The Tshwane University of Technology Centre for Tissue Engineering, says religious and cultural beliefs are barriers to skin and organ donations. The Centre has called on the public to donate skin which is harvested upon an individual's death so as to help burn victims recover quickly. It says the demand is particularly high during winter when a number of fires start at informal settlements.

Outgoing Mayor Patricia De Lille is alleging that councillor JP Smith and her deputy Ian Neilsen , are behind attempts to smear her name. She says national leadership has not done anything despite her raising the matter a number of times. De Lille is facing possible criminal charges after the DA-led city council adopted a report yesterday implicating De Lille in alleged corruption dealings with a transport tender. Five councillors resigned in solidarity with her yesterday saying the DA is racist. De Lille says she is seeking legal action on how to proceed.

Sibusiso Nkosi from @PanSALB speaks to @GlenLewisSA about the South African Word Of The Year. #TheGlenzitoSuperDrive

Learners, parents, community members and stakeholders from the Education Department in the Eastern Cape are currently meeting after the Ndaliso Secondary School in Lusikisiki was torched allegedly by angry learners late yesterday. This comes after they boycotted matric examinations demanding that progressed learners be allowed to write all their examinations this year when the policy dictates otherwise. The meeting is aimed at resolving the issue and mapping a way forward and to prevent further disruptions of exam sessions. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to the Department's Malibongwe Mtima.

Economists expect Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to make some announcements on expenditure rather than tax increases when he delivers the mid-term budget this afternoon. Economists say there is no more room for VAT increases. Also revenue collection needs to be more efficient by increasing tax compliance measures and fixing tax administration and governance challenges at SARS. Amina Accram reports

The normalization of exclusion is one of the main impediments to the progress of women leadership and gender equality around the world. That's the sentiment expressed by the head of UNWOMEN who also welcomed the recent gender parity achieved in the cabinets of Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Seychelles. Speaking exclusively with SABCNEWS on women's leadership in Africa, Dr Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka warned that while progress was being made on the continent, women's leadership in Africa is yet to be seen as the success story that it should be. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports

The #TotalShutdown movement has called on leaders not to politicise the Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso’s rape trial and the fight against women abuse. This after the ANC Women’s League held a media briefing in Port Elizabeth on Monday to speak out against the abuse of women. The comment also comes as the Eastern Cape Transport Safety and Liaison MEC, Weziwe Tikana, in the company of her Health and Social Development counterparts, MECs, Helen Sauls-August and Dr. Phumeza Dyantyi, lead a march of largely women, against gender based violence. Member of the movement’s steering committee Loyiso Saliso says the party and other government officials have not been protesting since the case started more than a year and a half ago and that ANCWL president and minister of Women, Children and people with disabilities, Bathabile Dlamini, was being opportunistic and is selective in her support for women causes. She spoke to Sakina Kamwendo.

Jay-Dee talks to Hluphi Mpungane from the Department of Health about Poliomyelitis

A police officer has been granted bail by the Ventersdorp magistrates court in the North West Province in connection with the rape of a 14-year old girl. The rape allegedly took place at gun point following the kidnapping of the girl and her friend. Our reporter Zebilion Maine was in court.

Judge Mandela Makaula who is presiding over the Timothy Omotoso, has refused to recuse himself. This follows an application by the defence this afternoon. Omotoso’s lawyer advocate Peter Daubermann says judge Makaula is biased against his clients. He told the court earlier this morning that he does not believe that his client will receive a fair trial because he and his clients are being intimidated, citing an incident in which he was chased by a group of protestors who threw water on him when he left court last week. He says this is a direct attack on the judiciary.