Guest: Aaron Maluleka: Tshwane  MMC For human settlements: City of Tshwane

14 March 2025

1. DR Congo – SADC

Southern African countries to pull troops out of eastern Congo

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has announced the end of its military mission in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the loss of at least a dozen soldiers in January.

After a virtual summit, SADC confirmed a phased withdrawal of its troops, who had been deployed in December 2023 to assist the DRC in restoring peace amid long-standing conflict.

1. Ethiopia – Tigray

Ethiopia's Tigray regional government appeals for help after factional fighters seize key towns

The interim government of Ethiopia’s Tigray region appealed for the Ethiopian federal government to intervene after a faction of the Tigray People's Liberation Front seized control of two major towns, leaving several people wounded and raising fears of a return to civil war.

3.Liberia – Monrovia

Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has officially launched the African Women's House, known locally as Musiehjah, in Monrovia.

This new institution will serve as the heart of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development, providing a dedicated space for African women leaders to gather, strategize, and amplify their voices on critical issues such as justice, climate action, and political participation.

4.South Africa – Cape Town

'Deeply Saddened'  South African Artists, Leaders Mourn Athol Fugard

South African playwright, novelist, director, and actor Athol Fugard has passed away, leaving behind a profound artistic legacy.He was 92.It has been reported that Fugard passed away in his Stellenbosch home after a long illness.

His international works include Blood Knot (1961), Boesman and Lena (1969), Sizwe Banzi is Dead (1972), The Island (1972), Oscar-winning film Tsotsi (1980) and The Road to Mecca (1984).

1. In our historical archives, it was on this day 14 March 1994 when the Transitional Executive Council (TEC) management committee decided on a new administration for then Homeland Bophuthatswana. (North West).

Guest: Jonathan Jansen: Professor of Education at Stellenbosch University

Guest: Steven Gruzd, head of the Africa-Russia Project at the South African Institute of International Affairs

Guest: Peter Fabricius - Journalist And Foreign Policy Analyst

Guest: Sello Maremane: Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson from Gauteng Department of Community Safety

Guest: Matshidiso Lencoasa: Budget Analyst at SECTION27

Guest: Adrian Saville - Professor of Economics, Finance & Strategy at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria

Guest: Andrzej Kiepiela: Coordinator, KZN Growth Coalition

Guest: Reginald Demana: SANRAL CEO