FEAR OF A COUP ENGULFS ZIMBABWE

The world woke up to shocking news, this week, that President Robert Mugabe was placed under house arrest by the Zimbabwean National Army. This comes after vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was sacked for allegedly being disloyal and planning to oust Mugabe.
The army chief General Constantine Chiwenga had warned the ruling party against the purging of politicians who had assisted in the liberation struggle against Britain. ZANU - PF Youth League responded by ridiculing the army and telling Chiwenga to stay in the barracks and not 93 meddle in politics. 
A week later army tanks were seen heading for Harare and a Coup d 'etat was suspected to be in motion. General Chiwenga, however, downplayed the suspicions and said that the army was only performing a usual drill.
Robert Mugabe has been in power since Zimbabwe gained its independence from Britain in 1980. He is now 93 and very frail.

 

BEER CHURCH POPULAR IN JOHANNESBURG

Churches have never been in alignment with alcohol consumption throughout history, however, one local church has defied this conventional norm. Situated in Orange Farm, Gauteng Gabola Church prides itself in catering for society's outcasts popularly known as 'drunkards.
Having been established only a few months ago this church is already boasting 500 members and appears to be growing rapidly. The congregation is offered alcohol during a sermon and members are baptised with the brand of their choice.
The pastor always starts the service with a glass of whisky and prays for all the alcohol that will be consumed throughout the sermon. He firmly believes that Jesus turned water into wine for this particular purpose and therefore drinkers should not be ashamed to indulge. 
Church services are held in a tavern and everyone is invited!!!

BLACK MONDAY PROTESTS CAUSE RACIAL DIVISION

Monday saw farmers from different parts of South Africa banding together and blocking highways in a bid to be heard by the government. This protest comes in light of a Stellenbosch farmer who was murdered at his home by an unknown assailant.
Farm murders have become a serious issue in the country with farmers venting their frustration and pleading with the government to be assisted.
The march was peaceful in the Free State with no disruptions reported however, in Middleburg, a truck collided with the cars blocking the highway and a few people were injured.
In Johannesburg tensions began to soar when the protestors started waving the old Apartheid flag to on coming traffic. This raised concerns about the farm murders being racialised and Black Monday being used for political reasons.
Many political parties including the ANC, DA, and EFF condemned those who were brandishing the old South African flag and called for unity amongst all South Africans.

SISTERS IN HIP HOP

Fridays are always packed with pure entertainment as Metro Rhythm caters for the avid hip hop listener. Hip hop is, undoubtedly, a male-dominated industry that lacks sufficient support for the female species. 

Gontse 'the goon and Thapelo aka Tapz take it upon themselves to expose local talent within the feminine domain. 

Unsigned artists are given a platform to showcase their talent while the latest in entertainment is dissected on the show. 

Be sure to tune in at 2pm-5pm every Friday to experience the purest hip hop sounds.

SEX TALK

This subject matter might be taboo in many households but in essence it needs to be dissected eventually. The brave Precious Mphahlele takes this topic head-on and delves deep into what goes on in the bedroom. From 'friends with benefits'to oral sex this show covers everything there is to know about love-making.

Every Tuesday between 10am and 12pm be sure to tune into Metro Rhythm and get some tips on how to reach your partner's delicate spot. 

WHAT'S COOKING?

Cooking has never been so mouth-watering and enticing from audio without any visuals. That's the case with Chef Nathan's show 'What's Cooking?'airing every Friday from 12pm until 2pm. Chef Nathan takes the listener on a journey of food and elaborates on what goes into the perfect dish. Every week is filled with new menus and guests who know their way around the kitchen. Food does not only feed one's hunger but the soul as well which is why tuning in to this show is vital for you. Allow Chef Nathan to give you some of the best ingredients that will shake up your kitchen.

LAS VEGAS SHOOTING

A country music concert was tragically cut short in Nevada when a mysterious gunman sprayed a hail of bullets at the audience attending the event. 63-year-old Stephen Paddock was in his 32nd floor apartment, at a hotel, when he opened fire at the unsuspecting crowd. 59 people were killed and nearly 530 were injured. At this point it is still unclear what drove Paddock to commit this massacre with 10 suitcases filled with machine guns found in his hotel room. He then committed suicide upon shooting at the crowd before police officials got to his hotel room. His girlfriend, a Philippines national, was flown to the USA for questioning following the ordeal. Paddock is said to have been a retired accountant with multi-millions to his name along with gambling habits. His brother, Eric, described how shocked he was when he heard of the news.

