METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope
AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: Building Wealth in 2026: Balancing Personal Goals and Family Obligations
A new year often comes with big intentions — to save more, spend smarter and finally get our finances in order. But for many South Africans, financial planning isn’t just about personal goals; it’s also shaped by family responsibilities, cultural expectations and economic realities. Today, we’re unpacking what it really takes to set yourself up for financial success in the new year. From budgeting and debt management to long-term wealth building, we’ll also take a closer look at black tax — how it affects financial decisions, and how to navigate it without sacrificing your own stability. Joining us is a financial expert to help us make sense of it all and offer practical advice that speaks to real life.
SECURITY STRATEGIST - AMBASSADOR ANDY MASHAILE
Madlanga Commission Resumes: Accountability, Power and the Fight for Justice. The Madlanga Commission resumes its public hearings on the 26th of January, returning to allegations that strike at the heart of South Africa’s criminal justice system. The inquiry, sparked by explosive claims from KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, is probing corruption, political interference and the alleged protection of criminal networks within law enforcement. With crime intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo having previously linked senior officers to alleged cartel figures, and several key witnesses still expected to testify, the commission is now racing against time after being granted a final extension until next month. The question is whether this process can still deliver meaningful accountability — or whether the clock will run out before the truth fully emerges.
POLITICAL ANALYST PROF BOITUMELO SENOKOANE
Cracks in the Blue: Inside the DA’s Deepening Power Struggle. The Democratic Alliance is facing one of its most public internal crises in recent years. Former Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has resigned as a DA member, stepping down from Parliament and senior party structures after being axed by party leader John Steenhuisen. What followed was an explosive exchange, allegations of financial misconduct, counter-allegations of political capture, and now an official inquiry into whether the fallout has damaged the party’s reputation. With Steenhuisen cleared by an internal probe and tensions spilling into the open, we ask tonight: what does this mean for the DA’s leadership, its role in the GNU, and its future as an opposition force in South Africa?
AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: SANTACO SPOKESPERON - REBECCA PHALA
Roads Under Siege: Can Trust Be Rebuilt Between Taxi Associations, Motorists and Commuters? This evening, we’re opening a difficult but necessary conversation about safety, trust and the growing tension on our roads. Recent incidents, including a widely shared video from Vanderbijlpark, have reignited public outrage after taxi patrollers were seen assaulting a motorist accused of ‘piracy’. Police are investigating, and SANTACO has condemned the attack — but the incident has once again exposed a deepening rift between taxi operators, motorists and even commuters. SANTACO says these clashes are linked to a growing trend, especially around the holidays, of private motorists using their vehicles to transport people who would ordinarily use minibus taxis. But for many South Africans, that explanation raises more questions than answers — about where enforcement ends and vigilantism begins, about who has the right to police our roads, and about why ordinary people increasingly feel unsafe behind the wheel.
ZANDILE DABULA - OPERATION DUDULA LEADER - SAYS THE SAME ISSUE IS BREWING IN GAUTENG
At the School Gate: Education, Migration and the Battle Over Who Belongs This morning in Durban, scenes of tension and solidarity played out outside Addington Primary School, where a group of South African mothers arrived not to protest—but to protect. The women stood guard to ensure that children of foreign nationals were able to enter the school and attend classes, saying education should not be denied to any child, regardless of their documentation status. Their presence followed an attempt by members of the March and March Movement to block the children of foreign nationals from entering the school. The group argues that overcrowding at Addington Primary disadvantages South African pupils and says it will continue visiting schools where it claims foreign national enrolment is high. School gates were locked as a precaution, keeping protestors outside, while police monitored the situation.
MMEMME MOGOTSI - BMA DEPUTY ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
Children on the Move: Alarm as 33 Undocumented Minors Intercepted at Beitbridge Authorities have once again raised the alarm over the safety of children at South Africa’s borders. Thirty-three undocumented minor children, aged between four and fifteen, were intercepted at the Beitbridge Port of Entry, after border officials stopped a minibus taxi transporting them from South Africa to Zimbabwe. Two adult men have been arrested for allegedly facilitating the illegal movement of the children, with criminal cases now opened under the Immigration Act. The children have since been handed over to the Department of Social Development, as investigations continue into how and why they were travelling undocumented across the border. Border Management Authority Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato has praised officials for their vigilance, while urging parents to stop sending undocumented children across ports of entry. This case once again raises serious questions about child protection, cross-border exploitation and the risks faced by vulnerable minors.
AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: Back to School, Back to the Bill: Why Parents Are Paying More for Less
As the 2026 school year gets underway, South African parents are facing a familiar and deeply frustrating burden — paying premium prices for branded school uniforms and even basic pens and stationery, just to get their children ready for class. According to the Competition Commission, restrictive supply deals and price disparities have pushed up costs, turning simple items like branded shirts and basic pens into expensive necessities many families struggle to afford.
Simon Lapping, DA Councillor for Ward 17 in Ekurhuleni
Warnings Ignored: Another Life Lost on Kempton Park’s Unsecured Rail Line There’s growing outrage in Kempton Park after a second person was killed by a train at the same unsecured spotalong the Germiston–Pretoria commuter rail line — a tragedy that many say was entirely preventable. Community members and local leaders had repeatedly warned authorities about the dangers of this stretch of track, where incomplete infrastructure leaves pedestrians with direct access to active railway lines.
