Exploitation in the construction sector has been rife for many years as it is an industry that is mostly made-up of casual labour. History has shown how things go wrong when sometimes unqualified people are made to work resulting in buildings collapsing and so on. Well this may become a thing of the past as the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), together with its social partners, the International Labour Organization, the Federated Employers Mutual Assurance Company, and the Compensation Fund are uniting to support labour rights and ethical business practices in the construction sector.  Guest: Aggy Moiloa - Inspector General in the Department of Employment and Labour Guest: Naomy Lintini - Project Manager for SADC Region at the International Labour Organisation

Our next guest has been behind the scenes as an artist developer and manager for the past 20 years. He has with developed artists such as Berita and Ami Faku. He has worked alongside with such as Stoan Seate, HHP, Mobi Dixon, Msaki, Oliver Mtukudzi and Bra Hugh Masekela. Last year, his own journey to center stage began when he recorded his debut EP titled "Ndim". The EP features six tracks reflects of work features Betusile Mcinga and Zintle Kwaaiman. He joins us in the studio to speak about his latest single entitled "Xelel'ilizwe" which features poet, Nue Sam and his upcoming collaborations with Jaziel Brothers and Musa (Idols Winner: 2013).  Guest (Studio): Luyolo Beku - Musician

Many of you who’ve been listening to the Municipal Watch feature over the years will remember some of the rot that has been revealed from municipalities in the North West Province. From the Ditsobotla not paying its workers for moths, to Matlosana where the Municipal Manger was implicated in corruption and the Dr Ruth Mompati Municipality where R38-million was spent on a shack that was said to be a call centre. Still on Ditsobotla, Auditor General, Tshakani Maluleke in her latest report revealed that the municipality has failed to submit its financials for two years in a row. Guest: Gaoage Molapisi – North West MEC for Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs

The Gross Gambling income being generated in the past year is R47 billion in the past financial year and represents 37% increase from April 2023 to March 2024. This is largely due to betting and gaming companies expanding their online presence and the gambling activities on offer.  Due to this move, they are capturing a young audience (18-34 years old) who spend more time on their phones than at a casino. According to an InfoQuest survey taken earlier this year, young people engaged in gambling activities at least 11 times a month (on average). Gambling may be seen as recreational, addiction is not far behind and has posed a major challenge in society. Many people see gambling as an income stream as 39% of gamblers use their winnings to bet again. According to the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation, there have been 2661 referrals for gambling addition in the previous fiscal cycle.  Guest: Alpheus Matlatla - Assistant Manager for Treatment Services at the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation Guest: Peter Ucko - CEO of the Tobacco, Alcohol and Gambling Advisory Advocacy and Action Group Guest: Sibongile Simelane-Quntana - Executive Director of the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation

Residents under Merafong City Local Municipality which include Fochville, Carletonville, and Welverdiend, are said to be experiencing a severe water crisis which has left many without water for extended periods. Reports in the media point to  infrastructure problems, drought and the fact that the municipality owes Rand Water millions. There are so many pictures on social media showing residents scrambling for water with buckets. Guest: Welile Fihla – PR Councillor for the DA in Khutsong and also a resident  Guest: Dr. Ferrial Adam - Executive Manager at WaterCan Guest: Henk Boshoff - Commissioner at the South African Human Rights Commission

This week, leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China South Africa meet to discuss pertinent global developments and bilateral trade agreements that will forge the path forward at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. The Summit is set to host 36 international leaders from around the world and the United Nations Secretary-General,  Antonio Gutterres as a possible attendee. This Summit will also be the first appearance of its newest members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates following their accession to the multilateral organization in August 2023. At the top of the agenda of the Summit, the reduction of transactions from US Dollars to local currencies in a bid to bolster economic development. Another key discussion will be geopolitical environment and the role of multilateralism in overcoming conflict at a time where the world has returned on conventional warfare. Guest: Prof David Monyae - Director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg Guest: Thembisa Fakude - Senior Research Fellow at Africa Asia Dialogues (Afrasid)  

