News24 | The Story: Recent Episodes
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This weekly news podcast by News24, takes listeners on a journey into the newsroom and to the heart of the week’s biggest story. Every week, journalists from our newsroom are interviewed, about a story that dominated headlines. During these intimate and candid conversations, the listener is given tasty titbits about the week’s biggest story. We also speak to the newsmakers as well as experts on the matter.
In South Africa, the news never stops.
Breaking stories and the horrifying headlines that accompany them happen every single day.
2022 has been no different to any other year. And violent crime has again dominated our headlines.
On this special episode of The Story, we talk to News24's political editor Qaanitah Hunter about some of the year's biggest stories. We also speak to lifestyle editor Herman Eloff about some of the lighter stories that captivated South Africans.
2022 has been a year of eye-opening revelations for all of us - and journalists have worked doggedly throughout the year to report on the stories behind the headlines.
News24 has been at the forefront of many headline-grabbing investigations.
This week, South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the decision to release former president Jacob Zuma on early medical parole had been unlawful. And in another court, the highest in the country, another ruling that has dominated the headlines was delivered. The Constitutional Court ruled that Janusz Walus, who gunned down SACP leader, Chris Hani almost thirty years ago, be released on parole.
It's not long until the end of the year, and many matric learners are counting down the days until they finish their final exams. But, those who wrote the Matric Maths paper 2 last week are anxious about their results after trying to solve the unsolvable question 5. News24 podcasts
On Tuesday, finance minister Enoch Godongwana briefed journalists on the Preferential Procurement Regulations. The new regulations have come under fire from some quarters, but the minister has denied they are a setback for transformation. News24 podcasts
Former Eskom acting chief executive Matshela Koko appeared in the Middleburg Magistrate's Court on Monday, along with seven other co-accused. News24 podcasts
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday, announcing steps that the government will take to implement recommendations made by the Zondo Commission of inquiry. Describing corruption as a crime against the people of South Africa, Ramaphosa promised an overhaul of the country's anti-corruption architecture. News24 podcasts
A man arrested in connection with the abduction, rape and murder of a four-year-old girl appeared in the Benoni Magistrate's Court this week. It's yet another horrific case of child murder that too often dominates the headlines in South Africa. News24 podcasts
On Monday, News24 specialist legal journalist Karyn Maughan and state advocate Billy Downer appeared in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. It was the first day of former president Jacob Zuma's private prosecution of Maughan and Downer. News24 podcasts
On Monday, a 67-year-old German tourist was shot dead in an attempted hijacking near the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga. He was travelling with his wife and two other German tourists. The fatal shooting has highlighted South Africa's high levels of violent crime, and there are concerns about the impact on the country's tourism industry. News24 podcasts
Plettenberg Bay beaches in the Western Cape were reopened on Wednesday after several days of closure. They were closed on Sunday after a shark attack claimed the life of a 39-year-old Cape Town woman. It was the second fatal shark attack in only three months. News24 podcasts
The South African energy crisis escalated this week as Eskom implemented Stage 6 load shedding in the early hours of Sunday morning. The state-owned power utility is struggling to meet electricity demand, and rolling blackouts were, once again, the order of the day. News24 podcasts
Hundreds of residents in the small Free State town of Jagersfontein were displaced after the dam at a diamond mine burst and flooded the area on Sunday. News24 podcasts
The murder trial of former Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa resumed in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria this week. Meyiwa was shot dead at the home of his girlfriend, singer Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus in 2014. Five men are currently on trial for his murder. News24 podcasts
Former Transnet executives Brian Molefe and Anoj Singh and several co-accused face various charges involving millions of rand, including fraud, money laundering and corruption. News24 podcasts
The two most prominent South African trade union federations, Cosatu and Saftu, called for a national shutdown on Wednesday in protest against rising living costs, particularly fuel price hikes.
But many South Africans continued with business as usual, ignoring the unions' calls to stay home.
