SAfm Current Affairs
Beware! Major changes to traffic fines administration just weeks away
Road Traffic Infringement Authority (RTIA) is set to rollout the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences system (AARTO) to 69 municipalities across the country on December 1ST this year. This it says is an effort to curb the high number of road fatalities in the country. Most sections of the act will come into effect in major municipalities across the country on December 1ST , 2025, followed by the remaining municipalities on April 1, 2026. The remaining sections of the AARTO Act (26 to 28), which includes the demerit points, are set to take effect on September 1, 2026. For more on this, Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Monde Mkalipi, Spokesperson for the Road Traffic Infringement Authority (RTIA)
Skepticism as Ramaphosa vows action in North West municipalities buckling under mismanagement
President Cyril Ramaphosa says his administration is determined to address the service delivery challenges and the current mismanagement in the North West to restore public confidence. Accompanied by some of his cabinet ministers, Ramaphosa held a meeting with North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi and his executive. Currently, the North West has the highest unemployment rate in the country at over 52 percent, and several municipalities have been affected by mismanagement. Ramaphosa says this has resulted in poor service delivery and a trust deficit. SABC reporter Ntebo Mokobo has more details To discuss the issues raised at the Presidential engagement in the North West, Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Professor Kedibone Phago, Director of the School of Government Studies at the North-West University
Thabo Bester’s lawyer disappointed by High Court's dismissal of attempt to halt their Netflix's Beauty and the Bester documentary
The Pretoria High Court has dismissed an urgent bid by Thabo Bester and Dr. Nandipha Magudumana to block the airing of Netflix's explosive documentary Beauty and the Bester. Judge Sulet Potterill ruled the application was not urgent and struck it off the roll, ordering both applicants to pay legal costs. The documentary, which delves into the alleged notorious prison escape and scandal surrounding the pair, will now go ahead as scheduled. Reacting to the judgement Attorney representing Thabo Bester Courage Morero say they are disappointed by the Pretoria High Court's decision to dismiss their urgent bid to halt Netflix's Beauty and the Bester documentary. Morero speaking to SABC reporter Chriselda Lewis had this to say
Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court postpones fraud case against SAFA boss, Danny Jordaan to November
The fraud trial of the president of the South African Football Union, Danny Jordaan, and his co-accused, has been postponed to 21 November in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Court. The state has obtained an additional 64 gigabytes of information it needs to process before the trial starts, while Jordaan and SAFA CFO, Gronie Hluyo, are also challenging the legality of the search and seizure operation conducted at SAFA House on the 8th of March last year, eight months before their arrest. The High Court in Johannesburg must also still rule on that matter. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC Sports News Reporter, Sifiso Ramara
Eastern Cape Premier appears before the SA Human Rights Commission over child malnutrition crisis
Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane continues to face the music in front of the Human Rights Commission over malnutrition in the province. Mabuyane was subpoenaed by the Commission to account for progress made in fighting the scourge in the province. In 2024, a hundred and seven children died as a result of malnutrition. Mabuyane says one life lost is enough to raise the alarm on the issue
[LISTEN] SAfm spoke to Martin Creamer, publishing editor of Engineering News & Mining Weekly.
Listen to our weekly feature, Coalface, with Martin Creamer, publishing editor of Engineering News and Mining Weekly.
KZN Transport Department promises answers within 48 hours following two road accidents, one fatal
At least three learners have escaped with minor injuries in yet another collision involving a taxi carrying schools children in the Imbali area of Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal. This follows a crash which claimed the lives of five children yesterday. The pupils in this incident were all passengers in the taxi which was being used for scholar transport. The driver had allegedly lost control and crashed in a creche. For more details on both these incidents, Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter, Nonjabulo Mntungwa-Makamu
US authorities recover rifle allegedly linked to Charlie Kirk assassination, investigation ongoing
U.S. Law enforcement says they have recovered the rifle that they believe was used in the assassination of conservative political activist and organiser Charlie Kirk. The Founder of Turning Point USA was a close confidant of U.S. President Donald Trump who announced he would posthumously be awarded the nation's highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Kirk was shot in the neck at long range at an outreach event at the Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah near Salt Lake City while speaking in front of a group of more than 3000 people. Law enforcement revealed that they had tracked the killer's movement on campus and in the aftermath of the assassination and were confident they he would be caught. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.
