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Explosive allegations of abuse and violence heard in Ferrel and Darren Govender's murder trial
By Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - The murder trial of private security bosses Ferrel and Darren Govender has been adjourned to next week Monday in the Durban High Court. This after cross-examination of the states second witness. Yesterday, the witness testified that she saw Ferrel Govender allegedly assault his former girlfriend, Salona Ramrutton-Kisten, on the 22nd of December 2024, until she lost consciousness. The witness told the court that she later accompanied Ramrutton-Kisten to a private medical facility for treatment.SABC reporter, Taliesha Naidoo is following this story and joins us on the line for an update....
Phala Phala: Analysts not surprised as interdict granted to halt impeachment committee proceedings
By Newsbreak's Taresh Harreeparshad and Tashlan Naidoo - Parliament's Section 89 Impeachment inquiry will be halted. This follows the urgent interdict granted to President Cyril Ramaphosa by the Western Cape High Court a short while ago- to halt the impeachment committee's proceedings pending the outcome of the President's review application. The review application is challenging the Section 89 Independent Panel report- that found that President Ramaphosa had a case to answer, in the theft of 580-thousand US dollars on his Phala Phala farm in 2020. We are joined on the line by Political Analyst Dr Dale McKinley
#PODCAST Downing Street Power Struggle? 19-year-old Larry the Cat prepares to vet the new Prime Minister's dog #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel - Larry the Cat - the Chief Mouser at no 10 Downing Street will be welcoming the new British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to the cabinet office and Burnham's pet dog, Axel. Larry has now served at the cabinet office for almost 16 years, outlasting six Prime Ministers. Larry the Cat first arrived at Number 10 Downing Street as former British Prime Minister David Cameron's cat. Larry saw other former British Prime Ministers pass through the door thereafter - namely Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and Sir Keir Stamer. 19-year-old Larry was given the title Chief Mouser after he was adopted from a shelter to deal with the rodent infestation at Number 10 Downing Street. Will Larry the Cat get along with the new dog, Axel? Newsbreak put that question to Dr. Saloshnee Saaiman, Principal Veterinary Surgeon at AnimalZone Veterinary Hospital...
#PODCAST Newsbreak Fishing Report - Friday 24 July 2026 #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - Cast away with this week's Newsbreak Fishing Report, brought to you by KZN angler Sanjay Ramsarup...
#PODCAST The Green Connection demands Parliament drop the proposed Petroleum Bill over severe environmental risks #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Environmental group, the Green Connection has written to Parliament, urging the withdrawal of the proposed Petroleum Company Bill, warning it could entrench the country's reliance on fossil fuels while weakening public oversight. The bill seeks to establish the state-owned, South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) by consolidating three entities, namely PetroSA, iGas, and the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF). The green Connection says the legislation ignores South Africa's climate commitments and could leave taxpayers exposed to billions of rand in environmental clean-up costs. The organisation is calling for major changes to the Bill to ensure greater accountability, transparency and protection of the public interest. Program Lead at the Green Connection, Lisa Makaula says the bill in contradictory to Governments green energy transition plans...
#PODCAST Western Cape High Court rules today on President Ramaphosa's urgent bid to halt Parliament's Phala Phala impeachment #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Senior Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - The Western Cape High court will deliver its judgment today regarding President Cyril Ramaphosa's urgent bid to halt Parliament's Impeachment Committee. The President wants the committee to pause for at least three months, in anticipation of his application to review the Section 89 Independent Panel report, which found that he had a case to answer regarding the theft on his Phala Phala farm. The matter was heard over two days by a full bench of the Western Cape division, last week. Meanwhile, political parties have until 6pm today to nominate candidates for the appointment of evidence leader in the Impeachment Committee for the Section 89 Enquiry into whether or not President Cyril Ramaphosa should be impeached. This follows the Constitutional Court judgment in May that declared parts of the National Assembly's impeachment rules unconstitutional. The National Assembly was instructed to investigate whether President Cyril Ramaphosa should be removed from office in relation to the Phala Phala matter. The nominations for evidence leader will be considered at the next meeting on Wednesday. Thereafter, it will make a recommendation to Parliament regarding the appointment. Committee chairperson Makashule Gana...