This week, we unpack the strike action and ask if its impact was significant enough to make the government sit up and heed workers' grievances.
We talked to Fin24 journalist Khulekani Magubane, who covered the shutdown, and Saftu secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi.
News24 investigations have revealed explosive details of what may have led to the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran. The senior Gauteng health department official was gunned down in August in front of her home in Winchester Hills, Johannesburg. News24 podcasts
President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing mounting pressure as more details about the 2020 burglary at his Phala Phala farm have emerged. This week, News24 published an exclusive investigation about the alleged theft of millions in cash. It sheds more light on a scandal that could potentially threaten Ramaphosa's future as president. News24 podcasts
More than 80 people appeared in the Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court this week in connection with a gang rape in Krugersdorp, but none of the accused has been directly linked to the rapes as yet.
Instead, they are being charged with being in the country illegally.
The case was postponed to 10 August, for an identity parade to be held.
To uncover the truth behind the brutal murder of whistleblower Babita Deokaran, News24's investigative team tried to expose what the chief accountant for the Gauteng health department had raised concerns about.
Deokaran was murdered outside her home in the south of Johannesburg in August 2021 after dropping her daughter off at school.
In a special exposé this week, News24 reported that Deokaran had tried to stop R100 million in dodgy payments and flagged nearly R850 million in other suspicious transactions to the Gauteng health department shortly before she was murdered.
Seven people were murdered in a violent farm attack in Kestell last week. This week on The Story, we discuss it with News24's Iavan Pijoos. We then hear from a social rights activist about the unique nature of farm attacks, and the associated misconceptions. www.news24.com
A brutal mass shooting at a tavern in Soweto last week bought South Africa's gun laws and the issue of illegal weapons into the spotlight.
A total of 16 people were killed in the shooting in Orlando East, Soweto.
In a separate incident in Pietermaritzburg, just a few hours before the Soweto attack, four people were shot dead in a tavern.
Last week, South Africa was plunged into stage 6 load shedding, honing the attention of an already frustrated country onto Eskom and the figures of authority in charge of the state power utility, looking for answers and accountability.
An illegal wage strike by Eskom workers further strained the failing infrastructure, increasing the load shedding burden.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, 21 teenagers - between the ages of 13 and 17 - died in a tavern in the Eastern Cape. Authorities have said carbon monoxide poisoning could be the cause.
'Farmgate' has gripped the nation's attention and News24's investigative journalists are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of the truth. It's been nearly a month since the allegations against President Ramaphosa were brought into the spotlight by former spy boss Arthur Fraser. This week on The Story we'll talk to Jeff Wicks who tells us about his investigation into the prime suspect's expensive spending habits. www.news24.com
Nelson Mandela Bay is set to reach Day Zero in less than two weeks. The region has suffered a devastating drought for roughly six years. This week on The Story we discover just how bad things are. www.news24.com
President Cyril Ramaphosa was robbed of a large amount of cash, allegedly foreign currency, from his game farm in Limpopo in February 2020. Now, two years later, former spy boss Arthur Fraser opened a criminal case against him. Fraser alleged he had provided police with evidence showing Ramaphosa "concealed the crime" from them.
Abongile Mafalala, an e-hailing taxi driver from Dunoon, Cape Town, was an innocent victim of a gruesome mob justice attack on Tuesday morning in Parkwood, Grassy Park. Police have arrested 14 suspects involved in the attack, some of whom will be appearing in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Monday. www.news24.com
In early 2020, 18-year-old Ruan van Heerden attacked his adoptive parents in their home in Pretoria.
He stabbed his mother 36 times while co-accused Carlson Phelps beat his father with a golf club.
On Tuesday, Van Heerden was charged with murder in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court where he received a 25-year sentence.
Phelps is set to appear in court on 7 June.
An allegedly racist incident that occurred at Huis Marais residence on Stellenbosch University campus over the weekend, has triggered conversations around the extent of transformation at the university.
A seemingly intoxicated first year student, Theuns du Toit, urinated on the belongings of Babalo Ndwayana in the early hours of Sunday morning.
