Social media and phone lines have been closed down in Zimbabwe as the national shutdown enters its second day. Three people have so far reportedly died after police allegedly used live ammunition while scores more have been injured. 200 others have been arrested. The protest has been sparked by a sharp rise in the price of petrol which in rand terms amount to R43/liter. Zimbabweans took to the streets yesterday demanding that president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is currently out of the country leave office.

Thousands of black homeownwers have allegedly been overcharged by First National Bank (FNB). This is according to a Financial Investigator Emerald Van Zyl. Van Zyl insists that the home loan accounts were inherited by FNB when it took over the bond book of failed finance provider Saambou in 2002. He says he's been fighting these overcharges since he discovered his own bond had been miscalculated and that thousands of his clients had been overcharged by the bank too, He says black home buyers suffered far more excessively than whites.

Protests have erupted in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, following the staggering increases in the price of fuel this weekend. President Emmerson Mnangagwa says the increases are aimed at addressing a shortfall caused by increased gasoline demands and rampant illegal trade. In Rand terms, it costs over 43-rand to buy a litre of petrol. These Zimbabweans have expressed outrage, and are calling for government to step down

Twenty-three members of two rival groups of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church arrested for various charges including public violence and assault will appear in the Mokerong Magistrate's Court in Limpopo today. They were arrested in Danisani village in Mapela at the weekend after a fight broke out between the two rival groups during a church service. Police officers confiscated more than 20 petrol bombs and a knife when they arrested the suspects. We speak to our reporter, Michael Makungo...

Four men are expected to appear in the Tembisa Magistrates Court in Ekurhuleni today, for their alleged involvement in a jobs scam. They allegedly posed as metro police officials and sold jobs to over one hundred people for fifteen thousand rand each. The suspects were arrested in Tembisa on Friday during a sting by the Joburg Metro Police Department. The students who paid to get jobs are from different provinces. We speak to JMPD spokesperson Waynne Minaar.

Several learners from the Stilfontein Hoërskool outside Klersdorp in the North west stayed at home today after Friday's protests at the school over alleged racism against black learners. Some black learners accuse management of only progressing white learners to the next grades despite both groups performing relatively poor last year. However, for those that reported for school, learning is continuing. we speak to our reporter in the North west, Lucas Mothibedi...

The battle between Nkosana Makate who has sued network provider Vodacom over his "please call me" idea continues. Makate has denied the company's claim this past weekend, that the two parties have reached an agreement on the settlement amount, saying they are only waiting for his banking details. Makate says he has not agreed to what he says is a shocking and insulting offer. Vodacom claims that the agreement was reached in October last year. We speak to Nkosana Makate....

The ANC top leadership is wrapping up its interaction with various communities in KwaZulu-Natal ahead of the party's election manifesto launch in Durban tomorrow. Meanwhile, The ANC Moses Mabhida Region has taken the mother body to court. They are demanding the disbandment of the Regional Task Team. It was formed after the dissolution of the Regional Executive Committee in 2018.

The Enlightened Christian Gathering church of Prophet Shepherd Bushiri has just briefed the media about the unfortunate incident that claimed three lives during a stampede in December. The church also highlighted internal investigations and mechanisms put in place to avoid a repeat of a similar incident in the future. This here is the update from the church's spokesperson Manyard manyowa.....

The Women in Ministry Consultation of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa says it can no longer be business as usual in the church with men continuing to practice patriarchy. The women have addressed the media in Bruma in the East rand. They marched to the Methodist Connexional Office this morning saying women are still treated as lesser beings by men in the church and that this is reflected in the senior leadership. This march follows comments by one of the Methodist Church leaders, Reverend Vukile Mehana in a recording which has since gone viral. Minister Libuseng Lebaka-Ketshabile says Mehana is yet to apologise to the women of the church directly, a week after he issued an apology on social media.