This morning Bryan was meant to deal with some of the enquiries he’s been receiving on both his TV and Radio programmes from concerned employees regarding contributions deducted from their salaries by employers that have not been paid over. So he got in touch with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority to find out why they seem to be slow to act and perhaps displaying negligence by not addressing this issue with the urgency it requires. So they have agreed to come on to the show to explain the processes and also answer some of your questions. Guest: Keabetswe Tsuene - Specialist Analyst in the Retirement Funds Conduct Supervision department  

As we continue to commemorate Transport Month, we discuss one of the major causes of road fatalities in the country: driving under the influence of alcohol. In South Africa, 5.5% of road incidents in South Africa are directly caused by drinking and driving. The United Nations (UN) Global Road Safety has set a target of reducing drinking and driving incidents by 50% by 2030. Our next guests have formed a partnership to redouble their efforts in achieving this target through road safety initiatives. Over the course of the second quarter of 2024, more than 4 000 roadblocks were held and resulted in over 4 800 arrests. We ask our panel today: Are road safety initiatives doing enough to turn the tide on fatalities and build more responsible drivers? What trends are law enforcement noticing at accident scenes involving alcohol-related collisions? What do parents need to teach their young adults about responsible driving practices? How can substance abuse issues be addressed through demerit systems to stop habitual offenders?  Guest (Studio): Lebogang Mashigo - Senior Programmes Manager at Aware.org Guest (Telephone): Xolani Fihla - Spokesperson at the JMPD Guest (Zoom): Magda Reynolds - National Business & Development Manager at NICRO

South Africa’s informal economy contributes significantly to the GDP at  about 6% and job creation with an estimated 7.5 million employed in the informal economy, compared to 9.8 million in the formal economy. Beyond this, the township economy has been built to solve problems whether it is alleviating food security, providing modes of transport or connecting people to the internet. The informal economy has bridged the gap for social development issues. For this sector to grow, it requires access to credit and digital profile for their operations. Without a banking profile or business transaction history, entrepreneurs are restricted to borrowing from friends, family, angel investors or micro-lenders at high interest rates. Digital payments with biometrics could help banks securely verify the identity of their customer and extend finance based on the trading history. There is also a challenge of regulation policy that is being set by the government and the recognition of tax contributions by small businesses.  Guest: Lance Fanaroff - co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of iiDENTIFii Guest: Luvuyo Mncanca - business consultant and a freelance writer

Four of the six men who were gunned down at Godini Village in Qumbu in the Eastern Cape two weeks ago have been laid to rest on Saturday. The other two victims of the massacre from the Sotshongaye family were buried yesterday (Sunday). During the funeral news of another mass murder broke that five family members were shot and killed while sleeping in a village caller Bityi as our reporter Abongile Jantjes reports... Guest: Claire Taylor - Researcher at Gun Free SA Guest:  Lindani Zungu - Founder and editor-in-chief of Voices of Mzansi Guest: David Bruce - Policing expert based at the Institute of Security Studies

Taking us to the weekend is a young lady from Pretoria who calls herself ItsKwena. Her real name Kwena Mokgokong who was born and raised in Pretoria. She is described as mulita-talented composer, to production, poetry to painting to name a few. How does she describe herself and why did she decide to add English to her stage name, ItsKwena instead of the vernacular ke-Kwena as an artist….. Guest: ItsKwena, real name Kwena Mokgokong

We chat now to the newly appointed General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches Revd Mzwandile Molo on a number of issues from the state of the country to the role of the church in politics and society. The SACC played a huge role in fighting and speaking out against the former apartheid regime which automatically put them on the wrong side of the fence. 30 years into our democracy, how would they describe the state of the country and what would they say are the biggest challenges we are facing? Also is the voice of the church still powerful under a democratic government vs the old. What new thing is Revd Molo hoping to bring as he takes the helm of this powerful organisation?  Guest: Rev. Mzwandile Molo - New General Secretary for the South African Council of Churches

Political drama is unfolding in the Kwadukuza Local Municipality where the ANC has recallled it's mayor, Lindi Mhaca who is reportedly refusing to leave. Her party is planning a vote of no confidence in her. Reports also indicate that political parties represented there are about to institute a motion of no confidence in the Speaker Dolly Governder which was filed by the DA.  Guest: Zwakhele Mncwango - ActionSA KZN provincial chairperson Guest: Mongezi Twala – EFF Provincial Chairperson in KZN Guest: Sthe Ngema – DA KZN Deputy Leader Guest: Deon Viljoen – Chairperson of the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association

