NIGHT FALL

Bani Kgosana - Chief Revenue Officer at Pragma

Tshepo Matseba - Managing Director of Reputation 1st

 Dr. Ferrial Adam - Executive Director of WaterCan

How to choose the right farm insurance to protect your business

Lunga Njara - Agricultural Economist And Land Bank Insurance Strategic Partnerships Manager

Families of trapped Lily Mine victims finally get hope after nearly a decade of waiting

Guest; Harry Mazibuko - Lily Mine family spokesperson

Guest; Goodenough Mashego -Independent Political analyst 

South Africa’s showdown with Israel has spilled into Washington’s corridors of power, where the Trump administration weighs punishing Pretoria without severing ties.

Analysts warn exclusion from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) and targeted sanctions against outspoken leaders could follow, yet the US is unlikely to risk a full diplomatic rupture.

At the heart of the clash lies South Africa’s defiant stand at the International Court of Justice and its parliament’s vote to shut Israel’s embassy – moves that have turned a bilateral spat into a test of international law, trade politics and moral resolve.

Independent political analyst Sandile Swana said the US might sanction ANC officials, as well as some anti-US and anti-Israel leaders such as EFF’s Julius Malema and those from Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party.

“I do not expect them to issue blanket sanctions against South Africa. But they will target individuals,” Swana said.

He said the US didn’t want to impose blanket sanctions because such action would also hurt the white population.

In a diplomatic spat, South Africa declared Israeli chargé d’affaires to South Africa Ariel Seidman a persona non grata, giving him 72 hours to leave the country.

In retaliation, Israel did the same with South Africa’s ambassador to Palestine, Shaun Edward Byneveldt. “For Israel to expel a foreign ambassador from a neighbouring sovereign nation is against international law,” said Mashego.

“The South African ambassador submitted his credentials to the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, rather than to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“By law, Israel should not have the right to expel an ambassador of another country.”

The Israeli chargé d’affaires allegedly violated diplomatic protocol by insulting President Cyril Ramaphosa on social media on a few occasions in response to the president’s statement that sanctions do not work.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/south-africas-israel-stance-risks-agoa-fallout/

Guest: Emre Uygun - Freedom Front Plus councillor City of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town has passed an adjustment budget that will see R115m spent on building a security wall on the N2 ‘Hell Run’, as well as pedestrian crossings, improved lighting, landscaping and access control.

It’s official: the City of Cape Town has allocated R115-million towards the N2 safety project, including for a security wall, following attacks on motorists.

On Thursday, 29 January, during a virtual council sitting, the city’s adjustment budget, which includes this allocation, was adopted.

Local commuters and tourists have been attacked on a portion of the highway near the airport that has become known as the “hell run”. In some cases, GPS directions have led motorists astray and into the hands of attackers armed with stones and firearms.

Last year, when the city announced its plans for the wall, they were criticised for a lack of community consultation, shielding tourists from the poverty experienced by communities living next to the highway and failing to address the root causes of crime.

On Thursday, during his council speech, Cape Town’s mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, said the budget of the city’s Urban Mobility Department had been increased by R7-million for the design of the N2 Edge project. A further R108-million would be allocated in the 2027 financial year “to cover the bulk of the construction in that year”.

The existing security wall along the stretch of highway in question was “just completely dilapidated, and there is nearly nothing left of it”, the mayor told the council. It needed to be replaced, he said, but did not provide details of the new wall’s dimensions, nor what it would be made of.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-01-29-cape-town-to-spend-r115m-on-wall-to-protect-motorists-on-n2-hell-run/

Guest; Ndithini Tyhido - Regional Chairperson and Leader of Opposition in the City of Cape Town, serving under the African National Congress (ANC)

Cape Town’s long-anticipated plan to upgrade safety along the N2 highway has taken a decisive step forward, with fresh details emerging during council’s first working meeting of 2026, reports Cape {town}Etc.

City leadership confirmed this morning, 29 January, that funding has now been formally shifted to move the N2 Edge project into its detailed design phase, marking tangible progress on a safety intervention first flagged last year amid rising concerns from daily commuters using the corridor near Cape Town International Airport.

The project centres on replacing a deteriorated barrier along the N2, a structure city officials say no longer provides effective protection.

Guest; Democratic Alliance Gauteng shadow MEC for education- Michael Waters

DA accuses department of denying the cut with semantics, while confirming reduced allocations in the legislature. Government schools in “wealthier” areas of Gauteng face slashing cuts to their operational budget from 1 April – the Gauteng government says this is a “realignment” or “stabilisation” because of national budgetary pressures.

The Gauteng department of education (GDE) has denied arrangement amounts to cuts in funding at quintile 5, or former model C public schools, by 64%, pushing back against claims by the DA and insisting the changes amount to a funding realignment driven by national budget pressures.

However, replies provided by the department to questions in the Gauteng legislature, together with official budget allocation tables, show quintile 5 schools are being moved from their funding levels directly to the national minimum funding threshold, resulting in reduced allocations from 1 April.

Princess Eurika Mogane - Princess Royal (Rakgadi) of the Mogane Royal Family and Mogane Traditional Council in Moremela

Thando Mahlangu- African Cultural Activist, Ndebele Art Painter. Author & Radio Personality.

Traditional leadership in South African governance serves as a vital connection between the state and local communities, particularly in rural areas. Recognized by the Constitution, traditional leaders influence community decision-making, conflict resolution, and the administration of customary law, thereby preserving cultural heritage and promoting social cohesion. The article explores the evolution of traditional leadership, its historical influences, key functions in governance, and the challenges it faces in the modern political landscape. It also examines the relationship between traditional and modern governance structures, highlighting the importance of collaboration and adaptation for traditional leaders to remain relevant in contemporary society.

Traditional leadership in South African governance serves as a crucial link between the state and local communities, facilitating cultural representation and social cohesion. Traditional leaders, recognized by the Constitution of South Africa, play a role in local governance structures, particularly in rural areas, where they influence community decision-making and conflict resolution. They are involved in the administration of customary law and the preservation of cultural heritage, which is essential for maintaining social order and identity among various ethnic groups. The Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act of 2009 further formalizes their role, ensuring that traditional leaders participate in local government processes, thereby enhancing democratic governance at the grassroots level.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

https://ancarchives.org.za/the-role-of-traditional-leadership-in-south-african-governance/