Tonight, we're talking about the people who quite literally have a hand on the steering wheel of your community, your councillors. But here's the million-rand question: Do you trust them to deliver? Who gets to wear the councillor's hat? And more importantly, what should it take to earn that hat? Under the Constitution, if you can vote for a municipal council, you can generally stand for election to one too, whether through a political party or as an independent. There are, of course, a few exceptions.We'll get to those in a moment. But the nominations bell has now rung. The deadline came and went, Friday, 28 August, at five o'clock. So, the candidates are on the starting blocks. The question is: what do you make of the calibre of people putting their hands up to serve? And forget the current crop for a moment, you may not have had time to sift through every name on every list. In general, are we getting the right people for the job? Because local government is where the rubber meets the road. It's where communities expect the basics to work... Water, roads, electricity, waste collection and functioning infrastructure. In studio we are joined by the Executive Director for Defend Our Democracy, Wade Manning and Political Analyst, Mpho Moalamedi. For more news, visit sabcnews.com and #SABCNews on all Social Media platforms.

As South Africa heads towards the 2026 Local Government Elections, political killings threaten to cast a long shadow over the ballot. What is driving these killings, why do they persist, and what happens to democracy when people are too afraid to stand for office? We ask what must be done to curb political violence before the bullets drown out the ballot. Joining the conversation are Lt Gen Tebello Mosikili – NATJOINTS Chairperson (SAPS), Dr Samkelo Janda – SALGA Chairperson, and Mike Bolhuis – Specialist Investigator. Join the conversation and share your views in the comments.

Leaders across the 16-member Southern Africa region are convening for the 46th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in Durban as South Africa takes up the reins of the organisation under the theme focusing on inclusive industrialisation. This week the show comes from Durban with panelists Vincent Magwenya (Presidential Spokesperson), Mzwandile Mbeje (SABC News Politics Editor) and Sophie Mokoena (SABC News Specialist Correspondent).

The historic march was led by Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, who stood alongside thousands of women under the powerful slogan: “Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo” - “You strike a woman, you strike a rock.” Seventy years later, how far have South African women really come? It’s Topical examines the progress made since democracy, alongside the realities of GBVF, economic inequality and women’s freedom. Joining the conversation are Dr Khosi Jyane, Clinical Psychologist; Adv Brenda Madumise-Paibo, Lawyer & Gender Activist; and Prof Hlengiwe Ndlovu, CAPS Deputy Director at Wits.

The Local Government elections. It's just three months away, almost to the date. And as you can expect, the political machinery is shifting into top gear. Parties and independent candidates are hitting the campaign trail, with manifesto launches set to come thick and fast. The rallies will get bigger. The promises will get bolder. And the competition for your vote will get hotter. To dissect this, in studio we have Angelo Fick, who is the Director of the Research, Auwal Socio Economic Research Institute (ASRI) as well as Lulu White who is the Founder of Elections Consulting Agency Of Africa and Thought Leader on elections, Democracy and Government in Africa.

A consequential courtroom ruling. The public impeachment process against President Cyril Ramaphosa has been put on hold. The Western Cape High Court, by a majority decision, has temporarily stopped Parliament's Section 89 impeachment proceedings while the President's challenge to the independent Phala Phala panel report is heard. The political and constitutional impact? Potentially far longer. In the latest developments, the African Transformation Movement has instructed its legal team to urgently approach the Constitutional Court to seek clarity on the implementation and effect of its order relating to the Section 89 impeachment process. The party says it is concerned that the Western Cape High Court judgment has created significant constitutional uncertainty. Does this all boil down to constitutional sequencing? What is the practical effect of the order? To unpack this we are joined by Senior Lecturer at Wits School of Law, Dr Shadi Maganoe, Professor Siphamandla Zondi from UJ Department of Politics and International Relations, as well as CASAC Executive Director, Lawson Naidoo.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to a thrilling conclusion at the New York New Jersey Stadium (also known as MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Defending champions Argentina take on Spain, with kick-off at 21:00 (SA time). Argentina, captained by the great Lionel Messi, are hoping to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles. Joining us in studio to unpack the tournament and preview the final are sport analyst Khanyiso Tshwaku, SoccerBeatjournalist Neo Poho, and sport psychologist Rishaan Govind.

South Africa face Canada in a second round clash of the FIFA World Cup 2026 tonight, 28 June, in Los Angeles. The co-hosts are favourites on paper, ranked 32th in the world compared to South Africa’s 54th, but Bafana Bafana have already shown they can rise to the occasion after upsetting higher-ranked Korea Republic in the group stage. This is South Africa’s first knockout appearance in four World Cup tournaments, driving huge interest and expectation back home. SABC News is on the ground with multiple teams across watch parties and public viewing areas, with live crossings to fan zones and a live studio audience. Which brings us today's topic: What do Bafana Bafana need to do to secure a place in the next round?