after he was shot dead during the civil unrest which gripped parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July.
playlist_add
Nov 15, 2021
State, academics, researchers, journalists to give testimony on July unrest - SAHRC
It's day one of the South African Human Rights Commission hearings into the July unrest. The commission says it has invited communities affected, members of the business fraternity, state officials, and cabinet ministers to testify in the next three weeks.
playlist_add
Nov 12, 2021
Acting DPP declines to prosecute Emile and Eben Etzebeth
The Acting Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Nicolette Bell has declined to prosecute Emile and Eben Etzebeth as there are no prospects of a successful prosecution against the two men.
playlist_add
Nov 12, 2021
Human trafficking boom as SA kids sold for sex and labour
Dr Shaheda Omar once said, “rescuing child trafficking victims is nothing short of a miracle.” And with the human trafficking of small children on the rise, SA could use more miracles.
playlist_add
Nov 11, 2021
Debt remains a significant risk to SA's economy, despite short-term gains
Finance minister Enoch Godongwana presented the 25th Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Thursday afternoon.
Economists, including Investec chief economist Annabel Bishop, paid close attention to what the minister had to say about the country's debt projections. Bishop identifies debt and credit ratings agency downgrades as elements that continue to pose a very real threat to SA's potential growth.
playlist_add
Nov 11, 2021
FULL ADDRESS | ‘Tough love’ for ailing SOEs as finance minister closes tap
Finance minister Enoch Godongwana has opted to “practise tough love” regarding struggling state-owned enterprises (SOEs), saying their performance will have to drastically improve before receiving any further bailouts from the government.
playlist_add
Nov 11, 2021
It's never too late to get another Covid-19 jab
The head of the Centre for Vaccines & Immunology at NICD, Dr Melinda Suchard, says there is no maximum time period to get another jab, but as time goes on your antibody levels may decline. SA is vaccinating with the Johnson & Johnson jab, a one-doser, and the Pfizer two-dose vaccine.
playlist_add
Nov 10, 2021
They're not 'blackouts', says Eskom boss Andre de Ruyter
SA's rotational power cuts were not “blackouts”, Eskom boss Andre de Ruyter said on Wednesday.
And he was insistent that this was not just a matter of semantics.
playlist_add
Nov 9, 2021
'I won't resign of my own accord': Eskom boss Andre de Ruyter digs in
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter said on Tuesday that he was not going to be stepping down, despite growing criticism of ongoing load-shedding across SA.
The Black Business Council and the National Union of Mineworkers have been among the most vocal critics calling for De Ruyter to resign.
But speaking at a briefing on Tuesday, De Ruyter said there had been no conversations between himself and the parastatal's board regarding him leaving.
playlist_add
Nov 9, 2021
The psychology behind loyalist voting
South Africans have been expressing their discontent with the ANC in different ways.
Despite being unhappy with how the party does things, for some it is still their preferred choice.
Dr Mbali Dhlomo-Sibiya, senior social psychology lecturer at Unisa, explains why people remain attached to political groups despite discontent and poor performance.
playlist_add
Nov 9, 2021
Steenkamp family was not emotionally prepared for parole talks so soon
The pain and trauma of model Reeva Steenkamp’s murder and former Paralympian Oscar Pistorius’s prison term have been dragged back into the media spotlight yet again, as it emerged that convicted murderer Pistorius’s, has qualified for parole.
The law states that a convicted prisoner are eligible for parole after serving half their sentence. In 2015, the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned Pistorius’s culpable homicide verdict and convicted him of murder and sentenced him to 13 years and five months in Atteridgeville Prison in Pretoria. This meant that, after he was resentenced by the Supreme Court of Appeal for shooting Steenkamp through a locked toilet door, killing her, Pistorius would be eligible for early release in March 2023.However, this calculation failed to take into account that Pistorius had already served just over 500 days before the sentencing, which could validly be added to his time served.
Reeva Steenkamp parents' lawyer and spokesperson Tania Koen, said the f…
playlist_add
Nov 8, 2021
Why do political parties refuse to reflect on SA's poor voter turn out?
Eusebius invited fellow columnist and veteran journalist and editor Peter Bruce to discuss the local government election results.
