Morning edition

1. 01

   Matlala forced back into the Madlanga Commission hot seat

   Alleged Big Five cartel figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala dominated afternoon coverage across 702, SAfm, Power FM and Cape Talk after two failed attempts to postpone his testimony at the Madlanga Commission. His legal team cited a sick lead advocate and difficulties consulting with him at Kgosi Mampuru prison, and even threatened an interdict and withdrawal, but evidence leader advocate Matlapeng Sello pressed on. Matlala was guarded on his relationship with suspended crime detection boss General Shadrack Sibiya, conceding they had met three or four times through Sergeant Fanie Nkosi but insisting they were not friends.

   Heard on Cape Talk · 18:31 SASTAsk locl about this ↗: Matlala forced back into the Madlanga Commission hot seat, heard on Cape Talk
2. 02

   Steve Biko inquest reopens in Makhanda

   Nearly five decades after Steve Biko died in apartheid police custody, the reopened inquest got under way in the Makhanda High Court, with stations from 702 to Power FM tracking every twist. Proceedings were delayed while Legal Aid South Africa explained that the Biko family had failed a means test, before the Justice Minister and DG confirmed the department would cover their legal costs. The inquiry will examine whether any act or omission amounted to a criminal offence, offering the family and the country long-awaited answers after the 1977 inquest cleared the special branch.

   Heard on 702 · 15:02 SASTAsk locl about this ↗: Steve Biko inquest reopens in Makhanda, heard on 702
3. 03

   ANC manifesto launch and the mayoral candidate mess

   Cyril Ramaphosa used Riversands Park in Diepsloot to unveil the ANC's 65-page local government manifesto, promising councillors 100 days to change their wards and pledging to wean municipalities off consultants and contractors. But talk radio was less interested in the promises than in the shambolic postponement of mayoral candidate announcements, with eight names floated in Mangaung, seven in Matjhabeng and multiple contenders in Joburg and Tshwane. Analysts on SAfm and 702 read it as proof of deep ANC factionalism, while Herman Mashaba used Power FM to pledge scrapping Joburg's municipal entities.

   Heard on 702 · 22:11 SASTAsk locl about this ↗: ANC manifesto launch and the mayoral candidate mess, heard on 702
4. 04

   Boxing world mourns Zolani Tete as arrests mount

   The murder of former world bantamweight champion Zolani Tete, gunned down by balaclava-clad attackers as he arrived at his Mdantsane home on Friday night, ran across Power FM, Cape Talk and SAfm bulletins. Police confirmed four suspects are now in custody after weekend arrests in Mdantsane's Senior Park and in Komga, with a 27-year-old woman wounded in the shooting still in hospital. Coverage sat alongside the SA Sports Awards at Sun City, where sprinter Akani Simbine took Sports Star of the Year as the industry gathered in a subdued mood.

   Heard on Cape Talk · 10:03 SASTAsk locl about this ↗: Boxing world mourns Zolani Tete as arrests mount, heard on Cape Talk
5. 05

   Transnet lines up the Carlton Centre for sale

   Cape Talk and 702 lingered on Transnet's decision to begin disposing of 15 properties, headlined by Johannesburg's 50-storey Carlton Centre, once the tallest building in Africa and a fixture of 1980s and 90s South African television and pop culture. The parastatal, under pressure to shore up its finances, has identified shopping centres, golf courses and commercial properties for potential sale, though no buyers have been secured. Presenters framed it as both a hard-nosed balance-sheet story and a nostalgic loss, recalling the Carlton's ballroom studios and its role in shaping Joburg's skyline and imagination.

   Heard on 702 · 04:05 SASTAsk locl about this ↗: Transnet lines up the Carlton Centre for sale, heard on 702