This week, the Ministers of Defense have gathered in Addis Abba for the inaugural continental conference on Defense. The conference is held under the theme "Africa: United in Peace, Strong in Security". At the conference, South Africa will be represented by Deputy Minister (Gen.) Bantu Holomisa and has been tasked to engage with other African defence leaders on issues such as counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, and border security management. He will also speak to leaders about enhancing the resilience of African defence forces. The conference aims to articulate a future vision for peace, stability, and development in Africa, while fostering collaboration to tackle shared security challenges. The continent faces major conflicts in the DRC, Sudan and Mozambique. There are also military junctas ruling countries in the Sahel region (Mali, Burkino Faso and Niger). There has also been shifting tides when it comes to how African nations align on military cooperation.  Guest: Nixon Katembo - African Affairs analyst & language specialist at Channel Africa Kiswahili desk

We come to you live from the Goethe-Institut where Media Monitoring Africa  is hosting the 2024 Media Freedom Festival. This year the event takes place under the theme, “Media for Democracy: Ensuring Access, Accountability and Integrity in Journalism”. They go on to say that they have partnered with leading organisations committed to collaboratively amplifying media freedom and human rights to make the festival more impactful. To look at some of the challenges and possible threats that remain an obstacle to media freedom and what it is that we should not compromise on,  Guest: Avani Singh  - Constitutional Law Specialist Guest: William Bird - Media Monitoring Africa Guest: Sy Mammabola - Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission  

This past weekend, Eskom marked 200 days without load shedding. The power utility predicts that this milestone may result in a 2% GDP growth boost due to improved power reliability. However, many citizens around the country have shared their disgruntlement on this milestone not reflecting their lived experiences. Some of our listeners have shared they have experienced load reduction on a daily basis. Some of the challenges facing regional utility operators include illegal connections and excessive demand in specific neighborhoods in cities. Is load reduction the new normal? Will we continue to entrench energy inequality?  Guest: Miriam Nodembeloni - Chairperson of the Luvuvhu Energy Forum Guest: Vally Padayachee - Power & Energy Expert and a former executive manager of Eskom and a former senior executive of City Power JHB

This week, Bryan will discuss the different ways of investing and making money in the long term by investing in property.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

Last month (17 September 2024), we highlighted the issue of funding employment initiatives - particularly in the teaching sector. A civil society organization wrote a letter to the Department of Labour on the status of teaching assistants, the impact the employment initiative has had for young people wanting to part of the basic education system and if there will be funding provided for the next recruitment for Basic Education Employment Initiative. Earlier this year, Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the extension of R7.4 billion for the Presidential Employment Initiative in the medium-term. If this disbursement is not released, the Department of Basic Education cannot go forward with the recruitment process (Phase V) of new teaching assistants. Since 2020, the Basic Education Employment Initiative has helped 22 000 schools and provided work opportunities for up to 300 000 young people across the country. The Acting Director General of the Department of Employment and Labour made a commitment to provide updates on the disbursement of funds and there will be an announcement on implementation. Since our initial discussion, Youth Capital has only received an acknowledgement from the Department of Labour and Employment on the letter. There has been no meeting has been set or updates provided on the progress of this disbursement. Guest: Viwe Mlezana - Acting Director-​General of Employment and Labour  

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen announced on Friday that his party will no longer support the bailout of State-Owned Enterprises. He said this at a press briefing marking his party's 100 days since joining the Government of National Unity. He went on to say that the country has spent over R350 billion in bailouts for SOEs over the past 10 years. Let's take a listen to what he had to say on the issue... Guest: Duma Gqubule – Research Associate at the Social Policy Initiative Guest: Dr Dale McKinley – Independent Writer and Political Analyst currently based at the International Labour, Research and Information Group

