The Supreme Court of Appeals has rejected Ingonyama Trust's application to appeal an earlier ruling, which found that the Trust was wrong to insist on people living on the land it controls to sign leases and pay rent. Just recently the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal said there were no plans to seize the land under the trust, after media reports that the ANC's Integrity Commission had ordered the governing party to use its powers in government to urgently repeal the Ingonyama Trust Act. To discuss the court ruling Elvis Presslin spoke to Legal Resources Centre's Sharita Samuel

Tshwane mayor Randall Williams will face a motion of no confidence today (Thursday) when the council meeting sits. The ANC is expected to table the motion against Williams, who faces allegations of interfering in the city's supply chain management processes. This is after a leaked audio recording of a meeting last year between the mayor and senior officials regarding an alleged unsolicited bid. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to the deputy chairperson and leader of the NAC caucus council of the ANC in Tshwane, Frans Boshielo

The South African National Taxi Council, SANTACO says it will not be joining today's planned national shutdown, despite numerous requests for the association to participate.  This as thousands of workers affiliated to some unions including labour federations COSATU and SAFTU, down tools and take part in the protest action against the increasing cost of living and interest rate hikes. Elvis Presslin spoke to the chief strategic manager for the SANTACO Bafana Magagula...

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, NUMSA says it will not participate in the planned national shutdown today. Speaking to our senior producer Ronald Phiri after welcoming the labour court's decision to dismiss Ruth Ntlokotse's application to hold Numsa in contempt of court for proceeding with its congress last month, the Union's General Secretary Irvin Jim says while they agree with the contents of the campaign, they will not join the shutdown by Trade union Cosatu, Saftu and its affiliates today...

The Constitutional Court has dismissed the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, DIRCO's leave to appeal a decision against its plans to donate over 50 million rands to Cuba. Earlier this year, the High Court in Pretoria granted an application by Afriforum against the donation. Afriforum had argued that the funds could rather be used to help South Africans in desperate need. Elvis Presslin spoke to AfriForum's spokesperson, Reiner Duvenage 

The City of Tshwane says it has consistently been engaging power utility Eskom over its outstanding electricity debt. This, after Eskom athe nnounced that it is considering disconnecting electricity supply to the City in an effort to secure the payment of up to one point six billion rand. Eskom says the City of Tshwane is in breach of the the Electricity Supply Agreement which was due on 17th of this month. The power utility says the City has only paid 68 million rand to date, which has done little to dent the massive outstanding balance on its electricity account. Elvis Presslin spoke to the City of Tshwane Finance MMC, Peter Sutton

Thousands of workers affiliated with South Africa's two largest workers union federations are expected to down tools tomorrow (Wednesday) and join the planned national shutdown. Labour federations, Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu), and the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) say the strike is in response to the socioeconomic challenges faced by the poor and working class, caused by escalating fuel prices, rolling blackouts, and unemployment. Elvis Presslin spoke to former labour unionist and author Dr. Ebrahim Harvey 

Private schools have been paying ten times more for rates and tariffs since the reclassification of private schools as businesses by the City of Johannesburg. Joburg Mayor Dr. Mpho Phalatse says 741 private schools and 921 public schools which have been paying ten times the usual rates will now pay five percent more. Mayor Phalatse says the private schools were categorised as business and commercial entities in line with the National COGTA regulations. The schools have been paying higher than normal rates since the first of July this year. Elvis Presslin spoke to Mandla Mthembu, Chairperson of the National Alliance of Independent School Associations, Naisa...

The family of a 17-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by a medical doctor in his Kimberley consulting room last week is demanding that the Health Professions Council of South Africa remove the doctor from its list of practicing health practitioners. It also demands that Home Affairs investigates whether the doctor who originates from the Democratic Republic of Congo is in the country legally. The family said this during the brief appearance of the doctor in the Kimberley Magistrate's Court in the Northern Cape for a bail hearing. Elvis Presslin spoke to the Aunt of the 17-year-old girl...

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