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Daily briefing

Monday, 31 August 2026

The day across South African radio, cited to the broadcast minute.

locl.co.za / briefing / 2026-08-31

Daily briefing

Monday, 31 August 2026

The day across South African radio, cited to the broadcast minute.

Afternoon edition

Afternoon editionCovers Mon, 31 Aug 05:00 → 15:30 SAST

Afternoon edition · 5-minute listen

Court news dominated Monday's talk radio agenda, with the Constitutional Court's dismissal of Zuma and Mbeki's bid to unseat Justice Khampepe running on every major station alongside fresh testimony at the Madlanga Commission. Off the hard-news beat, the country turned into armchair aviation experts after Airlink's Cape Town flypast, while Sundowns' MTN8 heroics and a looming fuel hike rounded out the day.

  1. ConCourt keeps Khampepe on TRC inquiry

    The Constitutional Court dismissed former presidents Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki's bid to have Justice Sisi Khampepe recused as chairperson of the TRC Cases Inquiry, clearing the way for the probe to continue under her leadership. Stations across the dial led with the ruling, noting the bench split five-four on the bias question tied to Khampepe's past roles on the TRC Amnesty Committee and as Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions in the 1990s. SAfm's legal analysis also flagged the court's important finding that commission chairs don't enjoy the same immunity as sitting judges.

    Heard on SAfm · 12:50 SASTAsk locl about this: ConCourt keeps Khampepe on TRC inquiry, heard on SAfm

  2. Tembisa Hospital fraud arrest and Madlanga testimony

    The Hawks' arrest of alleged Tembisa Hospital tender kingpin Stefan Govindraju at OR Tambo drew wall-to-wall coverage, with reporters detailing how a syndicate of shell companies allegedly siphoned more than R2 billion from Gauteng Health, including R40,000 for four plastic buckets and R2,500 jeans. Running in parallel, Hawks KZN tracing head Lt Col Dhaya Govender returned to the Madlanga Commission stand, denying a R2.5 million bribe from tow-truck operator Cliff Naicker to arrange the killing of rival Bevan Loftus. The Corder Report promised a full unpack of Govindraju's alleged brazenness.

    Heard on 702 · 12:16 SASTAsk locl about this: Tembisa Hospital fraud arrest and Madlanga testimony, heard on 702

  3. Eskom's R3bn diesel prepayments under scrutiny

    Power FM's breakfast dug into Erica Gibson's investigation showing Eskom made roughly R3 billion in advance payments to three diesel suppliers between January and April 2025, hundreds of millions handed over to relatively obscure companies with seemingly no guarantees, as the utility scrambled to stave off load shedding. The awkward contrast: Eskom simultaneously trumpeted a doubling of after-tax profit to R30 billion, with CFO Calib Cassim crediting cost discipline, even as R119 billion in municipal arrears was flagged as a structural threat to sustainability.

    Heard on Power FM · 07:19 SASTAsk locl about this: Eskom's R3bn diesel prepayments under scrutiny, heard on Power FM

  4. Airlink Cape Town Stadium flypast row

    South Africans became instant aviation experts after twin Airlink jets roared low over DHL Stadium ahead of the Springboks–All Blacks Test, triggering an international social media meltdown over safety. Power FM riffed on Americans reading a built-up-area low pass as a 9/11 flashback, while SAfm and CapeTalk carried Solidarity and Airlink insisting the manoeuvre was fully approved by the Civil Aviation Authority and flown by highly experienced senior captains. Presenters across stations agreed on one thing: it was the marketing coup of the year for Airlink.

    Heard on SAfm · 14:04 SASTAsk locl about this: Airlink Cape Town Stadium flypast row, heard on SAfm

  5. Sundowns edge Arrows to book MTN8 final

    Mamelodi Sundowns overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Golden Arrows 3-2 in Durban and progress to the MTN8 final on the away-goals rule after a 3-3 aggregate, setting up a 10 October showdown with four-time defending champions Orlando Pirates. Coach Miguel Cardoso refused to blame the referee for a controversially disallowed Kutumane Iddrisu goal ruled out for handball despite replays suggesting no arm contact, praising instead his players' commitment and attitude in the thrilling semi-final second leg.

