Radio 2000 Mixes

Communications and Broadcast media workers unions CWU and BEMAWU have welcomed the appointment of Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams as new Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services. CWU wants her to stand firmly against retrenchments at the SABC and Telkom. BEMAWU also wants her urgent intervention at the SABC. Our Parliamentary Correspondent Mercedes Besent reports.

There has been a low turn out again as members of political parties, religious and traditional leaders well as community members supporting AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo marched in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape demanding that he be released. The ''Free the King'' march started at the eNkululekweni to the Freedom Square in the city centre, where a petition will be handed over to a delegation from the Presidency. Dalindyebo was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in 2015 for arson, attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice. Our reporter Fundiswa Mhlekude is at the march.

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng says the judiciary must receive funding and other support if it is to function optimally. Mogoeng presented the annual report on Judicial Functions for the 2017/18 financial year, at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg this morning. This is the first time the judiciary is taking the lead in accounting for its work.

The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has ruled in favour of the Xolobeni Crisis Committee which represents the people of Umgungundlovu in Xolobeni in the Eastern Cape, who do not want mining in their area. Australian based Mineral Commodities has for years been making attempts to mine the titanium rich land saying there will be economic benefits for the community which some residents claim is not true. The group that is opposed to mining has also raised concerns about damage to the environment and possible displacement from their homes and farms. The group shouted in celebration inside court when the ruling was made. The Department of Mineral Resources, which was the first respondent, has been barred from issuing an operating licence to the company without the consent of the community.

Safety and security at schools is again under the spotlight after a grade one learner was stabbed to death allegedly by a grade eleven learner.The incident occurred at the toilets of the Dikeledi Makapan primary school in Makapanstad north of Pretoria on Wednesday. North West Education MEC Sello Lehari is at this hour meeting with the school authorities and other stakeholders to find out what really happened. The incident has left the locals reeling with shock.

KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwana has called for an urgent forensic investigation, after it emerged that the teacher accused of impregnating five learners at a high school in Manguzi was dismissed last year, for another case of sexual relationship with a learner. According to Dlungwana the teacher was dismissed after being found guilty by the department during a disciplinary hearing. The teacher has now impregnated more learners.

North West health workers are allegedly not impressed with the reinstatement of head of department Dr Thabo Lekalakala. Lekalakala was placed on special leave after he was accused of benefiting from the Gupta-linked Mediosa company. The Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council ruled that Lekalakala must be reinstated. Some health workers say they will only go back to work once Lekalakala has been fired.

Former National Treasury director-general Lungisa Fuzile on his 2nd day of testimony, has told the Commission of inquiry in State Capture that Des Van Rooyen "broke tradition" by not attending a formal handover with his predecessor, Nhlanhla Nene. Fuzile was relating how events unfolded during the short period that Van Rooyen was the Finance Minister.....

Civil Society groups have come under severe criticism for the way they deal with sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination of its employees. They've been accused of protecting perpetrators of sexual abuse and gender based violence over the victims. This emerged during a discussion on Confronting Abuse and Gender based violence in the civil society sector organised by Action Aid South Africa in Johannesburg

Lobby group Afriforum has filed court papers to interdict National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete over the process of the Constitutional Review Committee on the expropriation of land without compensation. This comes almost a week after the committee adopted the report which recommends that section 25 of the constitution be amended to facilitate the expropriation of land.