FAMILY MATTERS WITH Chris Samuels

Family Matters is a weekly show, hosted by Chris Samuels, airing on Wednesdays and Fridays between 10am and 12pm. The show will tackle issues faced by families from all demographics in this day and age. Is it wise for a matriculant to take a gap year after completing their schooling? and what about the so called 'Middle child problems' that seem to constantly affect the second born sibling in the family? Chris will also be looking into how social media affects contemporary families when comparing the interaction patterns that appear to be hampered by technology. Are you a conservative parent who has issues with their child's sexual orientation? Family Matters is the kind of show that delves deep into these taboo subject matters and tries to find solutions for all parties involved.

BOGUS COP ROBS TOURISTS

Officials are looking for a suspect responsible for robbing a group of Dutch tourists en route to their hotel in Fourways,Johannesburg. The suspect was dressed in police uniform and pulled over the bus in which the tourists were travelling. It appeared to be a normal traffic routine stop when suddenly the 'policeman' pulled out his gun and ordered everyone to give up their valuables. It is at this moment when other suspects, dressed in civilian clothing, entered the bus and tied up the tour guide as well as the bus driver while proceeding to rob everyone. The incident has left the tourists shaken with MPs worried about the negative effect it will have on the economy.

NFL PLAYERS PROTEST AGAINST AMERICAN FLAG

A strong spirit of activism has swept through the American football atmosphere as players protest against the American flag and national anthem. Protesting players opted to kneel, instead of standing, during the national anthem. This outcry originally stemmed from another player, Colin Kaepernick, in 2016 when he complained about the national flag and anthem not recognising people of colour. This outcry was met with a lot of criticism from fans to the white house. US President Donald Trump has critised the protesting players and urged fans to stop attending the games until the players stop disrespecting America and its flag. The president also advised NFL owners to fire protesting players.

SPRINGBOK LEGEND'S SON MURDERED

Steven Muller, the son of Springbok legend Hennie Muller, was found dead in his Brackenfell home this past weekend. He had sustained serious injuries to the head and his body was discovered by his wife and a neighbour. A 31-year-old suspect has since been arrested and charged with theft and murder. The motive, for murder, is still unknown at the moment. His father Henry Muller played for the national rugby team between 1949 and 1953 holding captaincy for 2 consecutive years.

R14 Million Student In Hot Water

Walter Sisulu University student Sibongile Mani is in trouble after splurging some of the R14 million that was mistakenly deposited into her account. Mani is a beneficiary of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and receives an allowance of R1 400 per month. Fellow students started suspecting that something was not right when Mani started living lavishly out of the blue. It was later discovered that the student had mistakenly received an erroneous amount instead of her usual stipend. She now faces charges of theft and is believed to have spent more than R800 000. The student had to be escorted by police officials when her fellow counterparts mobbed her on campus out of frustration and anger.

Kenny Kunene Dodges Death

Businessman Kenny Kunene almost lost his life when his car was shot at this past Tuesday evening. The self-proclaimed ‘sushi king’ was travelling with friend, and Sunday Independent editor, Steve Motale when the incident occurred. Kunene states that a white SUV appeared to be following him but paid no attention to it until it signalled for him to pull over. He parked on the side of the road when the SUV suddenly pulled up next to his BMW 125i and released a barrage of bullets. The businessman managed to reverse swiftly and found refuge at a nearby residential area when the security guard let him in. Kunene believes the incident was a hit’’ and that someone is ‘baying for their blood’.

Hillbrow Theatre Shooting

A shooting took place at Hillbrow theatre this past Sunday when a concert goer lost his temper during a live performance. The disgruntled and intoxicated man jumped on stage, in the middle of a live band’s performance, and snatched the microphone.

His cellphone had allegedly been stolen and he demanded to know who had taken it.

The man threatened to ‘shut the show down’ if nobody attempted to step forward and return his cellphone. His words were backed by ammunition when he suddenly whipped out a pistol and shot straight into the crowd killing one person and wounding seven. 

He fled the scene on foot and was later arrested by police, the next day, for a separate crime he had committed with four other accomplices. He is currently under police guard at Tembisa hospital.

Floyd Mayweather Retires Undefeated

Boxing welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather has made history by retiring undefeated and surpassing legend Rocky Marciano's boxing record of 49-0. This came about after Mayweather won his bout against Conor McGregor on Sunday 27 August in Las Vegas.

The fight had garnered great anticipation since this was Mayweather's final fight and McGregor's boxing debut as the latter is an MMA brawler. Mayweather displayed his experience and stamina when he finally ended the match in the 10th round by TKO. McGregor however put on a show and surprised many by lasting until the 10th round before fatigue took its toll on him.

'Money' Mayweather is now one of the few athletes, among Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, to enjoy billionaire status. His record will surely be recorded in boxing's history books alongside the greatest boxers the world has produced over the decades.

