THE MORNING BRIEF

Only 22.8% of poor households in South Africa currently receive free basic electricity (FBE) — meaning just one in four qualifying families benefit from the policy. This was revealed during a Parliamentary portfolio committee meeting on Electricity and Energy, where the Department of Electricity and Energy presented its plan to eliminate load reduction by March 2027. Guest: Daphne Mokwena: Spokesperson, Eskom

Former Police Minister Bheki Cele says it was wrong for suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to disband the Political Killings Task Team. He appeared before Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations of corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system. Guest: Abongwe Kobokana: SABC Journalist

The City of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has vowed to reclaim the city’s inner core. He has been leading by-law enforcements in the Johannesburg CBD, the clean-up aims to restore order, repair infrastructure and curb illegal trading. However, the campaign has also sparked legal challenges and social tensions, as informal traders—many of whom claim to hold valid permits—accuse the city of unlawful evictions and heavy-handed enforcement of bylaws. Guest: Dada Morero: City of Joburg Mayor

The Public Protector South Africa, Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka, has released a report detailing findings from an investigation into the alleged irregular establishment, appointment, and deployment of Crime Prevention Wardens (CPWs) by the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) under Premier Panyaza Lesufi. Guest: Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka: Public Protector of South Africa

The Black Business Council (BBC) has strongly condemned the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) proposal to replace the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act and the Public Procurement Act, saying it's a continuation of apartheid. Guest: Kganki Matabane: CEO Black Business Council

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter China unveils 5 yr economic plan, focus on investment instead of stimulus 2. Raubex flags a slump in earnings 3. Markets

Guest: Anthoni van Nieuwkerk - professor of International and Diplomacy Studies at the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs

The City of Tshwane is under mounting scrutiny over a reported R777 million spent on water tankers in the 2024/25 financial year – a figure that overshot the approved budget by R457 million. Guest: Aaron Maluleka: City of Tshwane MMC For human settlements

Following a bullying incident involving pupils at Milnerton High School, in Cape Town, Why do school children bully each other and how can parents spot the early warning signs? Guest: Professor Seths Cooper - Former President of the Psychological Society of SA

Phapano Phasha argues that the dismissal of Lumka Oliphant, former Chief Director of Communication in the Department of Social Development, is not merely an HR decision — it is a damning indictment of the moral decay within South Africa’s political leadership. Guest: Phapano Phasha - chairperson of The Centre for Alternative Political and Economic Thought

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter Spar expands its exposure to the healthcare market with its acquisition of Aptekor 2. H&M bets on Yaga, with R80 million investment 3. Markets

Latest business news with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter Inflation ticks higher in September 2. Famous brands’ stronghold in local market boosts earnings (owner of steers, Debonairs and wimpy)3. Markets

The Gauteng Premier has disbanded the Amapanyaza and the Public Protector (PP) has also released a report on allegations of irregularities in the establishment, appointment, and deployment of Gauteng’s Crime Prevention Wardens (CPW) Guest: Elijah Mhlanga - Gauteng Government Spokesperson

Two teenagers, Diegan Ryters (17) and Tigan du Plessis (18), were tragically killed in a gang-related shooting in Westbury, Johannesburg on Tuesday afternoon. Why is gang violence rife in Coloured communities? Guest: Dereleen James: ActionSA MP, anti drug activist

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has announced that it has not yet decided whether to support the ANC or the SACP in the upcoming 2026 local government elections. Guest: Mathew Parks: Parliamentary Coordinator, Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU)

he Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has now ruled that former President Jacob Zuma must personally repay over R28.9 million used to fund his private legal battles. The judgment reinforces the principle that public funds cannot be misused for personal legal matters, even by former heads of state. Guest: Samkele Maseko: Political Reporter, SABCNews

There are now reports that there is an increasing number of tertiary students using their NSFAS allowances to fund online gambling, leading to financial hardship, emotional distress, academic decline, and in some cases, addiction. Guest: Siyabonga Goni - an education reporter from Daily Maverick

1. LVMH mulls selling its stake in Fenty Beauty 2. Tesla delivers revenue growth after two downbeat quarters 3. Markets

Africa Update Report with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa 23 October 2025 1. Ivory Coast - Yamoussoukro Ouattara seeks fourth term as Ivorian youth voice frustration through poetry Placide Konan is using his slam poetry performances to protest Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara’s bid for a fourth term in Saturday’s election. 2. Sudan - Khartoum First domestic flight lands in Sudan's capital Khartoum since war began A domestic passenger flight landed at Khartoum International Airport in Sudan's capital on Wednesday for the first time since the war broke out over two years ago, potentially marking the gradual reopening of air traffic. 3. Madagascar – SADC Fact -Finding Mission Mutharika delegates JB to lead SADC fact-finding mission to Madagascar President Peter Mutharika has appointed former Malawi leader Joyce Banda (JB) to lead a SADC fact-finding mission to Madagascar amid political and security unrest following reports of an attempted coup in the Island nation. 4.In our historical archives, it was on this day 23 October 1

Russia launched a devastating large-scale air assault across Ukraine early Wednesday, leaving at least six civilians dead, including a six-month-old baby, and plunging much of the country into darkness and chaos. Guest: Professor Abel Esterhuyse is a member of the Department of Strategic Studies in the Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University