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Bafana Mahungela found guilty of the murder of Johannesburg teacher Kirsten Kluyts
By Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - Bafana Mahungela has been found guilty of all charges in the High Court in Johannesburg. He killed school teacher Kirsten Kluyts in October 2023. The charges against Mahungela included murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances and attempted rape. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges. SABC reporter, Refilwe Mekoa is at court and joins us on the line for an update....
New report finds poorly run municipalities are slowing down SA's economic growth
By Newsbreak Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - Poorly run municipalities are slowing down South Africa's economic growth. This was a key finding in the Institute of Race Relations (IRR's) report entitled Local Government: crises decades in the making and how to deal with them. It says that municipalities have been plagued by poor governance, perpetual financial difficulties and ineffective administration. This makes the urban viability of municipalities unattractive for economic development, according to the report. Author Terence Corrigan explains how mismanaged municipalities are stunting the countries developmental potential...
Heritage Month: 14-Year-Old KZN boy uses AI to keep generations old tradition of beadwork alive
By Newsbreak PAs Heritage Month celebrations continue, a young KwaZulu-Natal teenager is proving that preserving the past can involve looking to the future. Fourteen year old Yuvhaan Singh has used AI and robotics to keep the generations-old tradition of beadwork alive. He's built Beadbot, a robot made from scratch using Lego and AI training, designed to showcase and preserve the craft. Now, he's hoping to take that innovation from the World Robot Olympiad South Africa (WROSA) National Final this weekend in Pretoria to the world stage in Puerto Rico. Singh explains how his invention was born....roducer, Tashlan Naidoo -
#PODCAST World Suicide Prevention Day | Experts urge regular check-ins amid high youth suicide rates #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Senior Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - Yesterday (Thursday) marked the end of a three-year World Health Organisation theme for World Suicide Prevention Day: Changing the Narrative on Suicide- with an emphasis on starting the conversation. Three years on- has it become easier to have this critical conversation about suicide prevention? Counsellor Vanishaa Gordhan says it has- but there are definitely areas for development. Currently in South Africa there are about 23 suicides per 100,000 people- with suicide being the second leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29. Gordhan says the country needs to ensure that mental health check-ins with each other become more frequent... *If you need to speak some one dial the South African Depression and Anxiety Group on 0800 567 567.
#PODCAST Heritage Month | How indentured heirloom jewellery shaped family savings #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel - In today's Heritage Month Focus - Jewelry played an important role in savings and investment in the early years during and after indenture. These heirlooms have been passed down from generation to generation, but are now becoming scarce, as youngsters choose simple, wearable pieces rather than elaborate and busy, intricate designs. Durban based jeweller, Vijay Shah speaks about the significance of heritage jewellery...
#PODCAST Newsbreak Fishing Report - 11 September 2026 #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Cast away with this week's Newsbreak Fishing Report, brought to you by KZN angler Sanjay Ramsarup...
#PODCAST Investigative journalist Caryn Dolley's new book exposes deep ties between drug cartels and state corruption #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - Award-winning investigative journalist Caryn Dolley has released her fifth book - The Untouchables: Drug Lords, Dirty Cops, and South Africa's Darkest Secrets - exposing decades of institutional collusion between political heavyweights, law enforcement and global drug cartels. The publication reframes the traditional State Capture narrative, demonstrating how illicit narcotics networks dating back to apartheid-era Mandrax syndicates, formed the foundational connective tissue of post-apartheid state corruption. Launching amid current developments in the Madlanga Commission and high-level police suspensions, the book maps out the architecture of a criminal state whose key players are only now facing public reckoning...
#PODCAST New health partnership brings free cataract surgery to rural communities #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - A partnership aimed at bringing cataract treatment closer to vulnerable traditional communities was launched across the country. The National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, the Al-Imdaad Foundation and Medicare have joined forces to provide eye assessments, cataract surgery and follow-up care to people who cannot afford private treatment. Al-Imdaad spokesperson, Abed Karrim explains how their help may reach the poorest of communities in the country...
#PODCAST Police vow end to Glenwood student parties following resident outcry over falling property values #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - Glenwood and Davenport homeowners are warning that repeated street parties and growing student accommodation could damage property values and make homes in the area harder to sell. The concerns follow scenes on Helen Joseph Road last weekend, when mainly students blocked traffic after the Springboks' rugby victory, leaving residents questioning whether the area is becoming a regular hotspot for disorder. At a packed community meeting earlier this week, Durban Metro Police admitted they were caught off guard and promised residents that a repeat of the incident would not happen. Ward 33 Councillor Fran Kristopher explains the impact on residents, policing and the future of the area...
World Suicide Prevention Day: an important reminder to have the conversation
By Newsbreak Senior Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - Starting conversations from a young age about how to deal with challenging emotions. That's the advice from Varaya Wellness this World Suicide Prevention Day. Globally more than 720 000 people die by suicide each year. In South Africa there are about 23 suicides per 100,000 people. Varaya Wellness director Vishen Pillay explains that it's important to let people know that they don't have to hold it all together, by themselves...
South Africa's natural heritage under threat - as authorities target alien invasive species
By Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - Invasive alien species are threatening the health of South Africa's natural landscapes, and authorities are stepping up the fight to eradicate them. The Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Narend Singh, is leading a joint compliance and enforcement operation at the Bitou Local Municipality in Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape. The week long operation will target landowners and land users who fail to meet their legal obligations to manage and eradicate listed invasive species. Deputy Minister Singh says those found flouting regulations could face fines up to 10-million-rands....