They explored a number of themes, including how the electoral hegemony of the ANC has been dislodged and what the political implications are. They also discussed the realities facing the DA and the EFF, that the electoral data clearly demonstrates that the two biggest opposition parties are not immune to voter discontent.
playlist_add
Nov 5, 2021
Rosemary Nomia Ndlovu handed six life sentences
Serial killer Rosemary Nomia Ndlovu was sentenced to six terms of life imprisonment in the Johannesburg High Court sitting in Palm Ridge on November 5. The pre-sentencing proceedings saw several witnesses take the stand including distraught relatives of Nldovu’s victims.
playlist_add
Nov 5, 2021
Rap's MVP Big Zulu on the joys of spinning
Come spinning with Big Zulu they said. No, not on a stationary bike in a gym with a trainer whooping and fist pumping. But rather -spinning - as in somewhere in the peri-urban hinterland outside Joburg, at the Lido Conference Centre no less. Where you take your clapped out 80s BMW, install a V8 engine and then do things to the tires, the steering and the handbrake that were definitely not specified in the owner’s manual. It’s loud, it’s fun, it’s verging on the insane and it’s where the spectacularly successful Big Zulu gets to relax.
playlist_add
Nov 4, 2021
'We all want the same thing': Ramaphosa urges parties to work together
“If we are to make this a new and better era, we, as leaders, must put aside our differences and work together in the spirit of partnership, co-operation, collaboration and common purpose in the people of SA.
”So said President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking during the official announcement of the final 2021 municipal election results in Pretoria on Thursday evening.
playlist_add
Nov 4, 2021
THE RESULTS | IEC declares SA's elections 'free and fair', despite challenges
A whooping 66 municipalities will have coalition governments at the helm after South Africans did not give any party outright majority victories in them.
This was revealed by the Electoral Commission of South Africa on Thursday where it declared the final local government elections results.The hung council make up just over 30% of the country's 213 municipalities.
IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini said the election, in which 12.3 million people voted, was "free and fair".
playlist_add
Nov 4, 2021
'We are not going to approach anyone' — EFF on coalitions
In a press briefing by Julius Malema on Thursday afternoon, the EFF leader said the party would not be approaching any political parties in the hopes of forming coalitions, but that they are open to talk with all parties.
playlist_add
Nov 4, 2021
FULL ADDRESS | Malema holds post election press conference
EFF leader Julius Malema held a press conference on Thursday afternoon to discuss his party's performance in the local government elections. In the briefing, Malema outlined his feelings on the EFF performance, how the party plans to approach coalition talks, the disappointing voter turnout and who he feels is to blame, and what comes next for the party.
playlist_add
Nov 4, 2021
Maimane critiques the DA's form of 'tolerance'
Founder of One South Africa Movement, Mmusi Maimane, spoke to Eusebius McKaiser about how his exit from the Democratic Alliance as their leader has allowed him to grow, including his new "lit" persona on Twitter.
Maimane criticized his former party, the Democratic Alliance, for "preaching tolerance" while not being tolerant itself.
playlist_add
Nov 4, 2021
"I will run for president in this country" - Maimane says he will re-enter politics
Founder of One South Africa Movement, Mmusi Maimane, spoke to Eusebius McKaiser about how his exit from the Democratic Alliance as their leader has allowed him to grow, including his new "lit" persona on Twitter.
On Eusebius on TimesLIVE, he also critiqued the current electoral system, and explained why reform is crucial to improve governance.
Maimane confirmed that he will return to formal politics next year and remarked that he is "not coy" about his political ambition. He explained why and how the results of the Local Government Elections bolster his intuitions about the limitations of the parties that are currently dominating South African politics.
playlist_add
Nov 3, 2021
DA leader John Steenhuisen outlines coalition negotiation plans
As political parties begin to consolidate their grip on various municipalities, one thing that DA leader John Steenhuisen does not want, “is to form unstable coalitions.”
“We are not going to rush into any knee-jerk reactions or hasty decisions. This needs to be a deliberate decision that goes the distance over the next five years,” said Steenhuisen on Wednesday.
Speaking shortly at the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) results centre in Pretoria, Steenhuisen outlined the party’s coalition negotiation processes saying: “The metro’s have been characterised by instability and what we are going out there for, is a stable coalition that is going to be able to deliver services and last that distance.”
playlist_add
Nov 3, 2021
'We are not desperate,' says ANC as it prepares to enter coalition talks
The ANC said on Wednesday it is not desperate to form governments of coalition in several municipalities across the country after not being able to win with outright majority.