There have been three mass shootings in Khayelitsha just short of two months, resulting in the deaths of 17 people collectively.
On Sunday, six people were shot and killed outside a spaza shop in Site C in the early evening.
The trial of five men accused of the murder of Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa in 2014 finally got under way in the Pretoria High Court last week. It's been nearly eight years since the football star was shot and killed at his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo's house in Vosloorus, near Johannesburg. News24 podcasts
On Monday, president Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster in response to catastrophic flooding in KwaZulu-Natal-Natal. Hundreds of people have died, and thousands have been displaced. R1 billion in relief funds has been made available to rebuild the province, but many South Africans fear the money will simply be looted, as happened during the Covid-19 pandemic. News24 podcasts
On Monday, president Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster in response to catastrophic flooding in KwaZulu-Natal. Hundreds of people have died, and thousands have been displaced. R1 billion in relief funds has been made available to rebuild the province, but many South Africans fear the money will simply be looted, as happened during the Covid-19 pandemic. News24 podcasts
On Monday, president Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster in response to catastrophic flooding in KwaZulu-Natal. Hundreds of people have died, and thousands have been displaced. R1 billion in relief funds has been made available to rebuild the province, but many South Africans fear the money will simply be looted, as happened during the Covid-19 pandemic. News24 podcasts
Devastating floods caused by torrential rains wreaked havoc in KwaZulu-Natal this week. Hundreds of people have been killed by the floods and landslides. News24 journalists were dispatched to the scenes of devastation, and this week on The Story, they recount the horrors of what they saw. News24 podcasts
Devastating floods caused by torrential rains have wreaked havoc in Kwazulu-Natal this week. Hundreds of people have been killed by the floods and landslides. It's been described as one of the worst floods in KZN on record. News24 journalists were dispatched to the scenes of devastation, and this week on The Story, they recount the horrors of what they saw. News24 podcasts
After 750 days, president Cyril Ramaphosa lifted the country's state of disaster at midnight on Monday. But, there's been criticism of proposed regulations under the National Health Act that some argue will effectively allow the government to hold on to unprecedented emergency powers - including quarantining citizens. News24 podcasts
The world's economy has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic for the last two years, but towards the end of last year, it started to recover - at long last. Then came the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the possibility of a third world war looming large. This sent the financial markets into another tailspin, but the rand remained surprisingly strong. News24 podcasts
On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the further easing of Covid-19 regulations. But, the National State of Disaster was extended yet again, drawing criticism from some quarters. It is now set to expire on 15 April, more than two years since it was declared at the start of the pandemic.
This week on The Story, an aviation expert tells News24 the grounding of Kulula and domestic British Airways flights, operated by Comair, should have been a "last resort". He criticised the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) for its lack of transparency. News24 podcasts
Suffering continues in Ukraine as Russia steps up its onslaught. Several ceasefire agreements to allow citizens to flee cities have failed. And on Wednesday, a hospital in the port city of Mariupol was hit by a Russian airstrike, leaving three people dead. News24 podcasts
2021 has been a tough year for South Africans. Loadshedding, Covid-19, a changing political landscape, and a battered economy has all taken its toll on the health and emotional wellbeing of most South Africans. News24 podcasts
The discovery of a new Covid-19 variant has sent the world into panic mode. South African scientists announced the discovery of the variant last week, sparking travel bans against the country. Health officials believe the new variant, named Omicron, is driving up infections, with Gauteng at the epicentre of cases. News24 podcasts
South Africa's official opposition, the Democratic Alliance, has reaped the benefits of smaller parties uniting against their common enemy, the ANC. The DA won mayorships in Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and the City of Johannesburg. The ANC has now lost control of the biggest and most important metros in Gauteng, the economic heartbeat of the country, News24 podcasts
The government's withdrawal of its support for the Miss SA pageant has sparked controversy ahead of the Miss Universe contest in Israel next month.
