The National Briefing

Government’s plans to regulate artificial intelligence in South Africa are under scrutiny, after an explosive investigation by News24 revealed that parts of the country’s Draft National AI Policy may be built on fictitious research. Communications Minister Solly Malatsi was forced to withdraw the country’s draft AI policy Guest: Katharina Moser - Journalist for News24 Business

New research is shedding light on a worrying trend in South Africa, where political violence and protests are no longer driven by community grievances alone, but by powerful political elites competing for control. Guest: Ivor Chipkin - Director of the New South Institute

The Airlines Association of Southern Africa is warning of potential jet fuel supply constraints beyond next month. The association says the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has created uncertainty around future jet fuel supply. Guest: Linden Burns - Airlines Association of Southern Africa Spokesperson

The Reality Check: Voter registration and its importance. Guest: Terry Tselane - Executive Chairperson of the Institute of Election Management Services in Africa (IEMSA)

Built in Mzansi: Dr Roxanne Malan develops a groundbreaking, low-cost and smartphone-compatible device Guest: Dr Roxanne Malan - postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Speech-language Pathology and Audiology at the University of Pretoria

SA’s ambitions to lead in artificial intelligence have taken a serious knock, after Communications Minister Solly Malatsi was forced to withdraw the country’s draft AI policy over fabricated sources, raising urgent questions about credibility, oversight, and the responsible use of AI in governance. Guest: Amb. Dr. Lavina Ramkissoon - Ambassador and Co-Chair of Science, Technology, and Innovation Council at the African Union (AU-ASRIC and AU6R)

Municipal Watch: Residents under the Matlosana Municipality in the North West Province have been posting videos of how bad the sewage spillage has become. How is the Municipality planning to solve the crisis? Guest: Kgotso Sindi - Spokesperson for the Matlosana Service Delivery Movement Guest: Orapeleng Moremedi – DA PR Councillor, City of Matlosana Local Municipality Guest: Cllr Fikile Mahlophe - Mayor of the Matlosana Municipality

As South Africa grapples with rising child and teen pregnancies, new figures from KwaZulu-Natal paint a deeply troubling picture, with over 400 children aged just 10 to 14 falling pregnant, and more than 28,000 teen pregnancies recorded in a single year. Experts point to a complex mix of abuse, poverty, peer pressure, and a lack of communication at home. Guest: Adeshini Naicker - Director at Childline SA KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)

Guest: Solly Malatsi - Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies

Guest: Thokozane Kenneth Kunene - General Secretary of the Communist Party of Swaziland

Africa in Focus with Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher: Thabo Mbeki African School of Public & International Affairs: Unisa 28 April 2026 1. Chad – Wadi Fira - Sudan At least 42 people were killed, and 10 were injured in intercommunal fighting over water resources in eastern Chad The clashes took place in the Wadi Fira province, near the border with Sudan, and initially began as a dispute between two families over a water well. Intercommunal clashes over resources are common in the Central African country. Last year, clashes between farmers and herders in southwestern Chad left 42 people dead and several homes burned. Conflicts over farm and grazing land have caused more than a thousand deaths and 2,000 injuries between 2021 and 2024, according to estimates by the NGO International Crisis Group. 2. Namibia- Walvis Bay Walvis Bay Faces Water Outages Amid Infrastructure Upgrades Residents in several parts of Walvis Bay will face temporary water supply interruptions this week as the municipality carries out infrastructure upgrades. Communities have been advised to store enough water in advance and to keep taps closed during the interruption to avoid water loss or possible damage when supply is restored. Municipality says the water supply will be cut on Tuesday and Wednesday between 08h00 and 17h00. 3. DR Kongo – USA-UAE The Democratic Republic of Congo announced this week the creation of a paramilitary guard, backed by US and Emirati investments, to secure its vast mining operations. The General Inspectorate of Mines (IGM) said the guard was a "paramilitary special unit intended to secure the entire mineral exploitation chain" in the DRC. The new unit will be deployed gradually, with an initial 2,500 to 3,000 personnel expected to be operational by December, following six months of military collaboration training. 4. In our historical archives, it was on this day, 28 April 1978, when the Azanian People’s Organisation (AZAPO) was founded after the government banned a host of BCM organisations in October 1977. The Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO) was formed at an inaugural conference in Roodepoort, near Johannesburg. The organisation was founded on the philosophy of Black Consciousness, as advocated by Bantu Steven Biko.

Market Brief with Ntaoleng Lechela - Business Reporter Investors look to big tech earnings for direction amid geopolitical uncertainty 2. Goldman Sachs raises its price outlook for oil again3. Market update

The Global Brief: The case against Venezuelan President, Nicholas Maduro is gaining momentum, Pressure is mounting on Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine drags on, Japan experiences a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck the island of Haikkado Guest: Dr Benjamin Spatz - Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.

Built in Mzansi: Thulani Khumalo - Founder of Technical Plumbing Solutions (TPS) has developed a technology solution to detect and report sewage blockages and missing manhole covers. Guest: Thulani Khumalo - Founder of Technical Plumbing Solutions (TPS)

Road Rage incident in Emmarentia puts gun legislation under spotlight Guest: Dr. Sheetal Bhoola, senior lecturer at the University of Zululand and director of StellarMaths Durban

The Public Servants Association says government has lost over R1 billion in the past five years due to prolonged suspensions that drag on without resolution. The union warns this isn’t just about money, it’s weakening accountability, straining essential services, and eroding public trust, as calls grow for urgent reform within government departments. = Guest: Reuben Maleka - Public Servants Association General Manager

How did Edward Kieswetter turn around the South African Revenue Services? Guest: Edward Kieswetter - outgoing Commissioner of the South African Revenue Services

The Reality Check: What have we done well and what can we scale up to catalyse progress on the transformative promises we made to ourselves regarding healing the divisions of the past and establishing a new society that is based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights Guest: Prof. Thuli Madonsela - Director of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) in the Faculty of Law at Stellenbosch University

President Ramaphosa suspends National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola and appoints Major General Puleng Dimpane as acting police commissioner Guest: Firoz Cachalia - Acting Police Minister

As protests intensify in Durban’s CBD and authorities vow a month-long crackdown, fears are growing that tensions could spiral into wider unrest. At the same time, civil society groups are pushing back—uniting to call for jobs, dialogue and an end to violence against foreign nationals. Guest: Thamsanqa Ntuli - KwaZulu-Natal Premier