The party has maintained that despite a poor showing at the local government elections, it will not be going into coalition negotiations from a position of weakness.
ANC has dipped below 50% mark nationally in this election and is heading towards losing several of its municipalities.
playlist_add
Nov 3, 2021
DA’s John Steenhuisen confident party will govern City of Cape Town for another five years
DA leader John Steenhuisen on Wednesday told the media that early predictions showed that the party will again govern the City of Cape Town for another five years.
“We can confirm that we will govern the City of Cape Town with our own majority. We predicting that it will be around 58% of the vote, so the voters of Cape Town have given the DA another five years in office to carry on delivering to them there,” said Steenhuisen.
playlist_add
Nov 3, 2021
‘Anyone but the ANC’: ActionSA on coalitions talks
The City of Johannesburg is likely to have a government of coalitions that will exclude the ANC if ActionSA has its way.
On Tuesday night the political party held its senate meeting on coalitions where it was decided they should consult with their voters — in a similar fashion to that of the Political Dialogues — to get a mandate on which party they should get into bed with.
TimesLIVE understands that when these consultations take place, ActionSA will tell its voters they should pick “anyone but the ANC”.
playlist_add
Nov 3, 2021
Survey shows SA’s voting public was satisfied with their experience
With the finalisation of results 71% completed, the time to assess the effectiveness of the Electoral Commission’s (IEC) 2021 local government election rollout is upon us.
A post-voting satisfaction survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) suggests most South Africans who took the time to go to the polls were happy with their voting experience.
playlist_add
Nov 2, 2021
DA will retain Tshwane, says confident executive mayor Randall Williams
Tshwane’s executive mayor Randall Williams cut a confident figure at the Electoral Commission of SA’s national results operation centre in Pretoria on Monday.
He is so buoyant in his belief that no party will dislodge the DA from governing the highly contested Tshwane metro, that he cannot wait for the elections to end so that he can go back and resume implementing the plans he started when he took over in November last year.
During the local government election campaign, several parties were eying Tshwane, which the ANC lost to the DA in 2016 by a small margin. The DA received 43.15% of the votes while the ANC got 41.25%.
playlist_add
Nov 2, 2021
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba excited by his party’s performance, but unenthralled by the IEC
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba believes his new political party is doing well in its first electoral race.
ActionSA boasts fourth spot in Gauteng, following the ANC, DA and EFF respectively. The party has earned 6% of the area's votes thus far. While it is still early in the counting process, Mashaba said his party has done well despite hurdles out of their control. He highlighted his distaste with the way the Electoral Commission (IEC) has handled Monday’s local government elections, saying the party has had four run unpleasant run-ins with the commission.
playlist_add
Nov 2, 2021
The blame game — who should be held responsible for low voter turnout?
The National Results Operations Centre (ROC) is hard at work counting, but unfortunately there are not as many votes to count as were anticipated.
Paul Berkowitz, director of The Third Republic, said this year’s voter turnout is the likely to be the lowest SA has seen since its first democratic elections.
The complete official figures on voter turnout have not yet been made available, but despite only dribs and drabs of figures available, each press conference has seen concern around voter turnout and voting hurdles take center stage, with the Electoral Commission bearing the brunt of criticism for the poor showing.
Here is what has been happening on the ground.
playlist_add
Nov 2, 2021
IEC apologises to Change Party for error in PR ballot papers
The IEC has apologised to the Change Party for an error on the proportional representation (PR) ballot papers in Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg. According to reports, the party’s president Lesiba Molokomme raised the matter with the commission after it was discovered that the party’s name had been replaced with that of another party on the PR ballot papers in both metros.
playlist_add
Nov 2, 2021
Plans in place to minimise impact of load-shedding: IEC
The Electoral Commission reports that as at 10.30am this morning, 27% of the 64,502 results expected had been finalised. This status is in line with expected result capturing process. It is estimated that 90% of results would be finalised by evening. The balance of 10% would take another 24 hours to complete.
The IEC noted the announcement by Eskom that the national electricity grid is under severe pressure and there may be a need to load-shed in the course of the day.
playlist_add
Nov 1, 2021
FULL ADDRESS | IEC gives update on progress of local government elections
The IEC gave an update on the progress of the local government elections. Although voter turnout has been said to be low across SA, it has been an eventful election day, with protests of service delivery also taking place in parts of the country.