Organisers of Miss South Africa refused to boycott the event, despite the government's advice to withdraw from the competition.
South Africans have had a rough week as Eskom bounced between stage two and stage four load shedding. Faced with up to three outages a day, many South Africans are despairing about the future of this country, and whether Eskom will ever be able to meet power supply demands. News24 podcasts
A record low voter turnout characterised the 2021 municipal elections, with a resultant significant impact on the fortunes of some political parties. More than 13 million voters, eligible to vote, did not even take the time to register. It was the lowest voter turnout in the history of the country's democracy. And for the first time since 1994, the ANC's support fell to below 50%. News24 podcasts
It's been almost two weeks since four young brothers were kidnapped while being driven to school in Polokwane, Limpopo. The case of the Moti brothers has been dominating headlines, and has highlighted the terrifying trend of kidnappings in South Africa. News24 podcasts
Vaccinations of children between the ages of 12 and 17 started on Wednesday this week. The South African government wants to increase the number of Covid-19 vaccinations ahead of the final matric exams. A single dose of the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for children by South Africa's health regulator. News24 podcasts
Animal welfare organisations are alarmed by a case of dognapping that happened in Cape Town last weekend. A woman's dog disappeared from sight while she was walking on Table Mountain, and several hours later she received a phone call demanding a ransom of R500 for the safe return of her dog. Despite the police accompanying her for the exchange, no arrests were made. News24 podcasts
On Monday, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) recommended the exact same candidates they originally put forward for appointment as judges to the Constitutional Court. CASAC challenged the legality of the JSC's April process, and as a result the high court ordered a rerun of the April interviews. But, the result was no different, with two top legal minds excluded for a second time. News24 podcasts
This week on The Story, we take a look at the Special Investigating Unit (SIU)’s damning report into the R150 million Digital Vibes saga.
The department of health initially contracted Digital Vibes for the National Health Insurance (NHI) campaign in 2019, which was when former health minister Zweli Mkhize reportedly pressured officials to appoint the company for the contract.
Pretoria mother, Lauren Dickason, allegedly killed her three daughters last week in New Zealand. Lauren, her husband Graham and their 2-year-old twins Maya and Karla and 6-year-old daughter Liane immigrated from South Africa at the end of August. This week on The Story, we talked to Parent24 editor Elizabeth Mamacos and psychologist Gerda Kriel about what may have triggered Dickason to commit these murders. www.news24.com
Former president Jacob Zuma dominated the headlines this week after the Correctional Services department announced his release on medical parole. It's since emerged that the medical parole advisory board did not recommend his release, but that decision was overruled by Correctional Services boss Arthur Fraser. www.news24.com
On Monday, six men appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court in connection with the murder of Gauteng health department finance official Babita Deokaran. A further two suspects were arrested on Thursday and subsequently released. Deokaran was a key witness in multimillion rand tender fraud investigations. Her death has turned the spotlight on the need to review protection policies for whistleblowers. www.news24.com
The brutal killing of women in the country has again come under the spotlight. This, after the recent murder of University of Fort Hare student Nosicelo Mtebeni. The case has sparked public outrage, but experts say that will not be enough to tackle the problem. News24 podcasts
Former Lew Geffen Sotheby's CEO Jason Rohde appealed his conviction and sentence in the Supreme Court of Appeal. Join us as News24's specialist legal journalist Karyn Maughan explains what is likely to happen next. News24 podcasts
Vaccine hesitancy is becoming a growing concern for the South African government, as the country tries to make its way back to pre-Covid times. If not enough people are vaccinated, it will prolong the pandemic. In South Africa, only 17% of the population has been vaccinated. News24 podcasts
