The Weekend View

Tributes continue to pour in globally following the death of the Queen of Rock 'n Roll, TinaTurner this week. The 83 year-old legendary singer died at her home in Switzerland following a long illness. Turner also performed in South Africa; Cape Town in 1996. Turner will be remembered for many of her famous hit songs including, Simply the best, We don't need another hero and many more. Our colleague Ernest Pillay had the pleasure of working with the late singer back in April 1996 when she performed in the country

President Cyril Ramaphosa this week met with the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council to discuss the government's response to the recommendations of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector. The council was appointed in August 2022 to deepen the country's fight against fraud and corruption. It augments the work done by law enforcement agencies and plays an independent role in terms of combating corruption and other criminal activities. The President's meeting came in the same week that Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan appeared before Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts as it still tries to get to the bottom of allegations of large scale corruption, fraud, sabotage and crime cartels at Eskom. Also a month ago today, the first state capture trial ended in a discharge for the defendants, with acting Bloemfontein high court judge Nompumelelo Gusha saying both the police and prosecution had been woefully inept in their handling of the Nulane Investments fraud and money-laundering case. 
To look at the adequacy of the response to South Africa's endemic corruption we spoke to Firoz Cachalia, Chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council. 

Six people have died in Hammanskraal as diarrhoeal disease and cholera cases spread in Gauteng and Free State. The Health Department says over 50 received medical care after presenting with gastro-intestinal symptoms in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria and it has warned there is a rise in Cholera cases. Members of the public have been warned to avoid known or suspected contaminated food, water and surfaces. We spoke to Motalatale Modiba, spokesperson for the Gauteng Health Department ...

South Africa is facing a potential electricity pre-paid meter crisis.  The meters may stop vending electricity next year if they are not updated. Experts say the meters rely on a timer that started counting from 1 January 1993 but will run out of digits sometime during November 2024. It has been reported that South Africa has 10 million such meters that may be affected. For a better understanding of this problem we were joined by William Brederode, News 24's Technology and Trends Journalist

Less than a week after Palestinians, marked the annual day of commemoration of their displacement that preceded and followed Israel's establishment, thousands of Israeli nationalists on Thursday marched into the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, for the flag parade, which is part of Israel's Jerusalem Day, marking Israel's capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967 war. The march has increasingly become a show of force for Jewish ultra nationalists, while for Palestinians it is seen as a blatant provocation undermining their ties to the city. The march was punctuated by heated confrontations, with shouts of "Death to Arabs" and other slogans. The march was allowed to go ahead despite fears the event could spark renewed violence following days of cross-border fire with Palestinian militant fighters in Gaza last week. We were joined on the line by Rolene Marks, Spokesperson of the South African Zionist Federation

 A five year old learner, Masonwabe Mapolisa last weekend survived the coldest weekend of the year locked in a classroom at JA Ncaca Primary School in Lingelihle, Cradock in the Eastern Cape. When the learner didn't return home on Friday afternoon, his family then went to the police station and reported him missing. He was later found on Monday in one of the school classrooms. He is allegedly recovering in hospital at the Dora Nginza Hospital in Nelson Mandela Bay where he was airlifted  for specialist treatment. The circumstances of how he ended up locked in the classroom are not yet clear and under investigation by education authorities. We spoke to Vuyiseka Mboxela, spokesperson for the MEC of Education in the Eastern Cape

The  Durban High Court yesterday found brothers - Dylan and Ned Govender - not guilty for the murder of Mondli Majola during the civil unrest in Phoenix in KwaZulu-Natal in 2021. They were however found guilty on a charge of attempted murder and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Majola was among at least 30 people who were killed in Phoenix, north of Durban during that time. The area emerged as a hotspot for racial tension with animosity and mistrust running deep between Indian and black communities. Handing down judgement, Judge Gregory Kruger said the State had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused killed Majola. We spoke to NPA spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara about the ruling.

My Vote Counts, which campaigns to reform South Africa's electoral system, has launched a court application in the Western Cape High Court to reform disclosure of political party financing. In papers filed this week, the group said it wants the act changed so that it makes available information on all private donations, not only those above R100 000. It also wants the annual limit of R15m a party may receive from a single donor to be reduced. The governing ANC on the other hand has been discussing amending the law to allow for the minimum amount that can be declared increased from R100,000 to R250,000 or R500,000 and the R15m disclosure to be increased to R50m or R100m. The party has blamed the current act for it's financial woes.  We spoke to Robyn Pasensie, Party Funding Researcher at My Vote Counts 

The ANC's top brass will today continue visiting its structures in KwaZulu-Natal to discuss issues including the school feeding scheme scandal, eThekwini being placed under section 154 and the party's apparent decline in popularity in the province. Yesterday ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa engaged with party members from the eThekwini region in Durban. Other party National Working Committee members, including deputy president, Paul Mashatile and the secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula have also been deployed to various regions in the province. The ANC are hoping to turn their political fortunes around in a province it has lost by-election after by-election to the IFP.  We spoke to Zakhele Ndlovu is a Political Science lecturer at the University of KZN. 

VaTsonga Royal Leaders have joined the outcry from some members of the Xitsonga community who raised concerns about the spelling on the new R100 banknotes. The text on the new note reads Bangikulu, dropping the "n" on the old currency that read Banginkulu.  Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago ealier this week defended the new spelling saying the changes are in line with the new guidelines issued by the Pan South African Language Board, last year. We spoke to Kgosi Mwamitwa who is the Chairperson for the Vhatsonga Royal Leaders (RLU)