Some South Africans used the day to express their dissatisfaction with service delivery, with some choosing not to vote.Earlier a reporter in Soweto was arrested by SAPS for allegedly interfering with the work of the IEC, he was later released.
playlist_add
Nov 1, 2021
Helen Zille opens assault case after clash with police at EC voting station
Police watchdog Ipid is investigating a case of assault against an Eastern Cape police officer who is accused of dragging DA federal council chair Helen Zille out of the Fernwood Park Primary School voting station in Bethelsdorp on Monday.
An internal police report indicated that Zille had opened a case of assault against the police after the incident.
playlist_add
Nov 1, 2021
Citizens need to take seriously the impact of the electoral system
Despite most areas starting election day on a good footing, there were some communities protesting about service delivery and interruptions which may have disrupted the voting process.
The IEC addressed some of these disruptions during a media briefing on Monday afternoon.
Lecturer in the department of political and international studies at Rhodes University, Thapelo Tselapedi, says voting is a political tool for change on service delivery.
playlist_add
Nov 1, 2021
IEC identifies cases of electoral fraud
SA’s 2021 local government elections have got off to a fair start, with more than 99% of the 23,148 voting stations opening on time and getting under way with the voting process as planned.
Unfortunately, in a briefing given by the Electoral Commission of SA's (IEC's) chairperson Glen Mashinini halfway through voting day, the commission highlighted a few cases of electoral tampering and malfeasance which it said were being dealt with by the authorities.
IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo says they are aware of all the cases raised by Mashinini and that they are being addressed. He added that the IEC and authorities are looking sternly upon cases of electoral tampering and that those found guilty face a jail term of up to five years.
playlist_add
Nov 1, 2021
Election day off to a good start, but not without a few hiccups
In an update provided by the IEC on Monday afternoon, the electoral body said the elections had got off to a positive start with more than 99% of the 23,148 voting stations opened on time to kickstart voting in the 2021 Municipal Elections.
However, the IEC outlined several problem it is looking into, including cases of community protests preventing the opening of voting stations, a presiding officer in the eThekwini Metro allegedly stuffing marked ballots into a ballot box, a hailstorm delaying the opening of some voting stations and more.
playlist_add
Nov 1, 2021
Response regarding an incident between police and a television journalist at a polling station in Soweto
Police were forced to remove a television journalist and a cameraman from a polling station in Orlando East, Soweto after they allegedly interfered with the work of the presiding officer at that station.
playlist_add
Oct 29, 2021
Transgender teen recounts her battles with home affairs
The department of home affairs has continued to come under criticism for the discrimination of non-binary people, especially transgender people. This is in relation to the process of changing one's legal markers, including name and gender, on various legal documentation. This is the unfortunate reality of a Johannesburg pupil who has had to put many life events on hold due to not being able to get her new legal documents and certificates.
playlist_add
Oct 29, 2021
Rampant plant poaching threatens SA’s biodiversity
SA’s rare and endangered succulents, some hundreds of years old and growing only on specific mountain slopes, are being wiped out by poachers.
Plant poaching, warns World Wildlife Fund SA (WWF SA), as well as private nursery owners and collectors, have exploded in the country since January, with international organised crime syndicates involved.
Botanists and environmentalists warn that while poaching syndicates, which are linked to plant collectors in Thailand, China, Taiwan and South Korea, in the past targeted limited but very specific plants, they now target hundreds of succulent, aloe and cycad varieties.
playlist_add
Oct 28, 2021
Herman Mashaba shares his value proposition for the City of Johannesburg
In a wide-ranging discussion on Eusebius on TimesLIVE, ActionSA's mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba, engaged Eusebius on his vision for Johannesburg.
playlist_add
Oct 28, 2021
How the IEC ensures fairness in the counting process
The deputy chief electoral officer at the Electoral Commission (IEC), Mawethu Mosery, outlines how the commission ensures fairness in its processes.
playlist_add
Oct 28, 2021
'Take time to know your candidates': IEC urges voters to inform themselves
The deputy chief electoral officer at the Electoral Commission (IEC), Mawethu Mosery, is urging voters to educate themselves on how to identify their candidates. He mentions some of the identifiers to look out for on ballot papers.
playlist_add
Oct 27, 2021
'Where are the babies right now?' Independent Media claims foul play in 'Thembisa 10' matter
Independent Media has released its report on the investigation into the alleged birth of decuplets by a Pretoria woman and it wants the government to explain what happened to the 'Thembisa 10'.
playlist_add
Oct 27, 2021
Gauteng government to take legal action against the Independent Media group
The Gauteng Provincial Government notes a report released by the
Independent Media group in which very serious allegations are made
against medical practitioners, nursing staff and hospital management.
