ECR Newswatch Interviews

Steve Smit, the animal rights activist known as the "Monkey Man" and founder of Monkey Helpline, has died. Speaking to Newswatch's Lauren Hendricks, his partner Carol Booth remembers a man who never earned a salary in 20 years, dedicating his life instead to fundraising and rescuing injured wildlife. More news

Tongaat-born surgeon, Dr Kirthi Ramdhani says her greatest achievement isn't about making history, it's proving that women don't have to choose between their careers and having a family. She has been speaking to Newswatch's Lauren Hendricks ahead of Women's Day. More news

An AI-powered clinical risk prediction tool has been submitted to SAHPRA for approval to help doctors detect critical illness before symptoms appear in patients. Netcare's Professor Reitze Rodseth shas been speaking to Newswatch's Kubobonke Luthuli about the technology. More news

A dog trapped for hours in a manhole on the Bluff in Durban has been rescued. Member of the community group Bluff RTL8 has told Newswatch's Lauren Hendricks that attempts to get help overnight were unsuccessful. More news

eThekwini Speaker Thabani Nyawose has blamed poor community coordination for delays in building proper water infrastructure in Adams Mission. He has been speaking to reporter Nhlanhla Mabaso, as investigations continue into the death of Celani Zungu, who was run over by a city water tanker. More news

Cyclists from across Durban are expected to gather for a memorial ride in honour of their late friend Wessel van Dyk this weekend. Van Dyk was riding in a dedicated cycle-safe lane near Moses Mabhida Stadium when he was killed in a car crash on Saturday. The motorist is facing charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and culpable homicide. More news

Snow has fallen on Sani Pass as the latest cold front reaches the southern Drakensberg. Michelle Stevens, who with the Underberg-based Southern Drakensberg Community Tourism Organisation, says they’re well prepared. More news

Justice has finally been served nearly three years after the murder of Durban metro police officer Errol Ogle. The Durban High Court has sentenced hijacking mastermind Mlungisi Mpanza to life behind bars. Ogle's grieving widow, Faith has told reporter Lauren Hendricks she never expected such a lengthy sentence. More news

KwaZulu-Natal’s iconic sardine run could be just weeks away. Angling Times’ Vinesh Soogreem unpacks the latest sardine sightings near Port Edward, what ocean conditions are signalling, and why fishermen and spectators are already preparing for one of South Africa’s biggest marine events. He also shares important safety tips for beachgoers planning to experience the run firsthand. More news

KwaZulu-Natal is rolling out a new Geospatial Information Management Strategy aimed at improving planning, disaster response and municipal service delivery. In this podcast, Newswatch’s Lauren Hendricks explores how real-time spatial data could help cities respond more quickly to floods, sewage spills and infrastructure failures. The story also focuses on why KZN has been chosen as the launch province. More news

On World Bee Day, KZN beekeepers warn that shrinking habitats and forage loss are threatening pollinators critical to food security. Listen to why protecting bees matters for the future of farming and survival. More news

Princess Nandi Zulu shares why she is running marathons for charity, the discipline behind her training, and her mission to support vulnerable communities. Newswatch’s Lauren Hendricks caught up with the Zulu royal on her preparation for the Cape Town Marathon. More news

Snake rescuer Nick Evans says a python rescued some 2km off the Durban coast could have slithered out of a boat taking part in the Durban Ski Boat Club Festival. Evan has told Newswatch Senior Reporter, Nushera Soodyal that the African Rock Python is recovering well... More news

Relative Vimalessan Pillay says through his engineering and construction business, Alan Monswamy created jobs for the local residents. He says he went out of this way to help the community and shared a close relationship with his workers and their families. Newswatch reporter, Lauren Hendricks attended Friday afternoon's media briefing with the family in Newtown Newark on the KZN north coast. More news

The husband of a murdered Pietermaritzburg nurse says her young daughter, who witnessed the attack, is battling severe trauma. Aleyka Shaik was stabbed to death in Northdale last month. Newswatch's Lauren Hendricks spoke to Shaik's husband Tristen Arjuna... More news

Questions are still being raised about whether the proposed new school History curriculum is truly inclusive. Selvan Naidoo from the 1860 Heritage Centre spoke to Senior Reporter, Nushera Soodyal. He has given a grade-by-grade breakdown of their concerns facing high school pupils. More news

Motorists could be in for another major blow as early data points to steep fuel price hikes in May, with diesel potentially rising by up to R8 a litre and petrol by as much as R6. Economist Dawie Roodt says global oil prices remain the key driver, despite a temporary fuel levy cut offering short-term relief. More news

Sedibeng caucus leader, Sibusiso Dyonase says if elected, his priority will be to attract younger voters and broaden the party’s appeal to marginalised communities. Dyonase spoke to Newswatch Senior Reporter, Nushera Soodyal ahead of the party’s national elective conference this weekend. More news

Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, says he believes he has what it takes to make the DA the biggest political movement in South Africa. Hill-Lewis spoke to Newswatch Senior Reporter, Nushera Soodyal ahead of the party’s national elective conference this weekend. More news

With South Africa having already entered flu season, a health expert is urging the public not to panic - but to act. The flu season typically peaks between June and August, but this year it began earlier than usual in March. According to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Influenza A and B are the most common circulating strains. More news

A Durban couple's long-awaited trip to Spain fell apart overnight as tensions in the Middle East escalated, leaving them facing rebooking costs that doubled in just a few days. Jacintha Lambert says she and her husband had been planning their Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trip since November last year. More news

