Point of View with Phemelo Motene
Point of View with Phemelo Motene, delves into the day’s current affairs, touching on real issues and sharing expert advice on the audience questions between 8pm to 10pm Mondays to Thursdays.
Judgement for the Women of Afghanistan Tribunal
A major human rights moment unfolds in The Hague on 11 December as the People’s Tribunal for the Women of Afghanistan delivers its final judgement. The Tribunal led by the Permanent People’s Tribunal and Afghan civil society documents the Taliban’s systematic violations of women’s rights and the crime of gender…
Localised Breach in 2025 NSC Exams Confirmed
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has confirmed a contained, localised breach in the 2025 National Senior Certificate exams and says the system worked exactly as it should. Markers picked up irregularities in six English Home Language Paper 2 scripts, prompting an investigation after Gauteng officials first flagged suspicious similarities to…
Brand SA Launches ‘Justice in Your Hands’ Amid GBV Surge
With femicide up 33.8% and more than 7.3 million women having faced physical violence, Brand South Africa has launched its “Justice in Your Hands” campaign to drive national support for GBV survivors. The campaign follows the President’s declaration of GBV as a national crisis and aims to boost awareness of…
DA’s Legal Threat Clouds NDPP Interviews
The Democratic Alliance threw a curveball at the start of Wednesday’s interviews for South Africa’s next NDPP, with Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi revealing the party’s lawyers had threatened an urgent court interdict to stop the process. Kubayi dismissed the move as “misguided,” saying the urgency was “self-inflicted” and that government…
DA Challenges City of Joburg Over Unfunded R10bn SAMWU Deal
The DA has formally written to the City of Johannesburg demanding answers over a politically brokered SAMWU agreement that could bind the City to an unfunded R10 billion commitments until 2027. Though council was told the deal depended on “available funds,” the DA says no such funds exist — raising…
Africa’s Role in Defining Apartheid as a Crime Against Humanity
As the world prepares to commemorate International Human Rights Day, Phemelo discusses why Africa and South Africa in particular must push for apartheid to be explicitly included in the UN’s draft Crimes Against Humanity Treaty. The discussion highlights ongoing gaps in justice at home, where apartheid-era cases are only now…
Zakithi Stem Cell & Blood Donation Drive
Blood cancers kill thousands of South Africans each year, many because they never find a matching stem cell donor. On 13 December, the Stanley & Daphne Nkosi Foundation, supported by DKMS Africa, SANBS and SABMR, will host a national awareness drive at Maponya Mall. The event honours Zakithi Nkosi, who…
‘Time is Not on Our Side’: ANC Confronts Its Decline
At the ANC’s National General Council in Boksburg, secretary-general Fikile Mbalula struck an unusually candid tone, admitting the party’s electoral decline is long-running, beginning with the loss of key metros in 2016, worsening after the 2021 hung councils, and culminating in the ANC falling below 50% in 2024.Mbalula blamed a…
NUMSA’s Big Stand - “Cut Tariffs or We Lose 7,000 Jobs”
NUMSA took its fight straight to the Union Buildings, demanding urgent intervention to save South Africa’s smelting industry. With electricity tariffs crippling operations, the union wants energy for smelters cut to 62 cents per kilowatt-hour, warning that companies like Samancor, Glencore and Almar could retrench around 7,000 workers next year…
SA’s Water–Energy–Food Crisis - A Triple Threat
South Africa’s water, energy and food emergencies aren’t separate, they’re tangled together. Drought and ageing infrastructure are choking water supply, coal-powered electricity is becoming unsustainable, and food is slipping further out of reach for millions. A research team has found that poor coordination and fragmented planning are making all three…
ANC NGC Disruptions - Staff Unpaid Again
Despite promises from the ANC’s top brass that salary issues were “resolved,” the party’s 5th National General Council began with frustration boiling over. Unpaid ANC workers gathered outside Birchwood Hotel, the fourth time this year salaries haven’t arrived holding placards about suspended medical aid, halted pension contributions and months of…
Witness D’s Murder - Whistleblower Protection Under Fire
It’s a story that shook the country. A key witness from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, known only as Witness D, was gunned down outside his Brakpan home, ambushed with an AK-47 after stepping out to open his gate. He had no state protection. His killing has pierced his anonymity…
Loyiso Masuku - The ANC’s New Power Player in Joburg
Loyiso Masuku has become the first woman to lead the ANC in Johannesburg, sweeping the regional chair with a decisive 184 votes. And she steps in at a time when Joburg’s finances are hanging by a thread. Fresh from her appointment to the mayoral committee, Masuku now holds the crucial…
Madlanga Commission Wrap: Julius Mkhwanazi & Senzo Mchunu
Suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi insists payments from tender boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala were not bribes despite claims he helped illegally kit out Matlala’s private cars with blue lights normally reserved for law-enforcement. The drama stems from a 2021 MOU that saw Matlala offer four vehicles to the EMPD,…
What To Watch: Rental Family, Zootopia & Left Handed Girl
This week on What to Watch, Leroy Marc dives into the quirky new comedy Rental Family and the colourful world of Zootopia, both now in cinemas plus the haunting Netflix release Left Handed Girl.
Health Ombud slams hospital failures
Health Ombud Professor Taole Mokoena has delivered a damning report on the deaths of Dr Edward Mabubula and Pitsi Eliphuz Ramphele, revealing deep-rooted failures in both a public and private hospital. After months of investigation, he found widespread lapses from poor supervision and slow intervention to a breakdown in basic…
Music Feature: Songs About Nelson Mandela
This week’s music feature musicologist Dr Sheldon Rocha Leal honours Nelson Mandela through the songs that carried his legacy from Johnny Clegg’s iconic Asimbonanga and Hugh Masekela’s Bring Him Back Home to Zahara and Mzwakhe Mbuli’s heartfelt tribute Mandela. A musical remembrance of Madiba’s enduring impact.
ANC Johannesburg leadership race tightens
As the ANC’s Johannesburg elective conference gets under way later than planned due to registration delays the contest for regional chair is neck-and-neck. Outgoing chair and Joburg Mayor Dada Morero is fighting to retain his position, but insiders say his challenger Loyiso Masuku has early majority support from branches. Voting…
Free State launches holiday programme to keep children safe and engaged
The Free State Education Department has launched a seven-day Holiday Support Programme to keep Grade R–9 learners safe and active during the festive season. Led by MEC Dr Mamiki Julia Maboya, the initiative combines academic support, values-based learning and sports activities, aligning with the 2025 16 Days of Activism theme…
Art & Bubbles Affair offers two days of world-class sparkling wines
Over 20 leading local and international producers of Cap Classique, Champagne, Prosecco and Cava are showcasing their finest at The Art & Bubbles Affair from 6–7 December. The event promises a vibrant tasting journey celebrating the craft behind sparkling wines. Phemelo is joined by Monwabisi Thethe, CEO of The Art…