The Eastern Cape Health Department has received a boost for health care delivery. This follows the appointment of 1 240 newly qualified health professionals from the national department. These include 179 medical interns; 130 Community Service Doctors and 654 Community Service Nurses. This comes at a time when the province battles with major staff shortages in the public health service. The province has employed over 9 000 nurses and more than 1 000 doctors to service an estimated seven million people in the province. Aphiwe Honono presents this report which was compiled by Makhaya Komisa.

The funeral service of the four children who were allegedly killed by their mother in Klarinet at Emalahleni, Mpumalanga on boxing day, took place this morning at Pretoria Memorial Park graveyard in Emalahleni. The children aged between 11 months and 8 years were found wrapped in blankets inside her house. The Maditla family says it has forgiven the mother 24-year old Zintle Maditla who appeared in court yesterday. Our reporter Sibongile Mkani- Mpolweni filed this report earlier during the funeral proceedings.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged church leaders to help the ANC and show it the way when it stumbles. He was addressing the candle-light ceremony to mark the ANC's 107th birthday at the Central Methodist Church in the Durban CBD earlier this morning. In his address, the president said the ANC belongs to the church and it must humble itself at all times.

Officials from the Department of Higher Education are expected to meet with the leadership of the South African Union of Student to discuss among other issues, threats by the student body, of disruptions. SAUS says there will be chaos should the National Student Financial Aid Scheme not extend the deadline for applications. So far it has received over 400 000 applications. Krivani Pillay spoke to the Department of Higher Education's Lunga Ngqengelele.

Metrorail has confirmed that three people have died following a train accident in Mountain View, Pretoria. More than three hundred others have been injured. A train is said to have collided into the back of another. Charles Mabaso from the Emergency Services gave update on the accident.

A Mpumalanga woman who has been charged with murdering her four children in Klarinet in Emalahleni, Mpumalamga has appeared briefly in court in Witbank. She handed herself over to the police after allegedly killing the children aged between 11 months and 8 years old last month. 24-year-old Zintle Maditla will be back in court next week. Our reporter Eric Lubisi was in court.

The University of South Africa UNISA, has blamed a computer systems error for offering course which are not accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority. Students who had registered for certain programmes gathered outside the institution's Pretoria offices earlier today to get clarity about this. The institution says it working on the problem. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to UNISA's Martin Ramotshela.

Trade union NUM says the people who have been tasked with handling the process of putting the Gupta-owned Optimum Coal Mine have been ignoring their attempts to engage and understand where the process is currently. Affected workers and union leaders met in Middleburg, Mpumalanga today after they did not receive their salaries again at the end of last month. They staged a protest in November as they faced a bleak holiday seasons but were still not paid. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to NUM's Richard Mguzulu.

The IEC has started counting votes following a list conference of ANC members in the North West. There has been delays after violence broke out on Saturday. More than 400 delegates from four regions voted. Our reporter Bafedile Moerane is there and she spoke to Sakina Kamwendo.

In what is considered uncommon in South African courts, an 8-year old girl is asking to address the Durban High Court in a custody battle between her parents. Currently her father has full custody, but she does not want to live with him anymore. A video filmed at the Durban High Court in which she demands to live with her mother, has received a great deal of attention on social media. Prabashini Moodley reports.