New study unpacks GBV in the COVID-19 era and beyondFocus: Gender-based violence in South Africa is a critical issue, deeply rooted in historical, cultural, and social factors. On average, seven women are killed a day (1999 -2022) and femicide rates is five times higher than global rate. In a new report by the South African Medical Research Council, 60% of women who died during the height Covid-19 pandemic were at the hands of an intimate partner. The study reviewed mortuary files, autopsy reports, and interviews with police investigators. The report has also outlined that there have become more violent in nature as there is an increase in firearms (33%) and sexual assault (16,3%) as key features of femicide incidents. Justice for victims of gender-based violence in South Africa faces several challenges. Only one of five femicide cases end in conviction. While there are laws and policies in place aimed at protecting victims and prosecuting offenders, enforcement can be inconsistent. According to the new report, many unsolved cases have been due to a lack of data on the perpetrators (50%), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Victims often encounter obstacles like stigmatization and lack of support despite legislative interventions such as National Integrated Femicide Prevention strategy being introduced. To help us unpack this report further, we are joined by... Guest: Dr Leane Ramsoomar-Hariparsaad- Public Health Researcher & Research Uptake Specialist at the South African Medical Research Council Guest:  Dr. Nwabisa Shai - Specialist Scientist: Public Health at the South African Medical Research Council

Our next guest hails from the streets of East London and she has carved a lane all of her own making in the South African industry. She has been a soundtrack to our lives kept us dancing in the past decade.   She has worked alongside some of the most recognizable producers and House DJs in the game from Mobi Dixon, to Revolution, Black Coffee, to Black Motion, to Prince Kaybee, Kabza de Small and Sun-El Musician. She is not limited to one genre as she has worked alongside Tresor, Tubatsi Mpho Moloi, Beatenburg and many more. She is celebrating this milestone in the South African music industry with us and joins us in the studio to make a special announcement for her fanbase ahead of another hot Summer season. Guest: Asanda Lusaseni Mvana - Musician, composer, producer and curator

This week, public health stakeholders across the country are encouraging ordinary South Africans to choose healthier food options and live a more active lifestyle. The government has partnered with various public health organizations to emphasize the importance of educating the public on nutrition and safe food handling in an effort to combat malnutrition as well as illnesses. One of the key concerns around building a healthier lifestyle is cost. Another concern is whether households are food secure and the accessibility of food that is safe enough to consume. This year's edition has been overshadowed by several incidents of food poisoning have occurred among young people and children which have resulted in death. How can we make nutritious food available in our homes, workplaces, schools? How can we help South Africans from all walks of life enjoy a healthier lifestyle?  Guest: Ms Belinda Makhafola - Director for Environmental Health at the National Department of Health Guest: Maria van der Merwe - Registered Dietitian & President of the Association for Dietetics in South Africa Guest: Prof. Tertia van Zyl - Nutrition Society of South Africa Council Member and Professor at North-West University

For more than a year, the producers of this show have been trying to get the Ngaka Modiri Molema municipality on the show to talk about service delivery issues. Sadly the mayor, Khumalo Molefe has never been available for different reasons. Even today he is again not available to take part. The producers then asked when he can be available, but no response from the communication team. So this morning we thought to give you the residents under that municipality the opportunity to tell us what life is like when it comes to service delivery. Let’s first listen to this report that was done by our reporter, Itumeleng Kgajane and video journalist Tumelo Setlhabetsi there weeks ago. It was about residents of Danville township and neighboring villages in Mahikeng in the North West saying they have had enough. They have lodged complaints regarding a canal passing on the edge of the township. Guest: Vincent Diphoko – Provincial secretary for the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) Guest: George Morapedi – Provincial Chairperson of the Independent Municipal & Allied Trade Union, (IMATU) in the North West  

Mozambicans headed to the polls yesterday in what commentators say will be another victory for the ruling FRELIMO that has been in power since independence in 1975. Some reports say that young people are not impressed with how things are turning out. As the results are trickling in, we get the perspective of our colleague from Channel Africa who is in Mozambique to give us a summary of what he has observed and what some of the locals are saying... Guest: Nixon Kathembo - Africa specialist and executive producer of the Kiswahili Desk at Channel Africa

Today, we turn our attention to an issue that affects all South Africans, the cleanliness of our cities. Our cities, once beacons of hope and culture, are increasingly becoming overwhelmed with waste and disarray. Despite ongoing efforts from municipalities, many citizens feel disillusioned, believing that their surroundings are beyond help. But it doesn’t have to be that way. What then is our role as citizens and what should we do to help keep our cities clean? Guest: Stuart Morrison – Data Analyst Intern within the Governance Insights and Analytics Team at Good Governance Africa Guest: Dalu Cele - Founder and Executive Director of Clean City SA

