We look at the annual Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj which commenced on Monday in Saudi Arabia. For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 2.5 million Muslim pilgrims are expected to attend this year’s Hajj. Joining us to explain the importance of Hajj and what it means to Muslim community across the globe is…..

GUEST: Sheigh Rafiq Hassan, Founder and Director of the Islamic Interfaith Research Institute (IIFRI)

ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula spoke at the ANC’s electoral conference in the Western Cape this past weekend. While speaking on issues around regime change, Mbalula touched on the affairs in Zimbabwe. He said the West is trying to push for regime change in Zimbabwe and they want opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa to take over. He says if the sanctions against Zimbabwe were legitimate, they would have been lifted after President Robert Mugabe was removed from power. What are the implications of a leader in the ruling party speaking like this about an opposition leader in Zimbabwe ahead of elections. We are now joined by Lwazi Somya, Senior Researcher at the Southern African Liaison Office.

A government owned game reserve in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape no longer has game animals after people suspected to be from Lesotho allegedly slaughtered 30 zebras and 20 black hartebeests to eat. The Ongeluksnek Nature Reserve is located  on the border of Lesotho and South Africa has had animals being stolen and slaughtered since 2018. The game reserve;s management says it has become impossible to protect wildlife due to lack of a boundary fence. We’re now joined by Mbuyiselo Gxashe, Manager at the Ongeluksnek Nature Reserve.

Earlier on today, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, together with the Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi and eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda visited the community of Inanda to assess damage caused by the storm. Disaster management teams are currently conducting assessments to determine the full extent of the damage to infrastructure while on the other hand, government officials are doing their best to assist families who were severely affected.  

GUEST: Nomusa Dube-Ncube, Premier of KwaZulu-Natal

Heads of state from the East African Community are meeting in Angola in an effort to come up with possible solutions that will restore peace on the African continent, in particular, the Democratic Republic of Congo. For more analysis on this, we are joined by…..

GUEST: Nixon Katembo, African affairs commentator who also works for Channel Afrika

The decision by Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit has been declared unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid. Motsoaledi has been directed to reconsider the issue and follow a fair process that complies with the law. The case was brought by the Helen Suzman Foundation and the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa following the department’s announcement in 2021. We’re now joined by Nicole Fritz, Director of the Helen Suzman Foundation.  

ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula is in the Free state. He is engaging residents of Parys following an incidents where ANC T-shirts were burnt following the expulsion of former Secretary General, Ace Magashule. Magashule comes from the area. Mbalula addressed the media earlier. What came out of that media address? We’re joined by SABC News Senior Political Reporter, Samkele Maseko.

How should a country with a history like South Africa deal with incidents of racism that we see happening every now and then? The South African Communist Party says it will lay a charge against author, Nicole Barlow shared in reaction to a Sunday Times story about Minister Mantashe attending a Cosatu event instead of another event with President Cyril Ramaphosa.In the reaction she says ‘we missed an opportunity to do a Chris Hani on him’. As we know, Hani was murdered in 1993 and his killer was released on parole last year. The SACP says this cannot be taken lightly. Considering the fact that the Hate Speech Bill has not been passed yet, what should the appropriate response to this behaviour be? We’re now joined by Terry Oakley Smith, diversity expert and co-founder of change management consultancy firm, Diversi-T.

Different parts of KwaZulu-Natal have been hit by a tonardo that has destroyed houses and left some roads damaged The tonardo comes after warnings about heavy rains and possible flooding in some parts of the province. KZN is still reeling from floods that ravaged the province, leaving a trail of destruction and claiming lives. To help us understand what is happening in KZN, we are now joined by Mnikeli Ndabambi, Executive at the South African Weather Service.