As South Africa heads towards the 2026 local government elections, are opinion polls simply measuring public opinion, or are they also helping to shape it? 

Guest: Professor Bheki Mngomezulu - Professor of Political Science & International Relations and Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy (CANRAD) at Nelson Mandela University 

Guest: Susan Booysen, Emeritus Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand.

1. Zambia – African Union

Opposition leaders in Zambia have urged the African Union to intervene in the country’s post-election crisis.

Tonse Pamodzi Alliance former diplomat, Emmanuel Mwamba, called on the body to stop the planned 1 September inauguration of president-elect Hakainde Hichilema. In a letter, he said the gravest of these breaches could still be stopped, but only if action was taken before the swearing-in “renders judicial scrutiny of the election moot”.

1. Tanzania – Dodoma 

Tanzania’s political crisis deepens after VP resignation

Tanzania’s governing party expelled the vice president who resigned this week, in an act of retaliation that will further test the credentials of the East African nation as a place of relative peace and stability. A meeting of the Chama cha Mapinduzi, or CCM, party decided to punish Emmanuel Nchimbi for indiscipline, and it nominated Energy Minister Deogratius Ndejembi to become President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s deputy, CCM Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told reporters late Wednesday.

1. Botswana – United States of America 

US, Botswana Deepen Defence Ties after Southern Accord 2026

Botswana and the United States are deepening their defence cooperation after a joint military exercise in Gaborone that expanded training into cyber defence, space operations and multi-domain planning. Exercise Southern Accord 2026, held from Aug. 10-15, brought the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) together with the North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) for training aimed at improving interoperability, operational planning and responses to shared security challenges.

1. In our historical archives, it was on this day, 28 August 1963, when the late African son of the soil Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered the “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

 

• Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh faces high stakes Jackson Hole test
• 2. SK Hynix expands US footprint as AI demand surges
• 3. Market update

 

 

Legendary Malian musician Salif Keita has pulled out of his scheduled commercial performances in South Africa, citing concerns over xenophobic violence against African migrants. While he says his heart remains open to South Africa, his decision has sparked questions about the impact of xenophobia on the country’s cultural and entertainment industry. What could this mean for African artists, international performers and the future of concerts in South Africa?

Guest: Thinus Ferreira - Media critic  

 

• A community space does not fail because of government alone 
• A building is not an institution unless it is alive 
• Who keeps a community alive? 

Guest: Prof Ari Sitas - Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town and Chairperson of the Board of the National Research Foundation  

Statistics South Africa has released the 2026 national poverty lines, with the food poverty line now standing at R868 per person per month. The figures have renewed calls to increase the Social Relief of Distress grant, which currently amounts to just 42.6% of the food poverty line. The Institute for Economic Justice says doubling the SRD grant could help millions of South Africans facing hunger, while providing an economic boost to poor communities.

Guest: Siyanda Baduza, Basic Income Researcher at the Institute for Economic Justice 

The Independent Electoral Commission has issued a reminder to all political parties and independent candidates intending to contest the 2026 Local Government Election to submit their candidate nomination details by 5pm on Friday the 28th. Parties are asked to make sure that all required information is completed and submitted well ahead of the deadline.

Guest: Kgosietsile Tshoke -  Manager for Electoral Matters at the IEC

 

The Global Briefing: More than 350 people have reportedly been killed and over 1,300 remain missing in Nepal following severe flooding.

Russia has accused the UK of “playing with fire” amid reports that the CIA chief has warned the Kremlin against attacking NATO.

Meta could pay up to 18 billion dollars to settle claims that its platforms harm children.

Guest: Dr Joan Swart - Researcher in Military Science at the University of Stellenbosch

 

 

Built in Mzansi: How Lisakhanya Mbasa is from a small rural village in Ntabankulu in the Eastern Cape to helping learners unlock their potential in Mathematics and Science. He is proving that your circumstances do not have to define your future. He is building a future for young people in a rural community comes with challenges: from limited space and poor lighting to a shortage of textbooks, digital equipment and reliable internet access.

Guest: Lisakhanya Mbasa - Maths and Science tutor 

• A community space does not fail because of government alone 
• A building is not an institution unless it is alive 
• Who keeps a community alive? 

Guest: Prof Ari Sitas - Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town and Chairperson of the Board of the National Research Foundation