Episodes
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Anton Hammerl family still seeking justice after 10 years of his murder
Locating the remains of slain award winning photo journalist Anton Hammerl is key to instituting an investigation into his death. That's according to the international legal team for Penny Sukhraj-Hammerl, Anton's wife. In 2001, Hammerl travelled from his home in London to Libya to cover the Arab...
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COVID-19 infection rate expected to soar even further
COVID-19 infection rates across South Africa are expected to surge over the next few weeks. This emerged during a briefing by the National Department of Health this morning. Scientists say the third wave infection rates have already surpassed those of the first and second waves. The Department…
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Education sector will not receive their vaccine this week
Workers in South Africa's education sector will not receive their vaccines this week. That's because the United States medicines regulator, the Food and Drug Administration or FDA", has not yet given the go ahead for the Johnson&Johnson jabs to be released. J&J has offered South Africa…
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The LGBTQI+ community is under siege in SA, and activists fear the situation will worsen should the law not change
The LGBTQI+ community is under siege in South Africa, and activists fear the situation will worsen should the law not change. This as a flight attendant, Aubrey Boshoga, was found outside his Johannesburg home last weekend. His body had multiple stab wounds. Boshoga's death has sparked an outcry…
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Load shedding forces employees to return to the office
South Africans working from home say, load shedding has forced many of them to return to the office, hence placing them at risk of contracting Covid-19. Earlier this week, Eskom implemented stage two load shedding, following breakdowns of generating units at the Kriel, Arnot, Majuba and Tutuka...
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Load shedding will continue to affect water supply in Johannesburg
Johannesburg Water says load shedding will continue to affect its ability to deliver uninterrupted water supply to residents in the city. Eskom has implemented stage two until ten o'clock on Friday night. This is due to the breakdown of generating units at the Majuba and Arnot power stations....
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Unemployment forces children to become bread winners
Record high unemployment statistics in South Africa, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have forced children to become bread winners. As Youth Month kicks off in the country -- Childline South Africa -- says young girls are resorting to sex work in order to feed their families, as the pandemic...
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Fake news hampers SA's vaccine drive
Fake news is hampering government's efforts to vaccinate the population. It has led to hesitancy from some to be inoculated. That's according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases or NICD. In recent weeks, social media has been flooded with fake news about deaths related to the...
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More than half of businesses in the tourism sector have retrenched staff
Just over half of companies in the travel and tourism sector in South Africa have retrenched their staff in the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That's according to the Association of Southern African Travel Agents. The industry has been the hardest hit by the pandemic with hundreds of...
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Concealing a sexual crime against a child in the family, could result in arrest
Concealing a sexual crime against a child in the family, could result in arrest. The Gauteng Department of Community Safety says although incest or child sexual assault is not a new phenomenon, the Covid-19 lockdown intensified the crime. In many cases rape in families is never reported to…
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Local music industry mourns the passing of Emmanuel "Mjokes' Matsane.
INTRO: The local music industry is mourning the passing of Emmanuel "Mjokes' Matsane. "Mjokes" -- a member of kwaito group Trompies and co-director at Kalawa Jazmee records -- died in a car crash early Sunday. The group had just performed at the Soweto Arts and Culture Festival in Meadowlands....
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South Africans trapped in Palestine
The South African embassy in Palestine is engaged in efforts to assist South Africans who wish to return home amid escalating violence between Israel and Palestine. At least 220 Palestinians, including 63 children, have been killed in Gaza since the violence flared in early May. Twelve people in...
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Redhill alumni demand retraction of a letter banning free speech
Students, parents and alumni of Redhill School in Sandton, Johannesburg have handed a memorandum of demands to the school's management. The group staged a peaceful protest outside the school this morning, after the institution issued a letter to parents last week prohibiting discussion on the...
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Vaccines run out at some sites in Gauteng
Vaccination sites in Johannesburg have seen snaking queues of health-care workers trying to get the jab before phase one of government's vaccination programme ends. Phase two, targeting the elderly and vulnerable groups is expected to begin next week. At Milpark Hospital scores of doctors and...
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Adherence to health protocols could reduce the impact of a deadly third wave
Social distancing and other health protocols could lessen the impact of a predicted third wave of Covid-19 infections. That's according to Acting Executive Director of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Professor Adrian Puren. The Health Ministry says while COVID-19 figures are...
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Skhaftin bus brings cheap, nutritious food to the Johannesburg inner city
There's a new bus in town, providing food and a new way to think green. The newly-launched Skaftin Bus brings nutritious food to residents of Johannesburg's inner city at a fraction of the cost. It also reduces plastic consumption. The concept of the zero waste mobile grocery store was introduced...
