The Lead

Emfuleni’s by-election won’t fix its worsening service delivery crisis

In a preview for the November municipal polls, the people of Beverly Hills in Evaton in the Vaal municipal district of Emfuleni are voting for a new ward councillor this Wednesday. This outcome may not change much, though, argues roving journalist Ntwagaae Seleka, because the service delivery crisis throughout Emfuleni has only worsened in recent months. Rubbish piles are only getting higher, sewage flooding is only getting deeper, and residents are only getting more fed up. Later in the show, Joburg and Cape Town’s budget rates increases are both firmly in the spotlight. Plus; Madiba arrived on Robben Island for the very first time, with On This Day in SA History. Comment below and send our host, broadcast journalist Graeme Raubenheimer, a voice note: 072 562 3179. To advertise: thelead@24.com. Full editions drop on Monday and Wednesday nights at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. The show is fully produced, presented and edited by Raubenheimer and quality-checked by News24's editors.

Return to the Bellville South house of horrors

In this edition, The Lead returns to the Bellville South house of horrors with News24 court and crime journalist, Lisalee Solomons. She reports that 63-year-old Aletta Rose, the murder convict accused of decapitating her Cape Town sister in March, has been giving court and remand prison authorities a headache. Rose, who now wants bail, doesn't like the media's cameras snapping pictures of her, and insists on an Afrikaans-speaking Legal Aid attorney. Later in the show, we recall the late Manto Tshabalala-Msimang's legacy during the Mbeki era, in our regular segment On This Day in SA History. Comment below and send our host, broadcast journalist Graeme Raubenheimer, a voice note: 072 562 3179. To advertise: thelead@24.com. Full editions drop on Monday and Wednesday nights at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. The show is fully produced, presented and edited by Raubenheimer and quality-checked by News24's editors.

PowerBall? The lotto king’s curious business ties

The licence to operate the Lotto is about to change hands to Sizekhaya Holdings, not without claims of alleged misconduct by those left out of the ultra-lucrative tender. The man steering that outfit is Moses Tembe, a figure who's in business with at least three others precariously close to Deputy President Paul Mashatile. So much so that Tembe got a personal invite to this year's opening of Parliament, reports News24 investigative journalist Azarrah Karrim.In our trending topic, we ask: which SA retailer is streaks ahead so far with its self-checkout tills? News24's William Brederode tested them! Finally, later in the show, the early '90s SA democracy negotiations looked grim, as we discussed in our regular segment, On This Day in SA History. Comment below and send our host, broadcast journalist Graeme Raubenheimer, a voice note: 072 562 3179. To advertise: thelead@24.com [thelead@24.com]. Full editions drop on Monday and Wednesday nights at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. The show is fully produced, presented and edited by Raubenheimer and quality-checked by News24's editors.

Your ultimate Phala Phala couch catch-up

President Cyril Ramaphosa reckons he's got a fair chance of challenging an independent panel's findings that he may have broken the law in relation to the 2020 theft of a large sum of money from a couch based at his Phala Phala game lodge. But this “Section 89” report, overseen by retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, is not the only one Ramaphosa should be worried about. In this edition of The Lead, investigative journalist Kyle Cowan explains the critical importance of police watchdog IPID's revelations. And we rewind it all, to give you a much clearer sense of the entire Phala Phala saga up until now. Finally, later in the show, the Mayor of Welkom was tarred and feathered. On This Day in SA History is our regular segment. Comment below and send our host, broadcast journalist Graeme Raubenheimer, a voice note: 072 562 3179. To advertise: thelead@24.com. Full editions drop on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. The show is fully produced, presented and edited by Raubenheimer and quality-checked by News24's editors.

OR Tambo gold bust haunts SAPS major generals. Plus: Cape storm wrap

We kick off this news week with two more senior police figures in the dock, this time facing serious charges in connection with a peculiar unwrought gold bust at OR Tambo International Airport about five years ago. Major Generals Feroz Khan and Ebrahim Kadwa, and security company boss Tariq Downes, have all since been granted bail, reports News24's Tankiso Makhetha. Makhetha has found that Downes' alleged name-dropping of Khan during the bust and then getting off scot-free has now come back to haunt the three. In our trending topic, Cape schools shut this Tuesday in the eye of a destructive storm that has ripped roofs off homes, downed trees and blocked roads. Finally, later in the show, SA formally joined the global football world, On This Day in SA History. Comment below and send our host, broadcast journalist Graeme Raubenheimer, a voice note: 072 562 3179. To advertise: thelead@24.com. Full editions drop on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. The show is fully produced, presented and edited by Raubenheimer and quality-checked by News24's editors.