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday night announced changes to his executive - in his very first Cabinet reshuffle. Ministers who got the chop include Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Tito Mboweni – who asked to be "excused". Ramaphosa also announced the resignation of suspended health minister Zweli Mkhize. News24 podcasts
South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries globally - with its beaches, the iconic Table Mountain, wine regions and wildlife. Yet, its unlikely to be one of the top picks for international tourists any time soon due to the recent unrest and looting sprees and the impact on the economy by Covid-19. News24 podcasts
South Africa's governmental security agencies have come under the spotlight since the chaos that ensued after the arrest and jailing of former president Jacob Zuma on 7 July. The public has been fed mixed messages about what triggered the unrest and who, exactly, was behind it. News24 podcasts
Protests began in Northern KZN after the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma, last week. What started as seemingly politically motivated unrest escalated into full-scale looting across parts of KZN and Gauteng. News24 Podcast
The Covid-19 third wave is gathering speed fuelled by the Delta variant. The health system in Gauteng, the epicentre, has been buckling under a spike of infections and hospital admissions. In the Western Cape, the province which has been recording the second highest rate of infections, authorities are in a race against time to prepare hospitals. News24 podcasts
The Constitutional Court on Tuesday found former President Jacob Zuma guilty of comtempt of court for failing to appear before the Zondo Commission. He has been sentenced to fifteen months behind bars. But, he's fighting back. News24 podcasts
The Gauteng health system seems to be buckling under the pressure as a third wave of Covid-19 infection continues to rise. News24 Podcasts
A private international school in Cape Town is at the centre of the latest allegation of racism. Parents and pupils protested outside the Deutsche Schule Kapstadt, a German school on the slopes of Table Mountain, this week. The teacher at the focus of their anger was suspended, but reinstated after just one week. News24 podcasts
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane's application to have the impeachment rules for a Chapter 9 head declared unconstitutional and invalid started in the Western Cape High Court on Monday. News24 podcasts
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize is under pressure to quit after being linked to a Covid-19 corruption scandal involving R150 million rand. This week on The Story, we unpack the allegations and the implications for the health ministry and the Presidency itself. News24 Podcasts
This episode was first published on 25 October 2019, and has been amended since publication. He was suspended from practicing at Mediclinic hospitals in 2016 and, now, is barred from Netcare theatres too. Prominent Johannesburg paediatric surgeon Dr Peter Beale, 73, stands accused of negligence that led to the deaths of at least three of his young patients. The death of 10-year-old Zayyaan Sayed has spurred father Mohammadh to lay criminal charges against the well-known paediatric surgeon as well as anaesthetist Dr Abdulhay Munshi. News24 Podcasts
This week on The Story, we take an in-depth look at the cloud of controversy hanging over the Gauteng health department as allegations of tender corruption surfaced. Dodgy PPE tender procurements land government officials in hot water
On this week’s episode of The Story, we reflect on the life and times of anti-apartheid struggle stalwart Andrew Mlangeni, who passed away in Pretoria on Tuesday. Remembering the life of anti-apartheid struggle stalwart Andrew Mlangeni
On this week’s episode of The Story, we try to make sense of what lies ahead for South Africa’s fraught education system, and the country’s schoolchildren, in the midst of an unpredictable pandemic. Schools under pressure as SA's Covid-19 pandemic gains momentum
Gauteng has officially overtaken the Western Cape as the country's coronavirus hotspot with the highest number of cases cumulatively, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced late on Wednesday. Gauteng is South Africa's smallest but most densely populated province. The spike in Gauteng infections had been anticipated and expected. What next for Gauteng as it overtakes Western Cape as SA's Covid-19 hotspot
Statues across the world are being torn down or vandalised in response to legitimate anger about racism and historical oppression. What is to become of the many remaining statues of historical figures from past eras in South Africa's fraught history? And will removing them remedy the ills of the past? Will removing statues representing oppression remedy ills of the past?
