Update@Noon

Warrant Officer Karl Sander of the Directorate for Priority Crimes, the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal, has told the Madlanga Commission he was called in to provide a statement regarding the alleged Port Shepstone drugs theft. He says he had no direct involvement at the scene and was only brought in for polygraph testing after senior managers informed staff of the incident circulating on social media. .The commission continues its probe into allegations of corruption, political interference, and criminal infiltration within South Africa's criminal justice system.

The family of slain Madlanga Commission witness Marius Van Der Merwe has welcomed the Brakpan Magistrate's Court's decision to DENY bail his alleged shooter, Matipandile Sotheni. The court has found that the state has a prima facie case against the accused. Sotheni faces 16 charges—including murder and conspiracy to commit murder—linked to the fatal shooting of Van der Merwe in in front of his family outside their Brakpan home in December last week. The Prosecutor has argued that Sotheni is a flight risk and presented contradictory information in his bail affidavits. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter Culvin Mabasa 

NGOs and Civic Organisations are calling for stronger measures to protect children from abuse. They also want more effort to ensure perpetrators are held accountable. The organisations say lengthy court delays, inadequate resources and gaps in support services continue to undermine justice for child victims. These concerns were highlighted as a the country celebrates child protection week from 29 May to 5 June. Children accompanied by adults and Gauteng Department of Social Development marched with Chief Justice Mandisa Maya in support of children's rights to safety. Culvin Mabasa reports...

The Mineral and Petroleum Resources Department has announced the fuel adjustment for june, with petrol and diesel prices moving in opposite directions.  The new fuel prices come into effect from Wednesday. Both grades of petrol will go up by R1.43 per litre and diesel will drop by between R3.25 cents and R2.62 per litre, depending on the grade.The department has also confirmed that illuminating paraffin is set to decrease by more than R5 per litre.The maximum retail price of LP gas will be reduced by 17 cents per kilogram countrywide and 20 cents per kilogram in the Saldana area in the Western Cape. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Fuel Retailers Association CEO, Reggie Sibiya 

This Friday, SAfm’s radio anchor Sakina Kamwendo once again spoke to Martin Creamer, publishing editor of Engineering News & Mining Weekly, delving deeper into the world of mining and engineering.

KwaZulu-Natal police say looting in Estcourt has been contained, with calm now restored and no injuries reported. Six shops owned by foreign nationals were targeted as groups moved through parts of the town earlier in the day, forcing some traders to shut down and others to lock up for safety. Authorities say investigations are underway, with increased police visibility. Sakina Kamwendo spoke earlier to SABC reporter Mlondi Radebe

The Department of Small Business Development and Trade, Industry and Competition will today outline the implementation of the R500 million Spaza Support Fund. Recently, the fund has faced calls for transparency from civil society groups like the Township Economic Commission of South Africa (TECSA). They are demanding accountability regarding application processing speeds and exact disbursement figures. The fund was launched in April 2025 by the Ministers of Small Business Development (DSBD) and Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), to support South African owned community convenience shops, including spaza shops, to increase their participation in the township and rural areas' retail trade sector. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to founder and president of Township Economic Commission SA (TECSA) and Executive Director of SA Spaza, Bheki Twala....

The Zambian government has argued in the Supreme Court of Appeal that it relies on the common law of the country and the agreement that was reached between them and the family of former president  Edgar Lungu. The agreement was to repatriate Lungu's  body from South Africa for a state funeral and burial in Zambia. Advocate Ben Stoop for the Zambian government contends that all the country's presidents are buried at Embassy Park in Lusaka. The family of the 6th president of Zambia seeks to overturn the decision of the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. The ruling found that Zambia is entitled to repatriate Lungu's remains for the purposes of a state funeral and burial. Advocate Stoop also contends that it is ill conceived to say the agreement was breached. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter Masiteng Makgala 

The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund  is calling for urgent, coordinated national action to strengthen prevention, reporting, psychosocial support, child-friendly justice, digital safety and community-based protection systems. According to the National Child Protection Register's first to third quarter statistics for the 2025/26 financial year, 8,984 cases of child abuse and 3,258 cases of sexual abuse were recorded. The figures paint a deeply troubling picture of the realities facing children daily in homes, schools, communities, and digital spaces. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Nelson Mandela Children's Fund Child Safety & Protection Programme Manager, Anzio Jacobs . 

The case against businessman Joe "Ferrari" Sibanyoni and his co-accused has been postponed to 1st of September in the Delmas Magistrates court in Mpumalanga. This is for the defence to secure legal representation. All the accused have been granted bail of 70-thousand rand each. Sibanyoni, Daniel Masilela, Philemon Msiza and Bafana Sindane handed themselves over at the Delmas Police Station this morning where they were processed before appearing in court. They are charged with extortion and two counts of money laundering. The matter was re-enrolled today after it was struck off the roll at the Kwaggafontein Magistrate's Court last week when the prosecutor failed to appear in court. Elvis Presslin spoke to SABC reporter Nonhlanhla Ntshingila