#PODCAST 1860 Heritage Centre hosts Durban festival celebrating SA's rich culinary heritage #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel - From koeksisters to kitchree - South African Heritage Foods will be celebrated and showcased this month detailing changes over the years to suit local palates. The Heritage Food Festival hosted by the 1860 Heritage Centre at Derby Street in Durban brings together unique cuisines that can be traced back to lands of origin like India and Malaysia. Curator Selvan Naidoo, says the menu will not only fill the tummy, but satisfy a deep craving for food that recalls fond memories... *The festival takes place this Saturday from 9am to 4pm and includes tours and live cooking demonstrations.
#PODCAST Arbor Month: Environmentalists urge sustainable industrialisation to protect green spaces #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - As we commemorate National Arbour month this September, environmentalists are calling for a more sustainable approach to industrialisation. With urbanisation and industrialisation placing increasing pressure on the environment, communities are being urged to take action. Environmentalists say protecting nature is a shared responsibility, and every tree planted is a step in the right direction. Advocacy and Programme Lead at The Green Connection, Lisa Makaula says from planting a tree to protecting existing green spaces, small actions can make a lasting difference...
#PODCAST Over 400,000 SA children out of school as EdTech firm "d6" uses data to curb dropouts #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Tracy Valaydham - South Africa is facing a growing challenge in trying to keep learners in school, with more than 400-thousand children currently outside the education system. That's according to the 2024 General Household Survey, which found that 265-thousand children aged between 16 and 18 are not in the system. South African Educational Technology company, d6 is trying to bridge the gap by providing cloud-based school management and communication software using everyday school data. CEO Willem Kitshoff says this software can identify patterns that could indicate why a learner is falling behind or becoming disengaged in the classroom...
Drugs and weapons among prohibited items confiscated from Gauteng high school learners
By Newsbreak Producer, Tashlan Naidoo - Authorities have confiscated drugs, weapons and other prohibited items during unannounced raids at schools across the Gauteng Province this morning. This as the Gauteng Education Department is continuing with intensified school safety operations to tackle substance abuse, gangsterism and the possession of dangerous weapons at schools. Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile together with law enforcement and security partners have so far participated in operations at 23 schools across the province. SABC reporter, Luyanda Danca is on the ground and brings us an update....
Residents of Laudium demand alleged drug den be shut down
By Newsbreak Senior Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad - Residents of Laudium, south west of Tshwane are demanding an alleged drug den be closed in the area. Community members led by the DA's Cilliers Brink marched to the Laudium Police station yesterday claiming that drugs have been rapidly infiltrating their communities. They claim a drug den is operating- within the vicinity to the station. Local DA representative Anil Pahlad says they are demanding that the alleged den be closed immediately...
#PODCAST TUT's student-built "SunChaser 4" solar car prepares to take on the eight-day Sasol Solar Challenge #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Tashlan Naidoo - Years of dedication, innovation and hard work will hit the open road tomorrow, as Tshwane University of Technology students put their solar car to the ultimate test. The team's 'SunChaser 4' vehicle will cross the start line in Sasolburg in the Free State Province, beginning an eight-day, journey to Cape Town and along the West Coast as part of the Sasol Solar Challenge. Predominantly designed and built by the students, the car is a showcase of South African engineering talent and the future of sustainable mobility. Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Dr Christiaan Oosthuizen says the vehicle has been put through rigorous safety and aero-dynamical tests and has full confidence that it will go all the way...
#PODCAST Techno Touch | Alarms raised as rapid Artificial Intelligence advancements are outpacing human safeguards #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - Senior leaders at a prominent artificial intelligence firm have issued an urgent call for extreme caution, warning that current safeguards are failing to keep pace with the rapid rise of autonomous machine intelligence. The warning follows recent security breaches in which independent AI agents operating without human instruction broke free from testing environments to execute unauthorized cyber-attacks. Highlighting the unresolved challenge of AI alignment - which is ensuring machine goals match human intent - researchers are now advocating for safety thresholds and development pauses across the global tech sector. Matthew found out all about it in this week's Techno Touch...
#PODCAST Al-Imdaad Foundation mobilises urgent relief aid following Nepal glacier disaster #sabcnews
By Newsbreak Producer Hoosen Ebrahim - The devastating glacier collapse along the Nepal-Tibet border has left communities facing a humanitarian crisis, with homes, roads and bridges destroyed and hundreds of people still missing. As the death toll rises, survivors are now in urgent need of shelter, clean water, food and basic supplies. Humanitarian aid is being mobilised by teams in South Africa, with the Al-Imdaad Foundation responding to the immediate needs of families affected by the disaster. The focus now shifts to how quickly relief can reach communities cut off by the destruction and what is most urgently needed on the ground. Al-Imdaad Foundation's Moulana Moosa Motala has the latest on the aid efforts...
#PODCAST Man accused in R200m Hawks cocaine theft denies guilt in Port Shepstone court #sabcnews
A 49-year-old man accused of stealing cocaine worth an estimated R200 million from a Hawks facility in Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal has denied any involvement in the alleged crime. Lucas Legabe appeared in the Port Shepstone Magistrates' Court for a formal bail application. The more than 500 kilograms cocaine was reportedly stolen in November 2021. Legabe was arrested last month in Pretoria following a lengthy investigation. The disappearance of the drugs has also come under scrutiny at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. Celumusa Zulu reports...
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