Minister of Communications, Stella Ndabeni- Abrahams announced today during a media briefing that her department is in talks with mobile operators for cheaper data. According to the Minister, the key to driving a digitally transformed society was to ensure that costs to communicate were reduced.

Guest: Lazola Kati - Communications Rights Focus Organizer at Right Know

The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) has expressed concern over allegations of editorial interference and censorship at the ENCA news channel. Former ENCA Political Reporter, Samkele Maseko alleged that ENCA News Chief, Kanthan Pillay had censored stories in the newsroom.

Guest: Kate Skinner - Executive Director, SANEF

The department of Co-operative Governance in Limpopo will soon institute forensic investigations into the embattled Mogalakwena Local Municipality in Mokopane. The municipality has been placed under Section 139 b of the constitution which enables the provincial government to exercise administrative work.

Guest: Basikop Makamu – MEC of Co-operative Governance in Limpopo

According to City Power, it is struggling to the issue of contain cable theft which has led to loses of roughly R 2 billion per annum. Recently 50 street lights were vandalised and their cables stolen in Cleveland north of Johannesburg. Many more streets lights were destroyed and cables removed along Main Reef road and Elias Motsoaledi road near Braamfischerville in Soweto and also traffic lights have also been targeted.

Guest: Isaac Mangena - Spokesperson, Johannesburg City Power

What next for Bobani? Axed Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani has lost his court bid to be reinstated on an urgent basis. Acting judge Lisa Ntsepe found this morning that he had failed to show the Port Elizabeth High Court why the matter was sufficiently urgent and accordingly dismissed the application with costs.

Guest: Mongameli Bobani, former Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor

Tracking municipal revenue and expenditure: According to the latest quarterly financial statistics on municipalities released by Statistics SA this week - municipal salaries increased by R178m in the third quarter. Wage and overtime payments for employees were the main contributing factors for the increase. Joining us to discuss municipal expenditure patterns is…….

Guest: Kareen Heese, Municipal IQ economist

Yesterday, the Democratic-led House of Representatives voted to impeach US President Donald Trump for obstruction of Congress and abuse of power over his dealings with Ukraine. Trump is only the third United States president to be impeached. To date, no president or vice president has been removed from office by impeachment and conviction.

Guest on the line (UK): Professor David H Dunn, Chair in International Politics & Director of Internationalisation, College of Social Sciences @ University of Birmingham

The Hawks have arrested four people for alleged fraud, corruption and money laundering related to the construction of Kusile power station in Mpumalanga. The suspects were arrested early this morning in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team in collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigative Directorate.

Guest: Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi - Hawks national spokesperson

According to Daphney Mashile-Nkosi if we are to address some of the issues faced by the education sector we firstly need to move away from the practice of discussing education only during the period when matric results are released. In our Both Sides of the story we look at how we can go about making education an everyday part of public discourse and engagements.

Guests: Mashile-Nkosi - executive chairperson of Kalagadi Manganese, a
mining company in Johannesburg
Mugwena Maluleke- Secretary General, Sadtu

Jackie Carroll - CEO Media Works

The Supreme Court of Appeal has awarded the family of five-year-old Michael Komape damages for his death. This follows an appeal by rights organisation Section 27 against the Limpopo Education Department on behalf of the family. Komape died after falling in a pit toilet at Mahlodumela Primary School in Limpopo in 2014.

Guest: Mark Heywood - Former Executive Director of Section 27