The Weekend View

The newly-appointed National Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Lekgoa Mothibi has committed to allocating state prosecutors to the police task team that has been established by National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola in order to fast track investigations and prosecutions emanating from proceedings of the Madlanga Commission. This follows a directive by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the police top brass to constitute a special investigations task team to investigate prima facie evidence of wrongdoing by people identified in the Madlanga Commission's interim report. NPA head, Advocate Mothibi says he will also add on the Asset Forfeiture Unit to the police task team.  For further reaction, Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Civil society organisation Accountability Now's Advocate, Paul Hoffman

US President Donald Trump has posted a video to his social media account showing former President, Barack Obama and the former First Lady, Michelle Obama depicted as monkeys. The video has prompted outrage online, with Democrats and commentators calling it "racist" and "vile".  Nick Harper reports from Washington. 

Elephants escaping the Songimvelo Nature Reserve in Mooiplaas near Elukwatini, Mpumalanga are tormenting communities neighbouring the reserve.  It is alleged the elephants escape through the nature reserves porous fence and destroy people's crops among others. The fence was repaired in 2024. The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency blames illegal miners and poachers for the broken fence.  Motsebi wa Monareng reports 

One of the 14 learners who died in a scholar transport-truck crash in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, has been laid to rest in Limpopo. The 16-year old Sagwadi Baloyi-Mathye final resting place is at Olifantshoek village, outside Giyani. Mourners, including the classmates paid tribute to the late Sagwadi. Two weeks ago, 14 learners lost their lives in a horrific accident, when their taxi scholar transport taxi collided with a truck . The scholar transport driver, Ayanda Dludla is facing several murder charges. Rudzani Tshivhase has more

The Madlanga Commission says significant progress has been made following the announcement of the establishment of a task team, assigned with implementing the commission's recommendations to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The task team was established after the commission's interim report referred five senior SAPS officials for investigation, including KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head, Lesetja Senona. The amended deadline for the commission's final report is 17 March this year. However, the commission's spokesperson Jeremy Michaels says it is expected that Justice Madlanga and President Ramaphosa will engage further on a possible extension, given the lengthy list of witnesses still to testify. For a look at the processes to be followed now, Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Political Analyst, Professor Sethulego Matebesi and Retired Interpol Ambassador and Security Strategist, Andy Mashaile 

Aid workers are scrambling to access flood ravaged areas of Mozambique to provide much-needed support, but are facing a mammoth task. At least 600,000 people have been affected in Gaza province alone, where over 10,000 square kilometres is covered by floodwater. In response to the floods, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has dispatched its Emergency Response Team to assist in mop up operations in that country. The regional body says the team will work on the ground to assess humanitarian needs, evaluate the scale of the impact and support national response efforts as affected communities grapple with the aftermath of heavy rains, infrastructure damage and displacement. For more on this, Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Chief of Staff at the SADC Secretariat and lead of the mission to Mozambique, Brigadier General Chere Makhetha

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has just issued an urgent safety notice involving Chinese-owned, SAIC South Africa, specifically regarding the recently launched MG3. The commission says a seat defect in the vehicles could see cause the driver's seat to move unexpectedly during a collision, a risk no motorist should have to take. But what exactly does this mean for the 200-plus owners affected, and what are your rights when a manufacturer calls back your car? To talk to us about that, Bongiwe Zwane caught  up with National Consumer Commission Spokesperson, Phetho Ntaba

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies has reacted with shock and outrage over the decision by the South African government to expel Israel's diplomat in the country, Ariel Seidman. Seidman has been given 72 hours to leave the country after the department of International Relations and Cooperation declared Chargé d'Affaires of the Israeli Embassy, persona non grata. DIRCO has cited what it calls unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms which include the use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against President Cyril Ramaphosa. We earlier caught up with the National Director of the Jewish Bord of Deputies, Wendy Kahn together with Spokesperson for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Salim Vally and Former Diplomat & Conflict Resolution Expert, Dr. Kingsley Makhubela....

A former high school principal from Cape Town will challenge the Western Cape Department of Education in the Labour Court. This after the court ruled in his favour to be reinstated in his post by early February. However, the department filed an application for leave to appeal this judgement, suspending his return to work. The principal was dismissed in 2022 and charged with multiple counts of misconduct. This relates to Covid-19 operational matters, including an incident, where he refused to re-open the school during the first wave of the pandemic. Andile Mbanjwa reports...

EFF leader Julius Malema says his party is to end cooperation with the ANC. He was delivering his political address opening the EFF's second plenum following their 3rd National people's assembly. This weekend EFF officials, including representatives from provincial and youth leadership, have convened in Boksburg to assess the progress of resolutions of the EFF's last national conference, as well as plan for the year ahead. Zara Groenewald reports