Vuyo Mhaga, spokesperson to Premier David Makhura says that the province plans to take legal action against the media house.
playlist_add
Oct 27, 2021
Study finds vaccine sentiment is trending downwards
It is now widely understood that receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is the most successful measure to combat the disease and set world economies back on a growth path.
However, an ongoing study by a team of well-being researchers, called the Gross National Happiness Today Project, indicates that vaccine attitudes globally are on the decrease.
Director of the project and well-being economist at the University of Johannesburg, Professor Talita Greyling, explains some of the projects findings.
playlist_add
Oct 27, 2021
Does taking a knee mean anything if it is compulsory?
Eusebius McKaiser, host of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, challenged Cricket South Africa's Lawson Naidoo to explain what value forcing Protea's players to take the knee has if it is not voluntary. Naidoo conceded that the moral and political value of symbolism is diminished when it is mandatory.
playlist_add
Oct 27, 2021
“We didn't consult with the team”- CSA's Lawson Naidoo
Cricket South Africa's (CSA) Lawson Naidoo admits to Eusebius on TimesLIVE host, Eusebius McKaiser, that the CSA board did not consult with the team before instituting its new policy directive, which requires that the Proteas take a knee before their matches in a show of solidarity against racism.
playlist_add
Oct 26, 2021
‘It’s an election with a lot of big question marks’ — analyst
We spoke to independent election analyst Dawie Scholtz, who unpacked the significance of this year’s local government elections.
playlist_add
Oct 26, 2021
Zuma loses special plea bid to have prosecutor Downer removed
Former president Jacob Zuma has lost his bid to have lead prosecutor Advocate Billy Downer removed from his corruption trial.
Pietermaritzburg high court judge Piet Koen said Zuma’s application — that Downer had no title to prosecute in the matter because he was biased — was incorrect in both law and fact.
playlist_add
Oct 25, 2021
Government insurance bungling ‘is why SA food prices are soaring’
SA Special Risk Insurance Association (Sasria)’s delays in paying multimillion-rand claims for the rebuilding of food cold storage infrastructure damaged in the July violence are spiking food prices.
Bearing the brunt of rising costs, say food price experts, are the poor.
playlist_add
Oct 25, 2021
'ANC is a criminal enterprise. I will never work with the devil': Herman Mashaba on coalitions
In an interview with TimesLIVE, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said he will not work with the governing party in any coalition or government structure, calling the party "the devil".
playlist_add
Oct 25, 2021
'The IEC is playing games with the future of this country': Herman Mashaba
In an interview with TimesLIVE, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba expressed his views on the battle between his party and the IEC saying what the IEC "is doing" is not only affecting ActionSA but the voters.
playlist_add
Oct 23, 2021
John Steenhuisen shares his views on coalitions ahead the upcoming elections
On the eve of local government elections DA leader, John Steenhuisen, has revealed that his party was willing to work with just about any political party in coalitions, including the ANC, just as long as they are not the EFF
playlist_add
Oct 22, 2021
Cape fur seals are mysteriously dying en masse
Wildlife experts are baffled by the deaths of thousands of Cape fur seals along SA’s west coast, one of the biggest mass die-offs that may be linked to a shortage of fish for seals to eat.
Grim video footage this week showed seals convulsing and dying in shallow water, with local residents reporting many carcasses between Cape Town and Elands Bay.
The die-off coincides with the deaths of thousands of coastal birds due to an avian influenza outbreak along the west coast.
A large number of penguins were killed earlier this month by a swarm of bees, adding to a miserable death toll for marine wildlife.
playlist_add
Oct 22, 2021
‘Not in a million years': Lindiwe Mazibuko says she will never vote for John Steenhuisen as her councillor
Former DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko says she would never vote for current party leader John Steenhuisen if he ran for a councillor position in her ward.
Mazibuko said Steenhuisen, the leader of SA’s official opposition, lives “in an echo chamber” and surrounds himself with “yes men”. The columnist was a guest on media personality Eusebius McKaiser’s TimesLIVE podcast.
playlist_add
Oct 21, 2021
Mixed reactions as youngsters give SA’s vaccine rollout a shot in the arm
Still dressed in her school uniform, Amaani Limalia arrived at the Swartkop Covid-19 vaccination site in Pretoria — and left feeling excited.
