South African Airways flight tickets go on sale from today (26 August 2021). The airline yesterday announced that it will resume operations on the 23rd of September. Interim CEO Thomas Kgokolo says they will start operating flights from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Accra, Kinshasa, Harare, Lusaka and Maputo. Kgokolo says the aviation sector is currently going through a testing period and that the airline, under new management, is aware of the challenges that lie ahead. For some analysis on this here is Editor and Publisher of SA Flyer Magazine Guy Leitch...

Traditional leaders, working together with health experts, have encouraged rural communities to come forward and get vaccinated. This as psychologists have noted that vaccine hesitancy stems from several factors which include, lack of information as well as group thinking influence. The World Health Organization says vaccine hesitancy is one of the main challenges to containing and combating the fight against COVID-19.  According to the Health Department, more than five million people in South Africa have been fully vaccinated, so far and this number needs to be improved especially in rural communities. Contralesa president, Chief Lermock Mokoena takes a look at the hesitancy....

The governing party's financial woes are continuing to impact employees as salary payments have once again been delayed. The African National Congress informed its staff that it will delay paying August salaries, which were due yesterday (WEDNESDAY). This, as July payments, are also still outstanding. ANC employees have been on a go-slow since last month as a result of late salary payments. For more on this chairperson of the ANC staff representative committee, Mvusi Mdala...

Non- governmental organisations, Black Sash and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies have welcomed the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions in Gauteng to prosecute ANC Women's League President and former Social Development minister, Bathabile Dlamini for perjury. The charges relate to her testimony during an inquiry into the social grant crisis by the Constitutional Court in 2018. The organisations say this sends the message that everyone is equal before the law and public officials must be held accountable for their actions. For more on this we are joined on the line by attorney at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, Anesu Dera

The Unemployed People's Movement has described the latest unemployment figures as the next ticking time bomb following the COVID-19 pandemic. This follows the announcement by Stats SA which reveals that the number of employed persons decreased by 54-thousand people in the second quarter of 2021 while the number of unemployed people further increased by 584-thousand people to a total of 7.8 million people compared to the first quarter of the same year. The official unemployment rate therefore now stands at a record high of 34.4 percent while the expanded definition of unemployment sits at 44.4 percent of the working population. Representative of the Unemployed People's Movement, Ayanda Kota says COVID-19 has simply exposed the government's failures with regards to unemployment in the country...

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has promised to do away with cadre-deployment during his term in office. Delivering his inaugural speech in Lusaka as the republic's seventh President - he promised an effective executive and a service-driven government. Zambia is a highly indebted country, with high unemployment and high inflation rates. Hichilema's campaign was centered around running an administration on meritocracy and rescuing the fledgling economy. Thousands filled the Heroes Stadium for the inauguration ceremony including heads of states and opposition leaders from Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Noma Bolani compiled a report and we spoke to a founding member of the African Diaspora Forum and Zambian activist, Rhoda Msama.....

The IEC has closed the door on political parties and independent candidates after an extended 9 pm deadline to submit their payments and nominations for the upcoming Local Government Elections. This is despite the fact that it still remains unclear when the elections will be held as the promulgated date of October the 27th is being considered for postponement at the Constitutional Court. The IEC is seeking to move the elections following recommendations of an inquiry which suggested that because of the Covid 19 pandemic, the elections be held before February next year, in order to ensure that they are free, fair, and credible. IEC's Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo...

DA's mayoral candidate for the City of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis has promised to bring better service delivery to each and every resident of the City despite their geographical location. Hill-Lewis was announced by party leader, John Steenhuisen as the Mayoral candidate for the Mother City,  set to replace current mayor Dan Plato. His ascension as mayoral candidate was also bolstered by the resignation of former DA leader in the Western Cape, Bonginkosi Madikizela, who left following a scandal over his qualifications.  Geordin Hill-Lewis gives us further details...

Victor Kgomoesoana, Director at "Africa Is Open For Business" who has also authored a new book "Africa Bounces Back", looks at this week's top African economic stories......

* MALAWI: Israeli Company in Malawi for Possible Industrial Hemp Investment

* NIGERIA: Freight Forwarders Say Terminal Operators Lack Capacity, Efficiency 

* KENYA: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Records an Increase in Visitor Arrivals in June 

For the first time in the history of South Africa, independent candidates will be able to stand for election. Political parties and independent candidates had until last night to register for the local government elections. To date, more than 350 independent candidates have either captured their nominations or submitted nominations. Organisation, One South Africa Movement, has been supporting and equipping independents in wards and municipalities throughout the country. To find out how the registration process went for independent candidates leader of One South Arica Movement,  Mmusi Maimane elaborates....