Radio 2000 Mixes

The High Court in Cape Town has dismissed Henri van Breda's application for leave to appeal his conviction and sentence. He was found guilty of murdering his parents and his brother at their home in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. His sister was severely injured during the attack. He hacked his family with an axe in 2015. Van Breda was sentenced to life for the murders and an additional 15 years for attempted murder.

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), has called on the public to make donations so that it can continue to provide assistance to people who have mental illnesses. The NGO is running out of funds and this may force it to cut down on some services it provides. The organisation says some of the individuals who call the helpline are suicidal. SADAG's Operations Manager Cassey Chambers says the number of people who have been calling has shot up to 600 per day since Professor Bongani Mayosi who was a Dean of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town, committed suicide three weeks ago. He suffered from depression. Statistics show that a third of South Africans have some form of mental health problem. This number excludes childen and teenagers. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Chambers.

Deputy Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo, who is chairing the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, says the State Security Agency and the National Treasury should have provided assistance ahead of the start of the inquiry. He was speaking on day one of the hearings held in Parktown Johannesburg. The commission was set up to investigate, among others, the alleged influence of the Gupta family in the appointments of senior officials at government departments and state-owned enterprises. Zondo says the first challenge they encountered was regarding issues of fo security clearance.

Fans around the world are mourning the death of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. It emerged earlier this week that the 76-year-old was gravely ill and receiving hospice care at her home in Detroit. She died of advanced pancreatic cancer. Executive Producer Krivani Pillay takes a look at Aretha Franklin's her life through her music

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has strongly criticized South African Police Services for failure to provide security for the whistle-blowers in the murder of former ANC youth league secretary-general and PR Councillor at uMzimkhulu Municipality, Sindiso Magaqa. Thabiso Zulu, an ANC member, anti-corruption activist and friend of Magaqa, and Les Stuta, an official at Harry Gwala Municipality, were responsible for blowing the lid on the alleged reasons behind the assassination of Magaqa which resulted in them receiving death threats. After approaching the police for assistance and being pushed from pillar to post, Zulu eventually approached the public protector.

Two community members have been arrested in connection with an incident of mob justice which left one person dead in the eastrand on Wednesday. The pair were part of a group that assaulted, stabbed and shot a boy outside his house. Another boy was attacked outside a school in the area and set alight. He is currently in hospital. The community accused the two of being part of a gang that is terrorising residents in the area. Meanwhile Gateng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi is in Daveyton to engage with the school, the police and thecommunity. A local community leader Bishop Sandile Sivungu spoke out against taking the law into their own hands.

The motion of no confidence again the DA Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Athol Trollip has been postponed after the opposition parties seeking to remove him walked out of a council meeting this morning. They raised issues around the legality of the meeting. This was to be the fourth attempt to remove Trollip from office. It was unclear before the meeting whether the Patriotic Alliance would vote with the DA. The party is the kingmaker. The parties in coalition with the DA lambasted the EFF, the ANC and the other smaller parties supporting the motion.

Hundreds of residents around Marikana in the North West have gathered at the Koppie where 34 mineworkers were killed six years ago. This ahead of an AMCU organised programme to commemorate the Marikana tragedy. AMCU president Joseph Mathunjwa is expected to give the keynote address this afternoon. Ten other people died in the days leading up to the massacre as the workers continued to strike. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to our reporter in Marikana Itumeleng Kgajane.

Media Monitoring Africa says the government of Mozambique should be helping journalists to do their jobs better instead of trying to impede them. It is being alleged that authorities in that country are introducing exorbitant media accreditation fees for journalists working there. Many have called this an assault on freedom of the press and a clear attempt to clamp down on journalists. Under new regulations, foreign correspondents living in Mozambique will be expected to pay more than R120 000 per year to report in the country while local freelance journalists will have to pay about R7 000 in accreditation fees. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to researcher from Media Monitoring Africa's Researcher Ntsako Manganyi.

Some residents in Marikana in the North West, say they are disappointed that president Cyril Ramaphosa has not yet visited the area, despite promises he made publicly. Some still blame Ramaphosa for the manner in which police handled the 2012 strike that resulted in the deaths of 34 miners on August 16 and ten other people including security guards and police officers in the preceeding week. Ramaphosa was a non-executive board member at the platinum giant at the time. He was further criticised for his email to the then police minister Nathi Mthethwa, which was calling for action to end the strike. Itumeleng Kgajane has the story.