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.
Why has Israel bombed Gaza and what next for ceasefire deal?
The wave of Israeli strikes that killed hundreds of Palestinians across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday was the culmination of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to get out of the ceasefire with Hamas that he agreed to in January. Since the start of the war, Netanyahu has faced duelling, possibly…
City Power puts plan in place to turn around ailing entity after R5bn loss
The Auditor General (AG) says senior management of City Power failed to monitor internal financial controls resulting in irregular and wasteful expenditure amounting to about R5 billion. The power utility has received an unqualified audit opinion for the 2023/2024 financial year. The AG’s report paints a picture of financial mismanagement…
Book Feature: The Lions’ Den
The Lions’ Den was listed as one of the top 100 books to read in Time Magazine. A debut novel that soars with passion and humanity, the book is a moving story of prejudice, corruption, injustice, courage and solidarity. It shows us that no cause is ever a lost one…
Is homework a great concept but so middle class?
Homework is a middle-class concept. It does not work, I discovered, in working-class schools where I spent my mornings over the past year, says Distinguished Professor of Education at Stellenbosch University, Jonathan Jansen. He says Like so many “common sense” ideas about schooling the world over, the routine issuing of…
CrazyBikeGuy and Son to Pedal 40 Days in Europe for good cause.
Grant Cameron-Smith dubbed ‘the CrazyBikeGuy’ together with his 15-year-old son Julian, is embarking on an incredible 40-day cycling journey across Central Europe to support and amplify the voices of intellectually disabled adults. From the 30th of March, the father and son duo will be pedalling from Warsaw to Milan to…
Persona non grata’ – US expels SA ambassador Ebrahim Rasool
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared on Friday, 14 March, that South Africa’s ambassador to the US Ebrahim Rasool was “no longer welcome” in the US, accusing him of being a “race-baiting politician who hates America”. Rasool was expelled barely two months after he arrived in Washington. It was…
At least 1.5m SASSA beneficiaries still need to switch to Postbank black cards
At least 1.5 million SASSA beneficiaries still need to migrate from their gold cards to Postbank black cards before Thursday's deadline. Postbank currently serves 2.6 million grant recipients, but only 1.1 million have switched to the new black cards since the migration drive began. The deadline was originally set for…
Music Feature: Musicians transitioning from auto-tune to AI
In this weeks music feature musicologist Dr Sheldon Rocha Leal discusses how we have moved from auto-tune, to stand in vocalists and now AI and the copyright implications of all of this on the music business.
Gauteng Legislature holds public hearings on Petitions Amendment Bill of 2024.
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature is holding public hearings on the Gauteng Petitions Amendment Bill of 2024. Phemelo speaks to the Chairperson of the Petitions Committee, Vuyiswa Jentile.
What to Watch
In this weeks feature of What to Watch our entertainment contributor Leroy Marc reviews Breekpunt on Showmax, Mickey & Novacaine which are both in theatres and much more.
South Africa’s 2025 budget
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered the 2025 National Budget Speech on Wednesday (12 March). The budget addressed several key points, including the country’s current economic status, growth projections, substantial debt servicing costs, proposed increases in VAT and sin taxes, and the continuation of the social relief grant. A major sticking…
Legal Matters
This week Legal Expert Nthabisneg Dubazana discusses criminal records and an interesting case of a couple that went to court after one of them tested positive for HIV.
Canada to impose 25% retaliatory tariffs on $21 billion worth of U.S. goods
Canada will impose 25% tariffs on more than $20 billion worth of U.S. goods in retaliation for the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum duties that took effect overnight. The new tariffs cover steel and aluminum, as well as other U.S. goods including computers, sports equipment and cast iron products, Canadian…
Gomolemo Mokae remembered for his activism
Author, anti-apartheid activist and health practitioner Dr Gomolemo Mokae will be remembered for his intellect, activism and providing free healthcare to the needy while putting on a big smile despite going through personal hardships. Guests gathered at the Thabong Lodge in Ga-Rankuwa, north of Pretoria, on Tuesday for the funeral…
Book Feature
This week, Phemelo is joined in studio by owner of Bridge Books, Griffin Shea who reviews several books that he's currently reading including The Trees by Perceval Everett, a dark comedy about lynchings and zombies, The Parable of the Sower series by Octavia Butler & You Dreamed of Empire by…
Only a radical overhaul of the Gauteng Health Department can fix Helen Joseph and other hospitals – DA
The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng has commended the reports by the Health Ombud and the Office of Health Standards Compliance which identify the failings of the Helen Joseph Hospital, but says a real solution requires a radical overhaul of the Gauteng Health Department. According to the party most of the…
Joburg Deeds Office will be relocated within six weeks
A decision has been made to relocate the Johannesburg Deeds Office to an alternative building within six weeks. Sibusiso Ndzala, the Johannesburg organising/marketing officer for the Public Servants Association (PSA), said on Tuesday this follows a meeting between the Director-General of the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development (DLRRD)…
Bus accident claims 12 lives in Ekurhuleni
A tragic bus accident on the R21 near Kempton Park on Tuesday morning, 11 March 2025, claimed the lives of 12 people and left 45 injured. According to Ekurhuleni Emergency Medical Services’ spokesperson William Tladi, the bus tumbled multiple times before landing on its side. The highway remained closed on…
Calls for removal of Ekurhuleni Mayor Doctor Xhakaza
There are calls for the removal of Ekurhuleni Mayor Doctor Xhakaza from the city's highest office, following a proposal for a motion of no confidence. It’s understood that two minority organisations- the Independent Citizen Movement (ICM) and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) are demanding Xhakaza's resignation. They have accused…
Probe into Helen Joseph finds 'significant infrastructure challenges'
A report by the Office of the Health Ombud has identified "several significant infrastructure challenges" at Helen Joseph Tertiary Hospital (HJTH), "indicating a systemic problem". The report comes on the back of an investigation prompted by a series of videos that former broadcaster Thomas Holmes – also known as Tom…