“I feel great,” she said, moments after getting the jab.
But she was not the only person to get the injection at the site on Wednesday, the day that children aged from 12 to 17 became eligible to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations. Many parents fetched their children from school before heading to the site.
TimesLIVE previously reported that parents would not be required to give consent for their children to be vaccinated under the Children’s Act, according to acting health department director-general Nicholas Crisp.
playlist_add
Oct 20, 2021
How will the ANC’s public internal battles impact it's election results?
The ANC’s internal party battles have long been reported by SA media, but the country has recently seen the internal battles play out very publicly.
With only 12 days to go before the local government elections on November 1, the question of what this internal fracturing will mean for the ANC once the ballots are counted is top of mind.
We spoke to independent political analyst Dawie Scholtz about the moments that have defined some of the ANC’s public battles, how this would likely affect the ruling party’s chances at the polls, and what these battles mean for our democracy.
playlist_add
Oct 19, 2021
Ace Magashule asks NPA for list of witnesses implicating him in corruption case
Suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s legal counsel has asked the state to provide a list of witnesses implicating his client in his corruption case.
Magashule and his co-accused appeared in the Bloemfontein high court on Tuesday.
Their case was postponed to November 3 for pretrial and for them to respond to charges preferred against them.
playlist_add
Oct 19, 2021
Ramaphosa takes election campaign to Magashule's home base
Suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s Free State stronghold welcomed ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa warmly with thousands packed to the rafters at the Intabazwe Stadium in Harrismith.
Ramaphosa has taken his ANC local government election campaign to the Free State starting on Sunday where thousands were waiting for him before he arrived.
When he did arrive, the fired-up crowd was screaming, ululating, singing and dancing with the stadium a sea of gold with people in ANC T-shirts.
playlist_add
Oct 18, 2021
How Covid-19 will impact your voting experience — IEC
With only 14 days to go until South Africans are expected to head to the polls for this year’s local government elections, questions around safety and procedures are without doubt top of mind.
Being the first time citizens are headed to the polls during a pandemic, it is natural to expect there should be some changes in procedure when voting this year.
Mawethu Mosery, deputy chief electoral officer at the Electoral Commission (IEC), explains the health and safety precautions that will be taken at polling stations and what role, if any, vaccine certificates will play during your voting experience.
playlist_add
Oct 16, 2021
Lunch with renowned local chef David Higgs
David Higgs, South Africa’s most genial version of celebrity chef has not watched Squid Games, the bloodthirsty Korean series at the top of the global Netflix popularity contest when he proposes that we meet for lunch at Banchan a Korean restaurant in Morningside. “I don’t usually eat out he says , my house is my safe space, I just love being at home with my dog.” But here we are here on a Monday – his only “free” day in the week on the recommendation of his friends and I am rather glad for it, given that we are living through a Korean moment and the traditional food being presented in a steady stream of fiery but subtle freshness by Jamie Jeong the general manager is outrageously delicious.
playlist_add
Oct 15, 2021
LEAKED AUDIO | Police respond to owner of Max's Lifestyle shot outside his establishment in Umlazi
A police officer stationed in Durban's CBD was flagged down by the owner of Max's Lifestyle, Max Mqadi, after he was shot outside his establishment in Umlazi, south of Durban.
The unidentified cop radios in the call to control room saying that they have been flagged down by Mqadi who has been shot and requested them to escort him.
playlist_add
Oct 15, 2021
LEAKED AUDIO | Owner of Max's Lifestyle in Durban rushed to hospital after shooting
A police officer stationed in Durban's CBD was flagged down by the owner of Max's Lifestyle, Max Mqadi, after he was shot outside his establishment in Umlazi, south of Durban.
The unidentified cop radios in the call to control room that they are at Netcare Umhlanga Hospital where Mqadi is being admitted after he was shot multiple times in the legs and he is being rushed into hospital.
playlist_add
Oct 15, 2021
FULL ADDRESS | I’m being politically persecuted, Jacob Zuma tells prayer meeting
Former president Jacob Zuma says he remains a prisoner under very strict parole conditions and it feels like what house arrest and banning orders must have felt like during colonial and apartheid times.
