NEW: City of CT Scores Major Points for Best Service Delivery

The City of Cape Town says a recent ratings agency report had scored the municipality the best metro for service delivery and financial management.

Mayor Patricia de Lille announced this at a Cape Town council meeting today.

Ratings Afrika analysed a municipality's operational performance, budget practices and liquidity position to score them out of 100.


READ MORE



Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: Mall Of Africa Opening Frustrates Gauteng Commuters

Gauteng commuters had little to cheer about this morning as the opening of the new Mall of Africa in Midrand caused major traffic problems.

Traffic was heavily backed up on the N1 and N3 North approaching the Allandale offramp this morning.

Motorists were stuck in traffic for over an hour from Linksfield Road on the N3 and from Malibongwe Drive on the N1 due to the mall opening.



READ MORE



Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: Zuma salutes ailing Madikizela-Mandela at awards ceremony

President Zuma salutes ailing Madikizela-Mandela at awards ceremony

President Jacob Zuma wished ailing anti-apartheid icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela a speedy recovery on Thursday, as he bestowed National Orders in Pretoria.

“Our people salute her. She is currently unwell and we wish her a speedy recovery,” Zuma said at the prestigious awards ceremony hosted at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria.



READ MORE



Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: Mahlobo Warns of Agencies Working to Destabilise SA

State Security Minister David Mahlobo has told Parliament that some foreign agencies are secretly working to destabilise the country by working with domestic forces, who may be unwittingly collaborating.

He says similar attempts to delegitimise the governments of Syria and Libya have led to chaos and suffering.

Mahlobo was non-specific when he told MPs that the media, NGO's, religious and student organisations are being used to push this agenda.



READ MORE



Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: The DA's election promises in nine steps

At one of the DA’s biggest rallies to date, the party on Saturday released a 60-page glossy 2016 local government manifesto document entitled “Change that moves South Africa forward again”. All through the document there are text boxes with examples of municipalities where the DA has managed to make a particular promise a reality. Carien du Plessis takes you through the document in a quick 9-step glance:














First, DA leader Mmusi Maimane outlines the DA’s vision for local government in three pages, saying the 2016 elections are a crucial turning point following the Constitutional Court’s Nkandla ruling. The vision effectively summarises the manifesto promises. There is also a half-page summary of the DA’s Vision 2029, which was announced last year.

A two-page spread reminds the voter about the DA’s values: “One nation with one future built on freedom, fairness and opportunity for all.”



READ MORE



Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: Court orders Vodacom to pay Please Call Me inventor

South Africa’s highest legal authority, the Constitutional Court, has ruled that Vodacom must compensate the inventor of the Please Call Me SMS product.

The court on Tuesday morning found Vodacom was bound by an agreement with Kenneth Nkosana Makate who has said he invented the Please Call Me concept.

Makate conceived the Please Call Me concept in November 2000 and he approached Vodacom's director and head of product development at the time, Philip Geissler, about the idea, according to a summary from the Constitutional Court judgment.


READ MORE



Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: 'Large Sums of Money Leaving Africa Illegally, In Different Ways'

Former President Thabo Mbeki says new trade data by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that the amount of money leaving the African continent illegally every year has risen from $50 billion to $80 billion.

He says the money is taken out of African countries by companies and wealthy individuals without paying tax or following proper procedure.

But the former president says the new figure is also an underestimate.

Mbeki was tasked with formulating the illicit financial outflows report for the African Union (AU) and has just returned from a world tour.



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: FIRST LOOK: Prasa tests newly acquired trains

The first of 600 trains bought by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) in a R51bn deal with Gibela Rail Transport Consortium entered a second phase of testing on Monday.

The train ran along tracks between Wolmerton and De Wildt stations in Gauteng to see if it could reach a speed of 132km/h.

Last month Transport Minister Dipuo Peters committed to funding a complete overhaul of the current commuter system after an accident in in Denver, in April last year.



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: Mbalula bans SA from bidding for major rugby, cricket events

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula has suspended the privileges of SA Rugby, Cricket South Africa and Athletics SA from bidding for international tournaments due to lack of transformation.

"I have resolved to revoke the privilege of Athletics South Africa (ASA), Cricket South Africa (CSA), Netball South Africa (NSA) and South African Rugby (SARU) to host and bid for major and mega international tournaments in the Republic of South Africa as a consequence of the aforementioned federations, not meeting their own set transformation targets with immediate effect," Mbalula said on Monday.



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: Idols SA winner scores mega Disney deal

Disney Africa on Wednesday announced that Idols SA 2015 winner Karabo Mogane has recorded a special proudly South African version of the official theme song to Disney Junior’s (DStv 309) hit animated series The Lion Guard – a brand new original TV series inspired by the all-time family favourite Disney classic, The Lion King.

Titled Here comes the Lion Guard, the theme track is written by long-time Disney collaborator Beau Black and features the same African djembe drum beats and Swahili nuances that made the previous two Lion King soundtracks so popular.



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: No evidence of wrongdoing in Arms Deal - Zuma

President Jacob Zuma said an inquiry into the controversial arms deal has found the procurement process to be valid‚ with no evidence of bribery or corruption.

“The evidence presented before it does not suggest that undue or improper influence played any role in the selection of the preferred bidders which subsequently entered into contracts with the government‚” Zuma said live on national television.

“The widespread allegations of bribery‚ corruption and fraud … especially in relation to the selection of the preferred bidders and cost‚ have found no support in the evidence‚ oral or documentary‚ placed before the commission.”


READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: US currency to feature an African-American for the first time

Anti-slavery crusader Harriet Tubman will become the first African-American on the face of US paper currency, and the first woman in more than a century, when she replaces former president Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.

The US Treasury Department said on Wednesday that Tubman, who was born into slavery in the early 1820s and went on to help hundreds of slaves escape, would take the center spot on the bill, while Jackson, a slave owner, would move to the back.

Introduced alongside a slew of changes to the $5 and $10 notes as well, the redesign gives the Treasury “a chance to open the aperture to reflect more of America’s history,” Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said.

A new $10 bill will add images of five female leaders of the women’s suffrage movement, including Sojourner Truth and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to the back, while keeping founding father Alexander Hamilton on the front.



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: Power Report: No renewal notices for your car licence this year

Had it not been for a colleague bemoaning the "new" car licence renewal process, I'd very likely have paid penalties for the first time in my motoring life.

So, too, I suspect, could a large chunk of South Africa's roughly nine million car owners, as clueless about the issue as I was.

And why wouldn't they be? It seems no official countrywide notification has been given to motorists warning them that a system in place for the past 20-odd years is no more.



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: More households in formal dwellings - Stats SA

The number of households in formal dwellings across South Africa has increased.

According to the latest General Household Survey, released on Wednesday, 80% of households were in formal dwellings, compared to 76% in 2002.

There were mixed results in terms of the eradication of informal settlements, Stats SA said.



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: Release arrested Rhodes students immediately - EFF

The EFF on Wednesday condemned the police’s response to ongoing protests against campus rape culture at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, calling for the release of five arrested students.

"The police have attacked non-violent and unarmed students with rubber bullets and teargas," EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said in a statement.

"We call on the police to restrain themselves and also release the arrested students with immediate effect."



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: SA suffocating under weight of scandals surrounding Presidency: Phosa

Struggle stalwart Mathews Phosa pulled no punches in his criticism of President Jacob Zuma and the ANC on Tuesday‚ saying that as a proud member of the ANC it pained him to witness how the moral backbone of the organisation was being eroded in favour of protecting a few.

“Our country is suffocating under the ever increasing weight of scandals surrounding the Presidency.

“Unfortunately‚ our party is intellectually and morally imprisoned because it has shaped itself in the image and example of its' flawed leader‚” Phosa said at a diplomatic mission luncheon on Tuesday. The former Mpumalanga premier and member of the ANC’s national executive committee said the country had witnessed the ANC's leadership engage in power grabs in disregard for the electorate and party structures‚ while the rule of law was being perverted.



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: SABC journalist schools Valhalla community leader over mosque

Watch as SABC reporter Palesa Chubisi takes on Valhalla, Pretoria community leader Richard Botha over residents' opposition to the building of a mosque in the area.

Thousands of people signed a petition against the building of a mosque, citing concerns that establishing a Muslim place of worship in the area would result in acts of terror.

When asked if the protest was racially motivated, Botha said "if we become the same; if we're forced to all become the same, where is the diversity?"



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: I'm not gifted - SA pupil who scored 'highest maths mark in the world'

A 17-year-old from Somerset College in the Western Cape has achieved what is being regarded as the highest maths mark in the world.

Dario Trinchero scored 100% for Maths in the International Cambridge AS levels. He wrote the exams in Grade 11.

According to the school's executive head Meg Fargher, thousands of students across the globe write the AS levels, including many South Africans. A handful got 100% for the 2015 exams, but Trinchero's accolade of being "first in the world" was because of the "quality of his answers and the depth of his answers".



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: Nhlanhla Nene appointed director at Allan Gray – report

Former South African finance minister Nhlanhla Nene on Monday was appointed a non-executive director at investment management firm Allan Gray, according to a media report.

According to City Press, a spokesperson at the investment management firm confirmed that Nene was appointed at a board meeting on Monday morning.

Nene had been unemployed since his unceremonious removal from his position as South Africa’s finance minister in December by President Jacob Zuma, barely two years after he took over at Treasury.



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: Tripling of bond buying signals new faith in SA

A tripling of South African bond sales this year on Monday added to signs that investors' faith in its institutions has been somewhat restored following a court ruling against President Jacob Zuma and the appointment of a former finance minister.

Securities exchange figures showed foreign investors bought a net R30bn ($2bn) worth of South African debt in 2016, compared with R10bn in the same period last year.

The Treasury is flush with cash after a $1.25bn 10-year bond sale this month was two times oversubscribed, and bond yields have recouped heavy losses in December after Zuma fired his finance minister, raising fears of political interference.



READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.

NEW: Future not so bright for black, coloured youths in SA

More coloured and black youth in South Africa are unemployed, involved in crime, and uneducated than other race groups, Statistician General Dr Pali Lehohla said on Monday.

“For Indians and whites, the future is very clear. For coloured and black youth, it’s not. It takes twice the effort for a black or coloured child qualified from the same university to be employed,” Lehohla said.

He was speaking at the release of a report highlighting some of the difficulties the country’s youth faced.


READ MORE


Follow us on Facebook:
PEFM 87.6

Follow us on Twitter:
@PEFMnews

Listen to us on streaming internet radio at: Tunein and from our website at:  PEFM



International Correspondent Scott Congdon can be reached at:
Mail: scottcpefm@gmail.com

*Note: Views expressed in the commentaries on this website are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of PEFM 87.6 or our presenters or correspondents.  Quotes are obviously the opinion of the source. A quote is just a quote and these are offered without comment. Use of a news story or commentary is not an endorsement of the source website.