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Dr Maryam Dawjee becomes the first female Digital Smile Design master in SA
Dr Maryam Mohammed Dawjee has become the first woman and only the second person in South Africa with a masters degree in Digital Smile Design. This refers to the study of the relationships between the teeth, gums, and lips in order to virtually plan the treatment of patients with dental or facial...
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Calls for the country's school infrastructure to be declared a national crisis
The Independent Institute of Education or IIE, is calling for South Africa's current school infrastructure to be declared a national crisis. The Institute says, the disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be detrimental to a child's long term educational career. Experts in the…
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Government launches vaccine registration for those over 60
The National Health Department has assured South Africans that every citizen, who registers on the Electronic Vaccination Data System, will be offered a vaccine. Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize and his team, launched the EVD system for people over the age of 60, this morning. Phase two of the...
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South Africa temporarily suspends J&J vaccine roll out
The South African government has temporarily suspended the roll out of the Johnson&Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, made the announcement. It comes hard on the heels of the Food and Drug Administration in the United States calling for an immediate pause in the use of…
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Jostina Sangweni murder reveals the harsh reality of mental health sufferers
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group or SADAG says, the murder of fifty-nine-year-old Jostina Sangweni is a horrific reminder of the absolute necessity of educating communities about mental illness and the seriousness of psychiatric conditions. Sangweni was killed in a mob justice...
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South Africa secures 51 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines
South Africa has secured more than fifty-million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and delivery is expected to start later this month. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize made the announcement at the Soweto Home for the Aged in Gauteng. Mkhize conducted a visit of the facility as well as the Charlotte Maxeke...
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A week filled with sorrow and sadness at the public broadcaster
The last few months have been an emotional roller coaster for SABC employees across the country. This week, 621 people left the employ of the public broadcaster. Of these, 346 opted for voluntary severance packages due to lower salary packages being offered to them. Those that remain bid an...
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621 jobs shed as SABC concludes it's retrenchment process
The SABC says that it has concluded the section 189 retrenchment process and will move to a new structure on the 1st of April. The public broadcaster says that 621 permanent employees will leave the organisation this week. Labour unions say that the job cuts will compromise the quality of SABC...
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Flight doctor completes 100 life saving missions
One of SA's flight doctors, this month completed her 100th life-saving mission. Doctor Nadia Swart has been involved with medical emergency evacuations across the African continent for more than two years. In that time, she and her team, have been responsible for saving the lives of many people...
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How the country's children survived one year of lockdown
Exactly a year ago on this day - South Africa went into a national lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. For many South African children the lockdown has left them feeling sad, lonely and eager to return to a life before the virus. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused death, hunger,...
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Fears that Easter celebrations may trigger COVID-19 third wave
The National Institute of Communicable Disease has warned that mass gatherings and social events over the Easter Holidays are likely to cause a surge in COVID-19 cases, which may trigger a third wave. Many South Africans have abandoned non-pharmaceutical interventions to prevent contracting...
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Gauteng clamping down on vaccine fraud
Gauteng has depleted its stock of the Johnson and Johnson vaccines. The province has already vaccinated more than 31-thousand healthcare workers. Gauteng Premier, David Makhura and Health MEC, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi, today observed the jabs being administered at the Milpark Hospital in...
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Remembering veteran broadcaster Karima Brown
Television and Radio Broadcaster Karima Brown has been lauded for her unwavering dedication to the field of journalism in South Africa. Brown passed away this morning (Thursday 4 March) from Covid-19 related complications after a long stay in a Johannesburg hospital. In a statement, her family…
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501Y.V2 provides immunity to other Covid-19 variants
New research from the country's top medical scientists show that people infected with the variant of the coronavirus found in South Africa have developed a level of immunity against that variant and possibly other mutations of the coronavirus as well. That's according to the KwaZulu-Natal…
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Severity of the third wave, expected in June, remains unknown
South Africa can expect the emergence of a third wave of Coronavirus infections from June this year, to coincide with cold winter months. That's according to the co-chair of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID19 -- Professor Salim Abdool Karim. And with the third wave imminent -- is...
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COVID-19 leaves 7.2 million South Africans unemployed
The last quarter of 2020 saw seven-point-two million South Africans face unemployment. This is according to the Human Sciences Research Council. Combined with unemployment, the loss of life, illness, inflated food prices, and isolation -- the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic…
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Vaccine hesitancy will halt SA's economic recovery from COVID-19
Vaccine hesitancy as a result of fake news will halt South Africa's social and economic recovery from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. That's according to the Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology. It's hosted a virtual conference, seeking to address myths in...
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Vaccination programme kicks off in Gauteng
The Gauteng government intends vaccinating ten-point-four million of it's citizens in the coming months. The vaccination programme kicked off today at the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Soweto. Health MEC, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi was the first healthcare worker to receive the Johnson & Johnson...