The 79-year-old, who is on medical parole from a 15-month sentence for contempt of court, addressed supporters who gathered in Durban for his welcome home prayer via video.
He said something had gone “terribly wrong” in this country, as the “state has imprisoned me for contempt of court without trial”.
playlist_add
Oct 15, 2021
OFFICIAL STATEMENT | 'We were held hostage': Minister speaks after dramatic rescue from Tshwane hotel
Disgruntled military veterans on Thursday night held ministers Thandi Modise and Mondli Gungubele hostage at the St George's Hotel, forcing police and security forces to intervene.
Speaking to media at the hotel, SAPS spokesperson Brig Vish Naidoo confirmed that police had “penetrated the room where the hostages were being held”, and that no shots were fired.
playlist_add
Oct 14, 2021
All you need to know about 'killer cop' Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu's trial
The state has highlighted how murder accused Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu’s modus operandi was similar in several of the cases where she lost loved ones under brutal circumstances.
Delivering closing arguments in the Gauteng High Court, prosecutor Riana Williams said the pattern observed was that the Thembisa-based former policewoman was seemingly the last person to see her relatives alive, or she was the first one to notice them missing and report it before them being found dead.
Reporting from the courthouse, reporter Naledi Shange updates us on all we need to know about the case, ahead of next week's sentencing.
playlist_add
Oct 14, 2021
'Killer cop' Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu returns to court on sixth anniversary of lover's murder
Alleged killer cop Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu’s return to the high court on Thursday coincides with the sixth anniversary of the murder of her lover, Maurice Mabasa.
Speaking to TimesLIVE on Wednesday, Maurice’s brother Justice said they needed more than justice for Maurice, they needed answers — if it was proven that it was Ndlovu behind the murder.
playlist_add
Oct 14, 2021
'He is not fit enough to be out in public': Uncertainty over whether Jacob Zuma will attend 'welcome prayer'
As scores of former president Jacob Zuma supporters were expected to descend to People’s Park at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Thursday, it remains to be seen whether the man of the hour will himself be present.
Some family members who spoke to TimesLIVE on Wednesday said there was confusion over the planned “welcome prayer”, as the former head of state was expecting a visit from religious leaders at his homestead in Nkandla, in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal, on the same day.
During a press briefing last week, Jacob G Zuma Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi said he could not confirm if Zuma would be at the event.
playlist_add
Oct 8, 2021
Police turn away GBV survivors
One beaten into a coma; another doused in acid; a third slipping from a second storey flat window as she tried to escape her attacker.
These Gauteng women are tallied among the increase in violent attacks against women – and police are seemingly not always prepared to help.
playlist_add
Oct 8, 2021
SA's first marine sciences matric class faces their final exam
Ashleigh Mingo has taken to heart the lines of a famous poem by English poet, John Masefield, who wrote, “I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky”.
The 17-year-old pupil from Wynberg Girls’ High in the Western Cape and 11 of her peers from the province will become the first group of matrics in Africa to write a Grade 12 exam in marine sciences.
What makes this slice of history even more remarkable is that the subject was not taught during normal class time but in the afternoons for two days a week.
playlist_add
Oct 8, 2021
A house of horror becomes a house of hope
It was dubbed the House of Horrors – 227 Malherbe Street in Pretoria where paedophile and serial killer Gert van Rooyen and his accomplice Joey Haarhoff lived.
Van Rooyen and his accomplice, Joey Haarhof, were linked to the disappearance of six girls between 1988 and 1989.
Capital Park Residents and Ratepayers Association chairperson, Mike Burt, said as a community they would like to take possession of the property and through sponsors and donors develop it as a place of safety.
Wayne Helfrich, a resident and councillor, who has been campaigning through Hicklin to secure the property for the ratepayers' association, said the plan was to create an emergency place of safety and a community centre to educate people on how to prevent kidnappings, sexual harassment and assaults.
playlist_add
Oct 6, 2021
Dark day looms for Joburg cyclists
Heartbreak is uniting the Johannesburg cycling community, with cyclists preparing to gather on Thursday morning to mark two tragic events.
From 5am there will be a memorial ride for popular cyclist Alex Otto, who died on Sunday when he and his training partner were hit by a speeding taxi. Otto was pulled under the taxi and dragged for 290m. Hydraulic rescue equipment had to be used to extricate his mangled body from under the wreck.
