Professor Bismark Tyobeka says South Africa has the capacity to train its doctors

Some residents of Zithobeni in Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng, have vowed to boycott the upcoming local government elections, saying they still do not have access to safe drinking water from their taps. More than 400 people have been treated for gastrointestinal illness after drinking water that the City of Tshwane failed to chlorinate adequately. Residents are demanding that the water issue be resolved as soon as possible, saying that they refuse to cast their ballots. Meanwhile, residents of Bezuidenhout Valley in Johannesburg are also experiencing water problems after Johannesburg Water cut the supply to the suburb earlier this week due to fears that the water may be contaminated. And you would be aware that water challenges are not limited to on Bronkhorstspruit. Here is 57-year-old, Busang Mere from Sebonelo village in the North West who says he still struggles to access clean drinking water, daily. For him democracy is just a pipe dream...From the North West, travel south to Makana Municipality in the Eastern Cape where you find an elderly member of the community, Norah Habana, who is raising her grandchild who lives with a disability. She struggles because she cannot leave the child unattended to go and fetch water. We could criss-cross the country and find numerous example of South Africans citizens who do not access to a basic human need but for more on this we are now joined on the line by David Mahlobo , Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation , Dr Ferrial Adam, Executive Director at WaterCan AND Vusumuzi Dlamini, provincial Head for Public Protector office in Gauteng

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered the mid-year report card, also known as the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) this week, announcing a temporary reduction in the fuel levy and revealing that government's finances have finally stopped deteriorating. However, economic growth is still too slow to make a real difference to most households. Therese Grobler, Head of Advice and Wealth Management at Momentum Financial Planning says the budget that will do the most to shape your financial future wasn't tabled in parliament. It's the one you manage at home. For more Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Therese Grobler, Head of Advice and Wealth Management at Momentum Financial Planning

Water tankers supplying Bronkhorstspruit residents are now sourcing water from Cullinan, following the temporary shutdown of the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Plant for rehabilitation after an E. coli contamination crisis. But the alternative supply has done little to reassure some residents, who question the safety of the tanker water and say the available trucks are insufficient. More than 400 people have been treated for gastrointestinal illness after drinking water that the City of Tshwane failed to chlorinate adequately. Sashin Naidoo has the details followed by an in-depth chat with local resident, Vusi Maridili and member of parliament's portfolio committee on Water and Sanitation, Stephen Moore says the water situation in the whole of Gauteng could be worse off than it is reported by officials.

The IEC has extended an opportunity to submit candidate lists to 32 political parties it says were in a similar position to the ANC, ahead of the November fourth local government elections. The Commission says the decision is aimed at ensuring equal treatment of political parties following the Constitutional Court ruling in favour of the ANC. The IEC says the 32 parties had nominated compliant candidates and paid their election deposits but had not submitted their final candidate lists. IEC chairperson, Mosotho Moepya says excluding parties in similar circumstances would raise concerns about fairness in the electoral process. For today's discussion on this matter, Bongiwe Zwane caught up with Professor Sethulego Matebesi. Political Analyst from the University of the Free State, Former IEC deputy chair and now executive chair of the Institute of Election Management Services in Africa, Terry Tselane together with legal expert and Senior Lecturer at the Wits School of Law, Dr Shadi Maganoe...

The Green Connection calls on the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to reject Eskom's proposed 8.83% electricity tariff increase for the 2027/28 financial year. The eco-justice organisation, working closely with grassroots coastal communities and small-scale fishers, warns that another substantial increase will place an unacceptable burden on households already struggling with the rising cost of living. The Green Connection also calls on NERSA to extend and strengthen the public participation process, arguing that a single day of public hearings is insufficient for meaningful engagement on an issue with far-reaching consequences for millions of South Africans. Bongiwe Zwane earlier caught up with Community Outreach Ambassador at The Green Connection. Neville Van Rooy