Trade union SADTU says parents, teachers and training institutions need to do more to ensure an improved foundation phase education. This follows the release of the 2018 matric results last night. Yesterday, Minister for Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, announced the overall pass rate was seventy-eight-point-two-percent with the best performing province being Gauteng. She was joined by stakeholders in the education sector as well as some of the country's top learners at a function in Midand.

During a surprise raid at the Leeuwkop Prison in Johannesburg, Correctional Services officials have discovered that an inmate was sewing prison warders' uniforms in his cell. They also found other banned objects in various cells during the unannounced visit. Deputy Minister, Thabang Makwetla, says this is part of their festive season safety campaign to rid prisons of contraband. Ditaba Tsotetsi was there..

The quality assurance body, Umalusi says it is satisfied with the 2018 matric final exams despite slight irregularities reported in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape. The body briefed the media on it's preparedness to approve the release of the 2018 matric results. Almost eight hundred thousand learners sat for the final schooling year examinations this year. Umalusi CEO Dr Mafu Rakometsi briefed the media in Pretoria on their readiness to release the results

The City of Cape town says it will not allow the slaughter of any animal at its Clifton Beach during the sunset protest this evening. This follows a declaration by the Black People's National Crisis Committee that a cow will be slaughtered during their protest in order to cleanse the beach of what they call racist spirits. The demonstration is in response to the removal of beach-goers from the area over the weekend, allegedly by private security company PPA. PPA has denied the accusation and says it was the City's law enforcement officials who actually closed the beach. the Deputy Minister of Police, Bongani Mkongi, will visit the area later today to determine the exact circumstances. Richard Bosman is the Executive Director for safety and security in the City of Cape Town

The Black People's National Crisis Committee says it will stage a protest march at Cliftin Beach today even though it does not have permission to do so. The march follows allegations that security guards from Professional Protection Alternatives, or PPA instructed beachgoers and vendors to leave the beach on Sunday evening citing crime. Those who were at the beach say they were being targeted because they were black. The company which is being contracted by the local residents association says beachgoers were not forced to leave but merely advised that there were criminals in the area. There were allegations that a rape had taken place but the police say no complaint was registered with them. I earlier spoke to Ncedisa Mpemnyama from the Black People's National Crisis Committee on Morning Live who says no one has the right to bar others from accessing public spaces.

Security company PPA has denied allegations that its officers instructed beach-goers and vendors to leave Clifton Beach in Cape Town on Sunday evening. Picknickers raised the alarm this week saying they were told they should leave the beach because of crime in the area and that they could not access it after 8pm. Concerned citizens have now organised protests for tomorrow and Saturday. PPA is contracted by the local residents association to patrol the area. For more on this we are joined on the line by the company's legal representative Bruce Hendricks.

A blind albino woman from Garankuwa north of Pretoria, says she fears for her life. She says her neighbour is intolerant of people living with albinism, and threatens her. The mother of two alleges that he had on numerous occassions threatened to kill her, and use her body parts for muti purposes. She says the man is ignoring a protection order issued against him by police. Maluti Obuseng reports.

Local and international hair brands are diversifying their product range in the wake of an increase in the number of consumer that have resorted to natural hair. According to new research by market intelligence Mintel relaxer sales have dropped by almost forty percent internationally. In South Africa the sales have dropped by twenty percent. Cosmetic and hair retailers, including hair saloon owners have noted a decrease in the use of relaxers as more and more black consumers-especially women choose natural hair. Amina Accram reports.

A historic moment for South Africa and Its Space Programme, as the satelite named ZaCube-2 was successfully launched in the early hours of this morning. According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, ZACube-2 is regarded as the continent's most advanced cube satelite and is expected to provide cutting-edge remote sensing and communication services to South Africa and the region. Weighing just 4kg, the ZACube-2 is South Africa's second nanosatellite to be launched into space and three times the size of its predecessor, TshepisoSat. To tell us more aobut the launch and the satelite, we are joined on the line by the Deputy Director General for Technology Innovation, at the Science and Technology department, Mmboneni Muofhe.

The Gauteng government says it's working on ensuring that former MEC Khabisi Mosunkuthu is granted a special official provincial funeral. Mosunkuthu died on Christmas eve at the age of 69. He had not been well after suffering a stroke last year. A high-level ANC delegation comprising of treasurer-general Paul Mashatile and provincial deputy chairperson and acting premier Panyaza Lesufi visited Mosunkuthu's family in Kibler Park, south of Johannesburg today (Wednesday) to pay their respects. Zoleka Qodashe compiled this report.