As lockdown restrictions gradually ease, judicial matters that were put on hold, are now resuming. On Tuesday, former president Jacob Zuma returned to the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg for his corruption trial. Delays remain the name of the game for Zuma’s corruption case
In a 30-minute televised speech, President Cyril Ramaphosa read a list of names during his national address on Wednesday. "...Tshegofatso Pule, Naledi Phangindawo, Nompumelelo Tshaka, Nomfazi Gabada, Nwabisa Mgwandela, Altecia Kortjie and Lindelwa Peni. All of them are young women who were killed by men," he said. In recent weeks, news headlines have been dominated by reports of several cases of gender-based violence. Is Ramaphosa's Cabinet taking violence against women and children seriously?
The EFF has entered the spotlight again after new revelations of VBS mutual bank money allegedly being paid into slush funds that found its way into the pockets of party leaders Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu. EFF back in public politics as new report gives insight into VBS loot
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has forced the world to embrace a "new normal". This week, a number of schools across the country welcomed some of their learners back. These pupils had to embrace a new schooling environment compared to the one they left. School bells ring late in several schools across the country
It's the twenty-third day of South Africa's nationwide lockdown and across the country frustrations are rising and slowly reaching a tipping point. On Tuesday, police had to fire rubber bullets to disperse angry crowds in Mitchells Plain just outside Cape Town. Mitchells Plain residents clash with police over food parcels
March was arguably the busiest month for President Cyril Ramaphosa as head of state. Every other day, Ramaphosa is putting out fires - some created unnecessarily by members of his own Cabinet. One such fire was created by Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams. She was seen in a photograph having lunch with ANC MP and former deputy minister of higher education Mduduzi Manana, despite the government's lockdown regulations ordering people to stay at home. Lockdown lunch - has Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams lost her groove?
It's been nine days since South Africa was placed under a nationwide lockdown and there's been countless complaints and cases filed against the police as a result of their alleged use of excessive force. Footage of soldiers and police officers beating people or forcing them to perform strenuous exercises has been widely circulated on social media. THE STORY: Locked and loaded - police shoot at News24 journalist during lockdown
South Africa now has its first death resulting from the novel coronavirus. On Friday, March 27th, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said in a statement that the fatality occurred in the Western Cape. The victim is a 48-year-old woman who tested positive for Covid-19, earlier this week. She already had a pre-existing condition - she was suffering from a pulmonary embolism. Covid-19 claims its first victim in South Africa - here's what we know
Shopping centres across South Africa were in a frenzy this week, as people rushed to stock up their pantries. Shelves at major retailers like Woolworths, Pick ’n Pay and Checkers were left empty. In this episode of The Story, we speak to Business Insider South Africa's Associate Editor Phillip De Wet. He dials into the show to discuss consumer habits, ethical panic buying, and whether stockpiling toilet paper and bread is really the best way to handle the outbreak. Coronavirus in SA — Keep calm and stop buying toilet paper
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane is no stranger to news headlines and this week she was in the news again. On Tuesday, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria set aside Mkhwebane's report into President Cyril Ramaphosa and his ANC presidential (CR17) campaign in a scathing judgment which a full Bench handed down. Is it game over for the Public Protector?
After weeks of misinformation and speculation, the first coronavirus victim in South Africa has been confirmed. On Thursday, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize released a statement confirming that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NCID) confirmed a positive test. CORONAVIRUS NOW IN SA AFTER PATIENT ZERO FOUND IN KZN - SO WHAT NOW?
Earlier this week, News24 revealed that Andile Ramaphosa, President Cyril Ramaphosa's eldest son, received more money than he had initially claimed from his business relations with Bosasa. Two months befor Ramaphosa Jr signed a contract with corruption-accused company Bosasa, it was already paying money into a bank account belonging to his company, Blue Crane Capital. Ramaphosa Jr also netted an estimated R1.3m more than the R2m he previously claimed to have received. Ramaphosa Jr, Bosasa and the missing million
It's been a difficult start to the 2020 school calendar for Gauteng, with several pupils dying in various tragic accidents. In less than two months, almost 20 student deaths have been reported. More questions than answers after release of report into Enock Mpianzi’s death is delayed
The EFF returned to its tactics of disrupting the State of the Nation Address (SONA), last seen under the presidency of Jacob Zuma, when Parliament sat for the opening of both Houses on Thursday evening. While it was expected the red berets would interrupt President Cyril Ramaphosa's 2020 SONA to call for the removal of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, it was, in fact, former president FW de Klerk whom the fighters first targeted. FW de Klerk has the EFF feeling hot under the collar during SONA
Nearly two years since Jacob Zuma stepped down as the president of South Africa, he continues to dominate the headlines. This week, he is at the centre of a controversy that is rooted in a sick note. Jacob Zuma - ultimate 'Teflon Don' or ailing former statesman?