EDUCATION EXPERT: PROFESSOR MARY METCALFE
Record Results, Real Questions: What the 2025 Matric Pass Rate Tells Us About Our Schools South Africa is celebrating a historic milestone in education. The Matric Class of 2025 has achieved the highest National Senior Certificate pass rate on record — 88%, with more than 656,000 learners passing and a record 345,000 achieving bachelor’s passes. For the first time ever, all 75 education districts across the country recorded pass rates above 80%, and provinces like KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and Gauteng led the rankings.
AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: SCHOOL PLACEMENT SAGA
As the 2026 school year approaches, a growing crisis in South Africa’s education system is leaving parents and learners in limbo. In Gauteng alone, the Department of Education’s online admissions system shows that 4,858 Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners are still unplaced, out of 358,574 applications received for the new academic year. That means nearly 1.5% of applicants remain without a confirmed school just days before schools open.
SONGEZO ZIBI ( RISE MZANSI LEADER )
Debate around Starlink operating in South Africa has flared up once again, following renewed criticism from billionaire Elon Musk, who claims that local race-based regulations are preventing his satellite internet company from doing business in the country.
POLITICAL ANALYST SANDILE SWANA
The African National Congress marked 114 years since its founding, with President Cyril Ramaphosa delivering the annual January 8 Statement at Moruleng Stadium in the North West. But beyond the speeches, slogans, and promises, it was the setting that spoke just as loudly.
JUKILE MAJOVA - NEWS DIRECTOR SCROLLA AFRIKA
Empty Seats, Heavy Questions: What January 8 Means for the ANC and voters.
AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8 - STARTING AFRESH
Starting afresh is one of the hardest things to do. It asks for courage when confidence has been shaken, and consistency when momentum has been lost. It means choosing to begin again sometimes quietly, sometimes uncertainly without the excitement of a first start, but with the depth that only experience can give. This evening we’ll look at what it takes to start again, whether it's a failed business, a failed marriage or starting over in your career?
Sandile Swana - Political Analyst
African National Congress (ANC) Treasurer-General Dr Gwen Ramokgopa says the party is using its 114th anniversary celebrations to reflect on its achievements and shortfalls. She accompanied the party’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, to a fundraising golf game in Sun City in Rustenburg in the North West. Since the beginning of the week, ANC national and provincial leaders have been engaged in a number of activities in the North West, ahead of the celebrations on Saturday. Ramokgopa says it’s important to introspect. “We have reflected as the NEC and we are ready to share with the nation what our reflections are, the successes which are many, and the challenges which we are decisively dealing with… also some of the external challenges in the political environment that we live in,” adds Ramokgopa.
INANDA SHOOTOUT - Andy Mashaile, Security Strategist
Five suspected criminals were killed in a shoot-out with KwaZulu-Natal police in Inanda, north of Durban, in the early hours of Thursday. Police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said the men were wanted in connection with cases of murder, attempted murder that included police officers, and house robberies. “The suspects have been wreaking havoc in Inanda and surrounding areas. At the end of November, the suspects attempted to kill police officers by shooting at them and they have been elusive ever since,” he said. On Thursday morning police received information about their whereabouts in Bester area 10.
AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: What happens when you enlist the services of a travel agency
What happens when you enlist the services of a travel agency, receive a travel package quote from them, make payments for the trip, over many months, but at the last minute you’re told that the trip won’t be happening as the agency is going under liquidation? Well, that’s what well-known actress Lerato Mvelase alleges happened to her recently, when she was told by Blacktrotters Afrika that an international trip she had booked as a surprise for her mom vanished into thin air. This evening we’ll look at her story and those of others who’ve engaged with the company and we also want to get your experiences with travel agencies, where trips either didn’t happen, things were not booked appropriately and how you dealt with the situation.
LAWSON NAIDOO - EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTITUTION (CASAC)
‘Unexpected but welcome’ is how some experts have described the appointment of Adv. Andy Mothibi, by President Cyril Ramaphosa, as the next National Director of Public Prosecutions. Mothibi is the current head of the Special Investigating Unit - SIU. Last month, the Advisory Panel interviewed six candidates for the position; however, in the report it submitted to Ramaphosa it indicated that none was suitable. Questions are now being raised about the process followed in making the appointment. Mothibi’s appointment will take effect on February 1st, 2026, as the tenure of the current head, Shamila Batohi - who’s come under fire in recent months, comes to an end.
RICARDO TEIXEIRA - DEFENCE ANALYST AND NATIONAL SECURITY ADVOCATE
More than 300 undocumented migrants have been deported at the Maseru and Ficksburg Border posts between the Free State and Lesotho. At least 100 people were arrested for trying to re-enter the country illegally while some were apprehended with illicit goods. Meanwhile thousands of travellers continue to enter into South Africa are being processed by the Border Management Authority (BMA) at the various border posts including the populous Beitbridge. The BMA is currently in its return leg campaign and is expecting the number of people returning to the country to be around 400,000, which is similar to the amount that left during the holiday period.
AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: - “I identify as traumatised” - Trauma based identity
Trauma can have a dramatic impact on our personal development leading to us developing a trauma based identity, where the painful things we’ve gone through become who we are and how we live. Identity for adults with unresolved developmental trauma is often organized around being a victim or survivor and maintaining basic safety in relation to others, leading to re-traumatizing and disheartening repetitions, preventing growth-oriented experiences.
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