Then, at 7am, there will be a silent protest at the Kempton Park magistrate’s court ahead of the trial of the taxi driver who mowed down Frans Duys and Janine Hopkins. The two were out on an early Saturday morning ride when they were hit on their tandem bike by a taxi that ran a red robot on November 30 2019.
playlist_add
Oct 6, 2021
Steenhuisen defends controversial campaign posters
The DA's election campaign posters in Phoenix, Durban, have been criticised by many.
The posters read: “The ANC calls you racists, the DA calls you heroes.”
According to the opposition party, the posters were to honour those who stood up to protect their property during the July unrest that resulted in 36 people losing their lives in the area.
However, the DA has been accused of fuelling racial tension in the area with the posters.
playlist_add
Oct 6, 2021
SA's Covid-19 digital vaccination certificate system 'in testing phase'
The national health department has appealed for patience while it tests a Covid-19 digital vaccination certificate system that is expected to officially launch later in the week.
playlist_add
Oct 1, 2021
Suspended acting Lepelle Northern Water CEO Ahuiwi Netshidaulu speaks to businessman Matome Sefalafala
Suspended acting Lepelle Northern Water CEO Ahuiwi Netshidaulu speaks to businessman Matome Sefalafala on a call recorded without his knowledge. In the recordings, Netshidaulu discusses his "kidnapping" which was allegedly orchestrated by Sefalafala and Netshidaulu's predecessor, former Lepelle boss Phineas Legodi.
Sefalafala and Legodi have appeared in court on kidnapping charges.
playlist_add
Oct 1, 2021
Woman left for dead recalls brutal attack and fight to survive
Tiisetso describes her 8km journey to seek help after her attacker assaulted, raped, robbed and slashed her throat. She describes stumbling across numerous fields until she was helped by nearby farmers and how she was able to detail her ordeal by writing it on her arm using a small stick.
playlist_add
Oct 1, 2021
FULL ADDRESS | South Africa is moved to level 1
SA will officially move to lockdown level 1 at midnight, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in his address to the nation on Thursday.
As SA moves to lockdown level 1 for the first time since the end of May 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that government will now allow public gatherings of up to 2,000 people.
playlist_add
Sep 30, 2021
FULL STATEMENT | Cyril Ramaphosa defends Digital Vibes delay after hard-hitting SIU report
President Cyril Ramaphosa defended the almost three-month delay in releasing a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report into the tendering scandal that led to the resignation of former health minister Zweli Mkhize.
During a media conference in Johannesburg on Wednesday evening, he also pushed back against suggestions that he should take immediate action against those implicated in the Digital Vibes scandal, saying the process should be conducted fairly and people given an opportunity to answer accusations against them.
playlist_add
Sep 25, 2021
Sam Mkokeli in conversation with Mac Maharaj and Pallo Jordan
Two ANC stalwarts and former anti-apartheid activists Mac Maharaj and Pallo Jordan were on 22 September discussing their book Breakthrough with journalist and columnist Sam Mkokeli during a virtual dialogue which he jointly organised with SowetanLive. www.sowetanlive.co.za · www.sowetanlive.co.za
playlist_add
Sep 24, 2021
Former nanny says Lauren Dickason would never hurt her family
Lauren Dickason, who stands accused of murdering her three young children in New Zealand, is anything but a killer. Instead, says the children's former nanny Mendy Sibanyoni she is a loving and devoted mother who would have given her life to protect her family
playlist_add
Sep 24, 2021
It's true, Ramaphosa's shirt was inspired by Madiba
Maker of the iconic Madiba shirt Sonwabile Ndamase has not taken umbrage to South Africans throwing jibes at a patterned piece he crafted for President Cyril Ramaphosa which he donned at a recent 'family meeting'.
Ramaphosa's flamboyant black and white shirt rather than his announcement about SA's move to level two of the lockdown became a trending topic on social media platforms, with many roasting him for his choice of attire.
playlist_add
Sep 21, 2021
FULL STATEMENT | Zuma says SA is becoming a 'constitutional dictatorship'
Former President Jacob Zuma says SA is moving from a democracy to a constitutional dictatorship.
This after the Constitutional Court on Friday gave its verdict on the former president's rescission application. Zuma had asked the apex court to set aside his 15-month contempt of court jail sentence, which was handed down in June after he failed to comply with the court's order to appear before the state capture commission.
In a statement released by the Jacob Zuma Foundation on Monday evening, the former president lamented the decision, and accused the court of changing its own rules.
playlist_add