It's been a rollercoaster year for South Africans. We had a national election which saw Cyril Ramaphosa assuming the most powerful position in the country. We watched as Jacob and Duduzane Zuma took centre stage at the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture - where their testimonies left the nation with more questions than answers. We had moments of heartbreak and devastation with the frequent reports of violence against women, children and migrants. And we found ourselves in the dark after Eskom re-introduced loading shedding. However, despite the dark times, we had moments of glory thanks to the Springbok's triumphant World Cup win and Zozibini Tunzi snagging the Miss Universe crown. On this special episode of The Story, we talk to editors and senior reporters in our newsroom, about the stories and newsmakers that dominated 2019. A look at the stories that dominated the headlines
About 600 bidders and onlookers stood ten-deep inside Bosasa's Imbizo Hall on Wednesday morning, braving wet and cold conditions to grab a piece of the Bosasa pie. The first day of a three-day auction got underway with intense bidding for nearly 140 cars, trucks and bakkies that belonged to the corruption accused company in Krugersdorp. Going, going, gone... Bosasa's assets auctioned off
The body of a fourth teenager, who drowned at a Cape Town beach over the weekend, has been recovered. On Wednesday morning, during ongoing search-and-recovery efforts, the body of 18-year-old Uwamungu John Damour was located and recovered from the sea at Rocklands Beach, National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said in a statement. The tragic Sea Point drowning of four refugee teens
Willem Breytenbach, a former teacher-turned-journalist who became an executive at Media24 before he left the company in 2014, is accused of raping a schoolboy more than 20 years ago when he headed-up a school newspaper project for the company. On Thursday, News24 and Deon Wiggett, in a four-part true-crime podcast titled My Only Story, tracks down Breytenbach, who allegedly sexually assaulted many boys and young men since at least 1990. Breytenbach has gone to ground since the first episode of My Only Story flighted on News24 two weeks ago. Exposing 'Jimmy' - the media exec accused of assaulting boys
This week on The Story, we take a look at the tornadoes causing devastation in the province. We speak to News24 KwaZulu-Natal reporter Kaveel Singh who has been following the resulting storms closely. Finally, we speak to 87-year-old Valentin Volker who weathered the last tornado to rip through New Hanover, in 1948. KZN on lockdown after tornado kills two
"Siya! Beast! Mapimpi! Faf!" These were some of the screams and cheers from the young and old as the Springbok tour bus drove through the streets of Soweto on Thursday. It's been a thrilling week for South Africa, following the Springbok's spectacular win against England in the Rugby World Cup final in Japan on Saturday. This is The Story, a weekly podcast from News24. Guts and glory - Super Siya and the Springboks' incredible win
"You're putting the cart before the horse," Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said in response to a question from a journalist in Parliament about whether he intended to sue the Sunday World newspaper. The newspaper ran a story on Sunday quoting Mantashe, saying that he bribed two of their journalists to bury a story about his sex life. On Tuesday he released a statement denying this. Sex, bribes and denial - Gwede Mantashe and the 'slay queen'
It's the scandal that rocked Bishops Diocesan College in Rondebosch, Cape Town: a 30-year old teacher is accused of having an illicit relationship with an 18-year-old matric pupil. On the pilot episode of The Story, a weekly podcast from News24, we go inside the scandal, speaking to journalists and experts about the case involving Fiona Viotti and a school-going boy. Inside the Bishops sex scandal