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Ivermectic tablets found to contain undeclared substances
A study by the Soweto Clinical Trial Centre has shown that 80-percent of Ivermectic tablets found in South Africa contain at least one undeclared substance. According to the centre's Managing Director, Dr Qasim Ebrahim Bhorat, the ingredients could have dangerous consequences for patients. The...
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Medical Aid Schemes will cover COVID-19 vaccine
All Medical Aid schemes in South Africa will be covering the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine for their members. This comes after South Africa's Council for Medical Schemes or CMS added the Covid-19 vaccine to its list of Prescribed Minimum Benefits. Prabashini Moodley reports...
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South Africans assured that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe
The National Department of Health has assured South Africans that the Corona Virus vaccine is safe. Acting Director General Dr Anban Pillay says millions of people around the world have already taken the vaccine with no reports of side effects. South Africa received it's first consignment of...
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COVID-19 second surge begins it's descent in Gauteng
While the second surge of the coronavirus pandemic has begun its descent in the province of Gauteng - experts still remain concerned about the high rate of hospitalisation. The Provincial Command Council, led by Premier David Makhura, updated citizens and the media on the province's handling of…
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Lethole family demand immediate suspension of Tembisa Hospital CEO
The Justice for Shoni campaign and the family of Shonisani Lethole are demanding the immediate suspension of the Thembisa Tertiary Hospital CEO pending a disciplinary enquiry. The family held a virtual press conference after the Health Ombudsman, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba released his report…
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One-third of the country are not willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19
There's been much debate and activity around the efficacy, procurement, cost and roll out strategy for Covid-vaccines. An online survey has recently been conducted by the University of Johannesburg and the Human Sciences Research Council, touted as the largest and most comprehensive survey on...
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Concerns over prolonged use of masks
Labour unions have strongly condemned the use of surgical masks for prolonged periods. This after some healthcare workers raised concern that they sometimes have to use the same mask for up to 5 days. They say the overuse of a single mask may be leading to the high infection rate and deaths…
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"Depriving South Africans access to Ivermectic remains unconstitutional"
Health policy expert at the Free Market Foundation, Eustace Davie, believes depriving South Africans access to the Ivermectin drug is unconstitutional. This as pressure mounts on government and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority or SAHPRA to allow for the legal use of the…
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More South Africans receive false negative COVID-19 test results
Health experts say a negative COVID-19 test result doesn't necessarily mean you're in the clear, especially if you have symptoms associated with the disease. There are many cases where South Africans had to take two tests to confirm that they're Covid-positive. That's because the first test...
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Horror for Johannesburg mother after her baby tests COVID-19 positive
INTRO: While SARS CoV-2 has been less known to impact young children, a Johannesburg mother, who almost lost her five month old baby to the coronavirus, is warning otherwise. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says children have been found to be more resilient to the virus....
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Whatsapp users migrate to other social media platforms
Users of the messenger application WhatsApp have shared their frustration and annoyance about the platforms new terms of service, with some having already migrated to other platforms. Last week, the Facebook-owned messenger app, introduced new terms, requesting users to agree and allow Facebook…
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Gauteng braces itself for a spike in COVID-19 infections
Trade union Nehawu says healthcare workers in Gauteng are under siege and are struggling to treat the soaring levels of COVID-19 patients in the province. And they're concerned that it could get worse as more residents return to Gauteng after spending the holiday period at the coast or at rural...
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Founder and CEO of the Naledi Awards, Dawn Lindberg was always driven to keep theatre alive.
Founder and CEO of the Naledi Awards, Dawn Lindberg was passionate about the performance arts always driven to keep theatre alive. Lindberg passed away first week of December from health complications related to Covid19. Dawn together with her husband Des, enjoyed a successful career as musicians...
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Here's how you can still celebrate the festive season under lockdown
The COVID-19 pandemic left 2020 an unprecedented year that was filled with challenges and adversity for many families across the globe. More than a year after the first case was detected in China, many are thrilled to bid 2020 farewell. However, it's not over yet. The country has entered a second...
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South African children share their view on reconciliation
Twenty-six years into democracy and South Africa's young children have achieved the late former President, Nelson Mandela vision -- to see each other as human beings and not divided along racial lines. The Day of Reconciliation, commemorated annually on 16 December, came into effect in 1995 after...
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Calls for inclusivity on International Day of Persons with Disabilities
On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the South African Disability Alliance says disabled people in the country have nothing to celebrate. December third has been recognised by the United Nations as a day to promote the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities.…
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About this show
Interesting and thought-provoking news feature stories produced by the Johannesburg Radio News Team.
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