Residents of Tembisa in Ekhuruleni took to the streets this week in a destructive protest against what they say is against exorbitant electricity prices,  electricity cuts and taxi fare hikes. The protest has resulted in several cars and buildings, including a community centre being set alight, leaving four people dead. Gauteng Gogta MEC Lebogang Maile and Ekhuruleni Mayor Tania Campbell have met with the community.

Guest: Pule Matsile – Tembisa Community Leader.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has since left Taiwan after a one-day visit that has infuriated China. Pelosi met President Tsai Ing-wen and members of Taiwan’s parliament, assuring them of continued US support for the self-ruled island. The Chinese armed forces have since responded by a “targeted military operation” in the north, south-west and south-east of the island. Following the defiance of Pelosi’s Taiwan visit, we unpack the implications of this decision?

Guest: Professor David Monyae – Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations

The socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa has temporarily shut down its operations. The organisation is accusing The City of Johannesburg’s MMC for Economic Development, Nkululeko Mbundu of inciting violence against its employees. It says photographs of its employees were shared online and people were encouraged to follow them home. This was after it settled a case against the removal of hundreds of informal traders from the De Villiers precinct in the Johannesburg CBD. The municipality wanted the traders removed from the area in a bid to clean it up. For more on that, we are now joined by Nomzamo Zondo, Executive Director at the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa.

Police are investigating a case of murder after a student from the Mangosuthu University of Technology was killed, allegedly by her boyfriend on Sunday. 23 year old Xolile Mbatha was stabbed in front of her roommate at one of the university’s residences. Acting vice chancellor, Professor Marcus Ramogale announced Mbatha’s death earlier today, asking for men on campus to stand up against gender based violence. For more on that we are now joined by KwaZulu-Natal Police Spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala.

Eskom has temporarily withdrawn services from Tembisa due to protests that started on Sunday. The power utility says it will wait until it is safe for its employees to operate in the area. Resident clashed with police yesterday, leading to the deaths of four people. Parts of the area remain without electricity after a sub-station in the area was set alight. We are now joined by Eskom’s spokesperson in Gauteng, Amanda Qithi.

Guest: General Elias Mawela, Gauteng Police Commissioner

Why are we failing to deal with the issue of illegal mining and the role of zama-zamas in South Africa? A multi-disciplinary team made up of Tactical Response Teams (TRT), Hawks, SAPS Crime Intelligence, K-9 unit and private security companies carried out a sting operation and managed to arrest at least 20 illegal miners in Randfontein this morning. Police Minister Bheki Cele has also assured the nation that the operations will continue until crime is reduced across the country. For more on this, we are joined by…..

Guest: David Van Wyk, Lead Researcher at the Benchmarks Foundation

The US has killed the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a drone strike in Afghanistan. US President Joe Biden confirmed this yesterday, also revealing that al-Zawahiri was killed in a counter-terrorism operation carried out by the CIA in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday. According to the US officials al-Zawahiri and the late Osama Bin Laden plotted the 9/11 attacks together, and he was one of America's most wanted terrorists. To explain what this means re the War on Terror is…..

Guest: Ebrahim Deen, Commentator on international affairs

It was a very busy and important weekend for the ANC. The ruling party sat in Nasrec to make policy resolutions. Some of those include their call for the Reserve Bank to be nationalized. They also propose the introduction of a wealth tax that will fund the basic income grant. Another big story making news today, is the decision to allow people to have access to their pension funds once a year. For reaction to that, we are now joined by Professor Jannie Rossouw, economist and visiting professor at the Wits School of Governance.

How is the City of Ekurhuleni going to respond to the

issues that have led to violent protests in Tembisa? Residents

have been frustrated by lack of service delivery as well as

increasing electricity tariffs, however, they feel like they are not

being heard. We are now joined by City of Ekurhuleni’s MMC for Finance, Fanyana Nkosi.