#PODCAST ActionSA flags the alleged R3-billion cost of educating foreign national learners in Gauteng schools #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - ActionSA has raised concerns over what it says is the growing financial burden of educating foreign national learners in Gauteng's public schools. The party estimates the provincial government spends around 3.1 billion rand a year on their education, arguing that this is placing additional pressure on already strained resources. ActionSA says overcrowded classrooms, budget constraints and increasing demand are affecting the quality of education for all learners. However, South Africa's Constitution guarantees every child the right to basic education, regardless of nationality, making the issue both legally and politically contentious. The party is now calling for urgent interventions to ensure the education system remains sustainable while protecting constitutional rights. ActionSA president Herman Mashaba spoke to Newsbreak in this exclusive interview...
#PODCAST Disney on Ice adds extra Durban show amid high demand in first return to the city since 2019 #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - Due to overwhelming public demand and sold-out sales, promoters have added an extra morning performance to the Durban leg of Disney on Ice at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC Complex. Running from today the 24th - to the 27th of July, the addition expands the schedule to three daily performances to accommodate the high volume of families seeking to see their favourite Disney characters in action. To further broaden community access, organizers have also introduced a discounted ticket price specifically for school groups of 20 or more attending the new Friday morning session. Showtime Management's Tony Feldman says they are ready for the biggest and best Disney on Ice event that Durban has ever seen...
March and March take to the streets of Cape Town
By Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - A group of March and March protestors have taken to the streets in the Cape Town CBD calling on Government to do more in addressing undocumented migrants. This comes as March and March leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma called on South African's to continue with protests every Thursday after the mass June 30th demonstrations. SABC reporter Mlamli Maneli is on the ground as the group makes their way to parliament....
Two displaced families from the 2024 KZN floods finally get a roof over their heads
By Newsbreak Senior Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - Two families from the eThekwini Municipality can finally breathe a sigh of relief- after they finally received homes today- after being displaced by the 2024 floods. KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi officially handed over the houses today in Umbumbulu, south of the province. Our reporter Khalesakhe Mbhense was there...
#PODCAST Film industry investment takes centre stage in KZN, as the 47th Durban International Film Festival kicks off today #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - KwaZulu-Natal's investment in the film industry will be under the spotlight as the 47th Durban International Film Festival gets underway from today until the 2nd of August. The KZN Tourism and Film Authority says its support for local productions and emerging filmmakers is delivering tangible results. Head of the Centre for Creative Arts, Dr Ismail Mohamed explains how this festival will strengthen industry partnerships and create opportunities for the next generation of South African filmmakers...
#PODCAST Strict road safety checks are in full operation in KZN - to protect learners travelling to and from school #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - As schools reopen across KwaZulu-Natal, strict road safety checks are in full operation to protect learners travelling to and from school. KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, says law enforcement officers are intensifying inspections to crack down on unsafe scholar transport. Their efforts paid off when officials rescued 36 schoolchildren who were found crammed into an overloaded minibus taxi in Park Rynie, south of Durban. The vehicle was impounded and the driver was fined. Authorities say the operation sends a strong warning that unsafe vehicles transporting learners will not be tolerated. Spokesperson for the MEC, Ndabezinhle Sibiya elaborates...
#PODCAST FoodForward South Africa continue to fight hunger and landfill waste by repurposing unsold food #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Senior Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - Maintaining environmental sustainability while feeding starving South Africans. That's the goal of FoodForward South Africa (FFSA). About 10million tons of edible food is wasted in South Africa. This places a major burden on local landfill sites. As the largest food redistribution organisation in Africa- FFSA collects edible food that is not able to be retailed and distributes it to over 2 200 registered beneficiaries. In this week's Green Scene FFSA Fund Development Manager Mahbobah Jacobs explains how food re-purposing saves the planet AND its people...