    Heard on Power FM · 07:35 SASTAsk locl about this: Sundowns edge Arrows to book MTN8 final, heard on Power FM

Morning edition

Morning editionCovers Sun, 30 Aug 05:00 → Mon, 31 Aug 05:00 SAST

Morning edition · 5-minute listen

Sunday's talk radio was dominated by pre-election positioning, with Cosatu wrestling over which alliance partner to back and the SACP formally submitting its first independent candidate list. The Madlanga Commission's next witness list — headlined by a hospitalised Feroz Khan — ran across nearly every station, while the Springboks' win over the All Blacks gave sports desks a rare feel-good lead. Cape Town's Pagad march and a rise in unvaccinated infants rounded out an unusually heavy news day.

  1. Cosatu wrestles with ANC–SACP rift as SACP files first independent slate

    Cape Talk, 702 and Power FM all led with the Federation's weekend media briefing ahead of its 15th National Congress, where Cosatu says it will finally take a mandate on which alliance partner to back in the 4 November local government elections. President Zingiswa Losi insisted the unity of the federation is sacrosanct but conceded the debate can no longer be delayed, as the SACP confirmed it has submitted 4,418 ward candidates to the IEC to contest independently for the first time. Cosatu also vowed to oppose any Eskom restructuring that threatens jobs.

    Heard on 702 · 19:02 SASTAsk locl about this: Cosatu wrestles with ANC–SACP rift as SACP files first independent slate, heard on 702

  2. Madlanga Commission braces for Feroz Khan no-show

    Security analyst Ntsiki Mashaile told multiple stations that delaying tactics are likely as high-profile witnesses facing criminal allegations are subpoenaed this week. Crime Intelligence deputy head Feroz Khan, due in the hot seat on Tuesday, has reportedly been readmitted to hospital — his second admission since being shot outside his Houghton home in June, three days before an earlier scheduled appearance. SAfm reported Khan's lawyers have not formally notified the inquiry. Mashaile said witnesses would do anything to run out the commission's clock rather than face cross-examination.

    Heard on 702 · 03:02 SASTAsk locl about this: Madlanga Commission braces for Feroz Khan no-show, heard on 702

  3. Springboks down the All Blacks, eyes now on FNB Stadium

    702's early breakfast unpacked the Boks' second-test victory over New Zealand, powered by a flawless kicking display from Handré Pollard-successor Charles-Lynn Colby, four penalties and three conversions backing tries from Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende. Analysts pored over Rassie Erasmus's unusual tactic of pulling both props at 35 minutes and asked whether South Africa can seal the four-test rivalry at FNB Stadium on Saturday before the squad flies to Baltimore. A win, presenters argued, would put the series beyond the All Blacks. Power FM also flagged Orlando Pirates' MTN8 final berth.

    Heard on 702 · 04:16 SASTAsk locl about this: Springboks down the All Blacks, eyes now on FNB Stadium, heard on 702

  4. Pagad returns to the streets of Cape Town

    702 and Cape Talk covered a Pagad march through Woodstock and surrounding suburbs on Sunday, thirty years after the movement first descended on the home of gangster Rashaad Staggie. Organisers issued a blunt warning to drug dealers and gangsters amid a spike in shootings as rival gangs fight for control of the local drug trade. Reporter Quintin Mkyala tied the march to broader concerns raised on air about alleged police-gangster links, the murder of a DJ at a Cape Town venue, and the looming trial of alleged 28s boss Ralph Stanfield and his wife Nicole Johnson.

    Heard on 702 · 19:01 SASTAsk locl about this: Pagad returns to the streets of Cape Town, heard on 702

  5. Alarm as un-vaccinated infants triple in a decade

    702's Sunday health slot zeroed in on new figures showing the share of infants under one receiving no vaccinations has jumped from 12.1% in 2017 to 36.3% between January and April this year — a shift experts warn could reverse decades of public health gains. Deputy Director-General Dr Nontsi Khumalo was pressed on why parents are opting out, with the discussion ranging over vaccine hesitancy, access in under-served clinics and post-Covid distrust. Presenters framed it as a slow-moving crisis hiding behind the day's louder political stories.

    Heard on 702 · 00:53 SASTAsk locl about this: Alarm as un-vaccinated infants triple in a decade, heard on 702

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