Vusi Nova hijacked outside his home

South African afro pop sensation Vusi Nova was hijacked at his Melville house on Thursday morning along with a young man he is believed to be mentoring. The Thandiwe hit maker describes the horrific ordeal as terrifying as a gunman suddenly appeared out of nowhere and demanded him, and his passenger, to get in the back seat of his vehicle.

The musician recalls his hijackers telling him that they had been following him for a year before making their move. His biggest concern was for the young man he was mentoring to be spared and his wish was granted when the latter was dropped off in Riverlea after being stripped naked.

After finding the tracking device in Vusi Nova's car the criminals then dumped him at an undisclosed location. The muso was helped by passersby who took him to the nearest police station to open a case of hijacking and kidnapping. 

 

Zuma Survives Motion of No Confidence

ZUMA SURVIVES MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE

 

South African President Jacob Zuma has clearly demonstrated, in parliament, the metaphoric expression á cat has 9 lives'. President Zuma has survived another vote of no confidence against him by opposition parties - this was the eighth vote of no confidence. Despite his victory, however, this vote of no confidence in particular has revealed cracks within the ruling party. A significant number of ANC MPs voted against Zuma in essence choosing to oppose their leader. About 30 ANC MPs voted against Zuma with the total votes amounting to 177 along with those of opposition parties. A majority of 201 votes was needed to oust the president in a first ever secret ballot vote.

Deputy Minister of Higher Education resigns

DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND LEARNING RESIGNS

Mduduzi Manana has resigned as Deputy Minister of higher education and learning following assault charges that were laid against him by 2 women. The former deputy minister is accused of assaulting 2 2 women at a Johannesburg night club. Manana is alleged to have assaulted the women after a conversation about the up-coming elections and his sexual orientation became heated. He has since issued a public apology and resigned as the deputy minister. 

SA Industry Loses Entertainers

SA INDUSTRY LOSES ENTERTAINERS

The South African entertainment industry was rocked by continous tragedy in August as 3 entertainers died consecutively. Kwaito artist Anthony 'Tsekeleke' Motaung died on 1 August 2017 after battling diabetes for over a decade. He died in hospital during an operation in Vosloorus. The kwaito star rose to fame in the late 90's with his hit single 'Fatty Boom Boom'. Tsekeleke was well known for his explosive dance moves despite his obesity. Doctors had suggested an amputation on one of his legs 10 years ago but the artist refused when he considered his music career and being a sole-provider for his family. 

A few days after Tsekeleke's death Rhythm City actor Dumi Masilela was also reported dead. Masilela was shot in Tembisa during a botched a hijacking, in the evening, while he was parked on the side of the road with a friend. A black Jeep suddenly pulled up in front of his car and an assailant, carrying a gun, stepped out of the vehicle and headed towards theirs. The gunman fired one shot which killed Masilela while he attempted to flee. Masilela succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

While the country was still mourning the deaths of these entertainers veteran actress Mary Makgatho passed away a week later. the veteran actress died after being in hospital since July due to an undisclosed illness. She is best known for her appearances in Rhythm City, Generations and Ekasi: Our stories.

Business Networking Session

BUSNIESS NETWORKING SESSION

The month of July began with an informative and enriching business networking session hosted by Kgomotso Mautloa. Kgomotso is the creative director of a marketing and communications company called Green Robot Designs. We were more than privileged to have him impart knowledge on our guests that were present on the day. He has an extensive resume` that boasts being featured on Forbes’ magazine’s influential business people under the age of 30.

Unemployment is a serious issue in South Africa, especially among the youth, and as they say, ‘time waits for no man’. That is why Metro Rhythm finds it extremely imperative to teach the youth, and anyone willing to learn, the ins-and-outs of starting and maintaining a business.

Self-employment has become the norm nowadays and nothing is better than starting a business that will sustain you for a lifetime.

The Common Purpose

THE COMMON PURPOSE

The Common Purpose is a weekly show airing on Wednesdays between 10am and 11am hosted by Mteto Gqiba. Mr Gqiba is the owner of Sandilz Consulting which is an independent organisation that strives to maintain and re-affirm an individual’s self-esteem in the workplace. The show aims to assist all, within the workplace and abroad, in achieving their life goals through inspiring motivational talks. An initiative Metro Rhythm is definitely proud and excited to be a part of. 

The Element

THE ELEMENT

Airing every Tuesday and Thursday between 12pm and 3pm is a fun-filled and entertaining youth show hosted by Dee.Am and Thandi Siziling. These 2 DJs might be new in the industry but their passion for radio has certainly carved a clear path for them.

The Element is steadily growing and gaining new fans on a weekly basis through social media likes and physical interaction. Current trending topics are dissected amidst the latest and previous hits to engage and entertain the listener. The latest in gossip and entertainment couldn’t be left out either!