#PODCAST Explosive testimony in the Shailen Singh trial reveals death threats prior to the businessman's killing #sabcnews
The murder trial of private security bosses Ferrel and Darren Govender has heard explosive testimony from the State's first witness at the Durban High Court. The witness, whose identity cannot be revealed, claims he received multiple death threats from Ferrel Govender months before Durban businessman, Shailen Singh, was gunned down in uMhlanga in December 2024. The witness also alleged that he was intimidated by armed security personnel linked to Govender's company. The Govender brothers have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. Taliesha Naidoo reports...
#PODCAST Reaction | Teen sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing his girlfriend over a rejected Valentine's date #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Senior Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - Gender Based Violence and Femicide is not just an adult issue- it also affects teenage girls. That's the assessment of GBV researcher Noxolo Sibisi. This week a teenager was sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment after he killed his seventeen-year-old girlfriend for not agreeing to go on a Valentines Day date with him. The Vryheid Regional Court heard that Asanda Fakude was driven by anger, and he then repeatedly assaulted her until she succumbed to her injuries. He later hid her body in the nearby bushes. Sibisi explains society needs to understand that even innocent teenage romances can turn deadly...
#PODCAST South Africans face the financial squeeze, as rising inflation sparks fears over a possible interest rate hike #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Civil society groups are concerned that many South Africans will face even more dire financial pressure should the Reserve Bank increase the interest rate today. This follows latest data released by Statistics South Africa, which shows that inflation rose from four-point-five percent in May to five percent in June 2026. The data indicates that the biggest contributor to inflation came from higher fuel prices, as well as higher rental prices. Program Coordinator at the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group, Mervyn Abrahams says Government must do more to relieve consumers from the burden of high electricity and other municipal tariffs...
Murder trial of Ferrel and Darren Govender continues
By Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - The trial of private security bosses Ferrel and Darren Govender is underway at the Durban High Court. The accused have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Durban businessman, Shailen Singh. Singh was shot dead in the parking lot of a restaurant in uMhlanga, north of Durban in December 2024. Ferrel who is alleged to have fired the shots that fatally wounded Singh faces 14 charges including murder and attempted murder. His brother Darren who is alleged to have acted in common purpose faces a single count of murder. A Durban businessman has taken the stand today testifying about alleged threats made against his life by Ferrel Govender. The businessman, whose identity cannot be disclosed, is the State's first witness in the murder trial. SABC reporter, Taliesha Naidoo is at court and brings us an update....
#LGE2026: IEC urges parties to submit candidate nominations early
By Newsbreak Senior Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - About 25 political parties have actively used the Electoral Commission's Online Candidate Nomination System (OCNS) to submit their candidate nomination and supporter lists. But there's still a long way to go- for parties to send their nominations and the IEC says early submissions will help avoid the last-minute rush. In this week's Election Wednesday IEC's KwaZUlu-Natal Provincial Electoral Officer Ntombifuthi Masinga explains why candidate nomination's are so crucial to the electoral timetable...
SASSA grant recipients sleep outside Bellville office seeking help
By Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - Scores of SASSA grant recipients have resorted to sleeping outside the Bellville branch in Cape Town in an effort to beat the long queues. Action SA raised the alarm on the issue following an oversight visit last night, where many beneficiaries claim to have not received their grants in the recent past. SABC reporter, Shamiela Abrahams is there and brings us an update....
#PODCAST SANTACO | Taxi operators hold firm on possible transport shutdown in Gauteng over licensing delays #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Gauteng taxi operators under SANTACO and the GNTA are holding firm on the seven-day ultimatum to the provincial government, threatening a total transport shutdown across South Africa's economic hub. The industry accuses Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela of administrative chaos and severe delays in issuing operating licenses, demanding immediate intervention from the Premier's Office. Taxi leadership warns that failure to grant a formal meeting and address their grievances within the deadline will trigger widespread protest marches and paralyze commuter transit. Santaco Chairperson Midday Mali elaborates...
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