Tomorrow (Thursday) marks World Mental Health Day and we thought to turn our focus on the impact of home security on our mental health. Our homes are supposed to be our comfort zones and places of safety, but if you look around and see how walls are getting higher and higher and also more burglar-proof gates are being installed to increase our safety. But then what does all of this do for our mental health? Do we worry too much about what can happen and also the fear of criminals breaking in? What is all of this doing for our mental health?   Guest: Arielle Susman - Clinical Social Worker specialising in trauma and mental health

This week, Bryan will address concerns regarding delays in the Two Pot Retirement System, along with issues raised by members about unpaid contributions. However, our primary focus for the week, will be on Estate Planning. Before we do that, Bryan speaks for a few minutes  to Muvhango  Lukhaimane who is the Pension Funds Adjudicator to answer some of your concerns… Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

In last 3 years, the cost of living crisis has crippled many households as food inflation rose to 4,7% overall. According to the recent Household Affordability Index report, the average household food basket going up to R2,860.84 for September 2024 (Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group). These pressures have made it difficult for lower income consumers to keep up with new prices and placing more households at serious risk of being food insecure. According to the Competition Commission, several retailers and producers have not lowered their prices despite a better economic outlook. In this discussion, we want to unpack if consumers will benefit from lower food prices given the easing of inflation, fuel prices, stronger exchange rate and loadshedding in recent months. We also talk about the role retailers/food producers play when it comes to pricing and how different stakeholders can play a role in advocating for consumers. Guest: Khalirendwe Ranenyeni - Principal Economist at the Competition Commission  Guest: Camerodene-June Buys is a Junior Researcher in International Development and Social Policy at the Social Policy Initiative  

Yesterday (Sunday) the SACP launched it Red October camping under the theme: Tackle the cost-of-living crisis and implement the NHI now. This theme reflects on the need to prioritize the recovery of the working class after facing limited access to public goods. The campaign also seeks to address how the party can share proposals on overcoming unemployment, poverty as well as inequlity in South Africa. This morning, we invited the South African Communist Party to share some of their insights. We ask them what a caring socialist outlook could help build a better society that uplifts the dignity of workers. The party forms part of the tripartite alliance and play a critical role in setting the agenda when it comes to government policy and what direction society should be taking in achieving the national democratic revolution. We just wanted to understand how impactful is this campaign in positioning the party as leader in society two decades later.  Guest (TBC): Dr. Alex Mashilo - South African Communist Party

According to the Thrive by Five report, only 45% of children are on track with educational outcomes of early learning programmes. Our next guests have written letter to the Minister of Basic Education calling for urgency in finalizing the move from Department of Social Development given the 5 year wait. The bill was initially proposed in Parliament back in 2019 and was redrafted last year based on public comment. The revised bill is set to be presented at the parliamentary portfolio committee for basic education in the coming weeks. The policy shift has been aimed at safeguarding the sector by improving the quality of educational outcomes for early learning programmes and accessibility to centres. This is set to affect 27 000 centres and over 2 million children up to the age of 5. National Treasury has set aside R1,5 billion for the transition of early childhood development and capacitate long-term investment for practitioners and ensure quality assurance. To help us unpack the importance of strengthening educational outcomes at a foundational level, we are joined by… Guest: Gugulethu Ndebele - Executive Director Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) Guest: Marie-Louise Samuels - Early Childhood Development expert

Ushering us into the weekend is Bongi Mvuyana who has released a new album entitled ‘Power’ which she describes as person because of the many things she went through. It is scheduled to be released today (4th October) and according to industry commentators, the album marks a significant evolution from her earlier work.  Guest: Bongi Mvuyana – South African singer and song writer  

Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa has raised concerns over the amount of accidents that we’ve seen over the months. About a month ago, we’ve seen a few bus accidents that involved Zimbabweans entering the country and in a few instances school children died while being transported to school. Many of our listeners have raised concerns about scholar transport describing the state of those vehicles used to transport. So as we kick-off National Transport Month, we thought to invite the Mr Hlengwa to talk about a number of issues pertaining to his new portfolio and where he would say things need to change. Guest: Mkhuleko Hlengwa - Deputy Minister of Transport