The South African Weather Service Forecaster Nhlanhla Sithole has explained how the short-lived tornado that formed near Bishopstowe, developed too quickly to warn residents. The meteorological service says the weather system began as a weak storm just after 17:00 in a valley area on Sunday evening, before rapidly intensifying. More news

Tristan Arjuna's world has been shattered after his partner was murdered. Aleyka Shaik, who was six months pregnant, was stabbed to death on Sunday evening in Northdale. Her husband, Arjuna, says he and Shaik, who was a nurse, had spent the day together before she left, saying she'd be back for a meal together. More news

Commuters say they are worried about how the fuel price hikes will affect their transport costs. More news

Caylie Hauptfleisch, Erin Willmot's sister describes the traumatic experience they have faced since he was attacked and left with amnesia. More news

Brian Fell and Kurtis Kinsey are putting on a symbolic show of unity by carrying 65 kilograms of weights on their backs. They are going to walk through Mariannridge, Newlands, Greenwood Park, Sydenham and Wentworth on Human Rights Day on Saturday. Newswatch's Lauren Hendricks caught up with them... More news

Joanne Teunissen, co-founder of The Baby Line under The Durban North Baby Home, says the programme works as a counselling and support service for mothers throughout their pregnancy, and during the early months after giving birth. More news

A kidney failure patient is urging South Africans to prioritise kidney health on World Kidney Day, highlighting early detection, healthy lifestyles, and regular screenings to prevent end-stage disease. Stella de Kock has been on dialysis for over a decade and has received about 2,400 sessions. More news

A nearly 3m black mamba was found in a Durban home ceiling, safely captured by a snake catcher, with sightings rising in March and during its winter mating season. More news

Residents from a Durban south community are coming together to support a mother whose son was stabbed in Thailand. The 29-year-old is recovering after surgery. A 10km fundraising run has been organised to help cover hospital costs and bring him home. More news

A Durban mother, who has used sanitary pads since she was about 10 years old, says women often have limited alternatives when it comes to menstrual products. More news

South African Breast Milk Reserve Founder and Executive Director, Stasha Jordan, says the organisation currently has only about one month’s supply donated milk in storage. More news

The owner of a KZN travel agency who has helped get dozens of South Africans back home from the Middle East says the war has interrupted acts of worship during the holiest time of the year for Muslims and Christians. Israel and the US launched air strikes against Iran over the weekend - heightening instability across the region. More news

DNA testing will be conducted on a Nile crocodile found wedged between rocks on Pennington Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast to determine where it came from. The freshwater reptile was discovered on Friday and taken to the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), where it received treatment. More news

" Look what I have now, a creation. A creation, waiting to be read and this is not the end. This is just the beginning." Those are the words of 9-year-old Imari-Kenya James from the Bluff, the creator of a colouring book "One thing about two things”. More news

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has heard emotional stories from dozens of dairy farmers in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands devastated by the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. On Friday, Steenhuisen officially launched the country’s mass vaccination campaign in KZN, the epicentre of the outbreak. More news

The sister of a Durban pilot who died in a plane crash in the North West says he was just two hours away from qualifying as a flight instructor. Leeche Manuel died during a training flight last week. More news

The Community Policing Forum in Westville says the murder of a motorist in an apparent hit has left the suburb, west of Durban shaken. More news

A KZN woman says she's still healing and will soon begin therapy a week after miraculously walking out of a horrific accident that saw her vehicle plunge down a cliff. More news

29-year-old preschool teacher tells amazing and horrifying survival story after her car plunged almost 100 meters down a steep cliff inside Oribi Gorge. More news

A woman is recovering in hospital this morning after surviving a terrifying crash which saw her car plunge 100 metres down a cliff at Oribi Gorge. More news

The South African Domestic Workers Forum says while it welcomes the 5% increase to the minimum wage, it feels the adjustment could've been higher.  More news

As KwaZulu-Natal melts under the brutal heat, parents and caregivers are being urged to prioritise hydration for young children. Mbali Mapholi, a nutritionist at Laager Rooibos Tea, says children don’t always say when they’re thirsty, adding that in hot conditions like these, dehydration can affect their moods, learning, and physical performance. More news

A new digital lifeline has been launched for women and children affected by gender-based violence. It offers twenty-four-hour support through a chatbot platform. The 1000 Women Trust says the WhatsApp-based tool is designed to provide information and safe options without directing users on what to do, allowing women to make decisions in their own time. More news

South Africa’s wetlands remain under serious threat from climate change, pollution, overgrazing, and invasive alien plants. That's the warning from The Endangered Wildlife Trust on this World Wetlands Day. The organisation says stronger community-centred conservation is critical to protecting these ecosystems for future generations. More news

Mohemmed Ballim, Msunduzi's Deputy Chief Fire Officer, says firefighters worked for over eight hours to extinguish the flames. More news

An infant who was left alone in a shack in the south of Durban while his parents allegedly went out drinking is now safe and sound as "Auntypolice" comes to rescue. More news

KZN Red Meat Producers Organisation’s Angus Williamson says the industry understands the battle against the disease is state-controlled and regulated by the World Organisation for Animal Health. More news

Emergency services personnel have been working to free the driver of a minibus taxi trapped in the wreckage of his vehicle near Lotus Park. Thursday morning's devastating crash on the old R102 claimed the lives of 11 people. Newswatch's Nushera Soodyal shared details of the emergency operation. More news

Sun safety needs to be top of mind all year round. Mazwai, a Managing Director for Universal Care, says they've recorded a 130% increase in non-melanoma skin cancer cases over the past eight years. More news