Westbury, Coronationville to monitor promised return of water supply, failing which, community may return to the streets
Calm has returned to Westbury and Coronationville after two days of violent protests over prolonged water shortages. Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero met angry residents at the Coronationville Recreation Centre, promising water supply will be restored within seven days. In the interim, 15 water tankers will be deployed daily. Morero pledged to return in a week to "open taps" and ensure uninterrupted flow. However, many Westbury residents remain sceptical about his assurances, citing years of failed promises. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Melissa Davids Westbury Community Leader
AFRICA BRIEF with Victor Kgomoeswana
Elvis Presslin takes a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of "Africa Is Open For Business" and "Africa Bounces Back". Victor is also the Executive Director for Marketing and Communication at the University of Limpopo
Public pushback stops proposed changes to the National Credit Act
The Economic Freedom Fighters, EFF say the government's decision to pull back proposed changes to the National Credit Act came straight from weeks of public pushback. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has withdrawn the amendment regulations amid widespread criticism that they would hit low-income families and young people hardest with tighter credit rules. The Act would have allowed educational institutions to submit students' credit information to credit bureaus. Elvis Presslin spoke to EFF MP, Sihle Lonzi
ConCourt clears way for husbands to take their wives' surnames
The Constitutional Court has cleared the way for husbands to take their wives' surnames upon marriage, in a recent landmark ruling. The verdict strikes down key sections of the Births and Deaths Registration Act as unconstitutional saying they unfairly discriminated against men by denying them the same automatic name-change rights long given to women. The case was brought by two couples: Henry van der Merwe, who wanted to adopt his wife Jana Jordaan's surname and Andreas Nicolas Bornman, who sought to hyphenate his with his wife Jess Donnelly-Bornman's. Elvis Presslin spoke to Cultural expert and UJ lecturer, Professor Gugu Mazibuko
PSA to embark on strike action over dispute with the Dept of Military Veterans
The Public Servants Association, PSA will today embark on an industrial action over a long-running dispute with the Department of Military Veterans. At the heart of the standoff is an unresolved demand for talks on the department's organisational structure review. The Union says it has exhausted all channels for negotiation. Elvis Presslin spoke to PSA Chief Negotiator at the Department of Military Veterans, Zamani Dladla
FBI offers reward for the arrest of gunman who killed Charlie Kirk
The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the gunman who killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The 31-year-old Turning Point USA co-founder was shot in the neck while speaking at a campus debate at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, yesterday. The single shot, fired from a nearby rooftop, sparked panic as thousands of attendees fled the scene. Utah Governor Spencer Cox called the attack a "political assassination." The suspect remains at large, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. To discuss this tragedy, Elvis Presslin spoke to Joel Pollak, U.S. political commentator and Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News
Convicted murderer and rapist, Thabo Bester argues airing of new Netflix documentary will infringe on his right to fair trial
The lawyer for Convicted murderer and rapist, Thabo Bester says his client will suffer prejudice, as streaming a new Netflix documentary will infringe on his right to a fair trial. MoAfrika Wa Maila is addressing the High Court in Pretoria where Bester and his girlfriend Nandipha Magudumana have launched an urgent application to halt the release of documentary "Beauty and the Bester". Referring to the trailer, Wa Maila said Bester's right to human dignity and his right to be presumed innocent until guilty has been infringed upon. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC Reporter, Pearl Magubane...
"There is nothing African in our own justice system" - Traditionalist, Professor Velaphi Mkhize reacts to Constitutional Court ruling allowing husbands to take their wives' surnames
The Constitutional Court has confirmed that Section 26(1)(a) to (c) of the Births and Deaths Registration Act is unconstitutional insofar as it unfairly discriminates on the basis of gender, by failing to afford men the right to assume the surname of women after marriage. This after the applicants, Jana Jordaan and Henry Van Der Merwe as well as Jess Donnelly-Bornman and Andreas Nicolas Bornman turned to the apex court in March this year for a confirmation of invalidity against the said section. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC reporter on this story, Canny Maphanga and Founder of Umsamo Institute, Professor Velaphi Mkhize
Gauteng Education department makes arrangements for matriculants to write exams in schools neighbouring Westbury amid ongoing protests
Residents of Westbury have urged the police to respect their right to protest. The residents have taken to the streets for a second consecutive day, unhappy about prolonged water supply disruptions to the area. At least five people, including an 81-year-old man and a fourteen-year-old boy were struck by rubber bullets during yesterday's protest. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Education, Steve Mabona
Driver of vehicle involved in fatal KwaZulu-Natal crash taken in for questions
The driver of the taxi involved in a crash which claimed the lives of five school children in Imbali, Pietermaritzburg, has been taken in for questioning. The learners were all passengers in the scholar transport when the driver lost control, veered off the road and crashed into the Sezunkhulu Pre-school building. Three of the children died on the scene, whilst two died on their way to hospital. Nine others are in a critical condition. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport Spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya.
Concern over perception that SAHRC prioritizes rights of foreign nationals
Not In My Name International has raised concerns over a growing perception that the South African Human Rights Commission, or SAHRC, prioritizes the rights of foreign nationals over South African citizens. The organization says human rights are universal but is urging the Commission to address the urgent struggles of locals with equal attention. Elvis Presslin spoke to President of Not In My Name International, Siyabulela Jentile
Inquest into Steve Biko's death to be reopened
The National Prosecuting Authority, NPA will reopen the inquest into the death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko on Friday, marking 48 years since he died in police custody. Biko, the 30-year-old founder of the Black Consciousness Movement, was arrested in Port Elizabeth in August 1977 and beaten during interrogation. He suffered severe head injuries and was driven more than 1,000 kilometres to Pretoria without medical help. Official records list his cause of death as brain damage leading to kidney failure. A 1977 inquest cleared police of blame, ruling the death inconclusive. But years later, officers admitted assaults during Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, though they were denied amnesty for lying and lacking a political motive. No one has faced prosecution to date. Elvis Presslin spoke to Jabu Rakwena, AZAPO Secretary for Legal and Constitutional Affairs
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