POWER Breakfast

As students prepare to register at institutions of higher learning, the higher education and training department (DHET) has issued a warning to prospective students to avoid enrolling at unregistered or “bogus” colleges. The proliferation of fraudulent institutions which often surface at the start of each academic year remains a major concern. Thabiso Tema spoke with Dr Mimmy Gondwe, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training.

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Regulations limiting the access to the R370-a-month Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant are unconstitutional and invalid, the high court in Pretoria ruled on Thursday. The court also ordered the government to increase the grant amount and the income threshold to qualify for it. Introduced in 2020 as an emergency response to the Covid pandemic, the SRD grant was initially set to last six months but has been extended annually. The value of the grant was raised from R350 to R370 in April 2024. Thabiso Tema spoke with Siyanda Baduza, Basic Income Researcher at the Institute For Economic Justice. 

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Eleanor Mavimbela, Automobile Association Spokesperson speaks to POWER Breakfast host Thabiso Tema on a reflection of driver behaviour in South Africa after Transport minister Barbara Creecy revealed a 5.3% year-on-year increase in road-related fatalities and a 4.2% year-on-year increase in road crashes that involved fatalities over the 2024/25 festive season nationwide, with 1 502 deaths from 1 234 crashes.

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The United States will leave the World Health Organization, President Donald Trump said on Monday, saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises. Founder and Editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa talks to POWER Breakfast host Thabiso Tema on the Implications of Trump withdrawing US from the WHO. 

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Vincent Magwenya, Presidency Spokesperson joins POWER Breakfast host Thabiso Tema live from Davos on how South Africa's G20 presidency will elevate South Africa at the World Economic Forum.  President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the South African delegation to the 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting that will take place from 20 to 24 January 2025 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

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Makhosonke, Buthelezi, Department of Mineral Resources & Energy

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Athlenda, Mathe, National Police Spokesperson

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As the 2025 academic year resumes, the country’s universities received applications that were more than 30 times higher than they could accommodate. Topping the list was the University of Johannesburg (UJ), with 693 990 applications, which translates to a headcount of 358 992 applicants for approximately 10 900 undergraduate spaces. This is 33 times more than available spaces. Thabiso Tema spoke with Dr Marcia Socikwa, Director General responsible for the University Branch in the Department of Higher Education and Training.

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Mbekezeli Benjamin, Researcher at Judges Matter speaks to POWER Breakfast host Thabiso Tema on the ongoing hearing of Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge’s sexual harassment case. His accuser has testified she responded "it's nice" to a pornographic collage he sent her because she knew that answer would please him - but she did not mean it.

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Solidarity, AfriForum, and the Solidarity Support Centre for Schools (SCS) have given President Cyril Ramaphosa and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube 10 days to resolve their dispute over the Bela Act. Critics, including the DA, FF Plus, and AfriForum, oppose clauses 4 and 5 of the Act, which grant the Department of Basic Education control over school admissions and require governing bodies to submit language policies for provincial approval. POWER Breakfast host Thabiso Tema talks to CEO of Afriforum Kallie Kriel on giving the minister 10 days to resolve the despute 

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