Election campaigns are heating up - going to the most rural parts of the country. Political parties in the Khai-Ma Local Municipality in the Namakwa region are pulling out all the stops - to capture the hearts and minds of communities for the upcoming local government elections. It is often not an easy job as locals demand answers and express unhappiness over the lack of proper housing, eletricity and unemployment. As part of election features, our reporter Neo Bodumela visited Namakwa in the Khai-Ma local municipality in the Northern Cape and filed this report.

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth is on a shut down. Students are demanding among other things a debt relief for those who are on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). The spokesperson for the university, Debbie Derry, joined us for the latest details.

As the world marks the 7th annual Nelson Mandela International Day next week, SAfm Radio Current Affairs in partnership with NGO, Gift of the Givers, Nedbank, financial services company, Allianz, Mercedes Benz South Africa and a host of other sponsors will be lending a hand to NGO, Youth Express Network in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal. For more on this we are now joined on the line by the chairman and founder of NGO, Gift of the Givers, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman...

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has declared what he calls a unilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, and ordered government troops to "disengage" from fighting rival forces loyal to Vice President Riek Machar. This follows days of violence that left hundreds dead. It's been reported that renewed fighting broke out yesterday between forces loyal to the Kiir and Machar. A reporter in the capital, Juba, told the BBC gunfire and large explosions could be heard all over the city. For more on this we are joined on the line by head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in South Sudan, Jürg Eglin, including Independent commentator and former diplomat Tom Wheeler...

The latest survey from Statistics South Africa has revealed that access to basic services such as water, electricity and housing in the Eastern Cape has improved during the past twenty years. This information was part of the 2016 mini-census community survey by Statistics SA that was released at the Provincial Legislature in Bhisho. The figures reveal that the province is the third most populous with close to seven million people. Yanga Funani has more on the story.

Rustenburg in the North West was established in 1851, and the Afrikaans name translates into "resting place". But the town knows no rest these days, as every major political party wants to govern it. The Rustenburg Local Municipality is home to 626-thousand people. It is one of the country's mining hubs and one of the tourist attractions in the platinum province. It has grown over the years, to become not only the producer of agricultural products, but also the world's key platinum producing town. Three of the world's major platinum producers, Amplats, Impala and Lonmin have mines here. The council has a budget of three point three billion rand, but it is plagued by irregular expenditure. Almost all the political parties are criss-crossing the Rustenburg Local Municipality, drumming up support before the August 3 Local Government Elections. Itumeleng Kgajane tells us about the election fever in Rustenburg

The SABC will challenge the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa's ruling against the public broadcasters' decision to ban showing visuals of destruction of public property during violent protests. ICASA announced its ruling in Sandton, north of Johannesburg today (monday 11 July). Civil society organisations, including the Right to Know and the Save Our SABC Coalition had lodged a complaint with ICASA, saying the SABC's decision was in violation of its role as a public broadcaster. Noma Bolani and Wisani Makhubele compiled this report

Mohammed Nalla, Head Strategic Research at Nedbank CIB looks at how the rand is world's best performing currency over the last month, the Pound holds ground as UK selects new Prime Minister and US stocks close at all time high

The National Freedom Party (NFP) will be contesting the August 03 municipal election. The party will be contesting the eNquthu Municipality. Last week‚ the Electoral Court dismissed the party's bid to be included on the ballot paper after it missed the Electoral Commission of SA's payment deadline.We spoke to the NFP's NEC Member Manzzor Sheik Imam

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Des Van Rooyen went to visit Tlokwe last week, to find out progress made on putting voter's addresses on the voters roll. This was his second visit in a week and he expressed appreciation in the work done so far. The minister made these visits as a chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Elections and spoke to us about the current situation...