We revisit the Emfuleni municipality where workers have not been paid their September salaries. This comes after Eskom attached the municipality’s bank accounts to ensure it pays R8bn owed to the power utility. This particular municipality has been in the news for many years for all the wrong reasons. From poor service delivery to being placed under administration. Guest: Makhosonke Sangweni – Communications manager at Emfuleni Municipality Guest: Mpho Tladinyane – SAMWU’s Gauteng Provincial Secretary Guest: Serero Leseane – Community member based in Vireeniging 

The agriculture value chain goes beyond the production of barley. There are several components that play a significant role in the food and beverage industry. Our next guest helps develops emerging farmers and connects them with active clients in the industry.  Guest: Aron Kole - Managing Director of FarmSol Holdings (Ltd)

One of the keynote speakers at this morning's proceedings is the Minister of Agriculture. Government and the private sector have often made deals to invest in the expansion of the sector and create platforms to capacitate producers.  Guest: John Steenhuisen - Minister of Agriculture

In the past two months, 11 arrests have been made of drug mules and decoys at O R Tambo airport. This new development prompts new concerns about how drug mules are identified and lured into a life in the underbelly of the illicit drug trade. In this hour, we discuss the social implications of this trend and how we make communities more vigilant. We also delve into the policies we need to implement and interventions that need to be made to help victims return home (prison transfer). We also hear from a victim on their journey through arrest, incarnation and their return home. Guest: Prof. Nirmala Gopal - Professor of Criminology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Guest: Andy Mashaile - retired interpol ambassador & Security Strategist Guest: Glory Matipile - Ambassador for Youth for Human Rights in Africa & founder of Baagi ba South Africa (an NPO organization advocating for Implementations for laws and Policies in SA our current policy Advocacy is International Prisoner Transfer) Guest: Angel Maluleke - Victim (formerly SAPS | friend put drugs in her Bag and she was caught in Brazil)    

Last week, we kicked off a discussion surrounding Social Housing and how it can be an intervention that helps millions of aspirant homeowners to afford entry-level homes around the country. In the discussion, we outlined some of the concerns in the current framework: the slow release of public land for construction, insufficient grant allocation, bank finance for homes & rising costs of construction. Today, we speak to government official involved in overseeing social housing given the concerns raised surrounding the lack of progress on existing projects.  Guest: (Mr) Lebowa Letsoalo - acting Chief Executive Officer of Social Housing Regulatory Authority (segment of Department of Human Settlements)

As the Government of National Unity marks 100 days since its inception, with mixed reaction from different commentators, this morning we speak to the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, Mzwanale Nyhontsho who is also president of the Pan Africanist Congress. He has been very vocal stressing that land redistribution process will start as soon as tomorrow. He has also called for the amendment of section 25 of the constitution to address dispossession. Guest:  Mzwanele Nyhontsho - Minister for Land Reform and Rural Development

The Human Sciences Research Council in partnership with the University of the Free State's Qwaqwa Campus released the findings of a study they conducted as part of marking 30 years of our democracy. The study sought to forge connections between historical and contemporary memories marking the 30 years of democracy. One of the main aims was to find out how people's lives have changed since the dawn of democracy. To tell us more on the outcomes of the study, we are joined by.... Guest: Prof Charles Hongoro - Strategic Lead in the Developmental, Capable and Ethical State Research Division of the Human Sciences Research Council Guest:  Dr Grey Magaiza - Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director in the Centre for Gender and African Studies at the University of the Free State

Melanie Scholtz is a South African jazz singer, composer, dancer, and visual artist known for her contributions to the jazz genre. She began playing piano at the age of 5, inspired by her parents/grandparents and is a graduate of the University of Cape Town's School of Music (majored in Opera). She has received several awards, including the Standard Bank Young Artist award for Jazz in 2010. Scholtz has collaborated with prominent musicians, including Wynton Marsalis, Bokani Dyer, the late Hugh Masekela, anti-Apartheid poet James Matthews, Benjamin Jephtha, Jo Fougner Skaansar and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. She joins to talk about her highly anticipated new album: Seven and reflect on some of the major themes of this body of work that she describes as “the magic of being in the right place at the right time”.  Guest: Melanie Scholtz - Vocalist and composer

As part of our broadcast, we explore the opportunities available to expand astrotourism in South Africa. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, Astrotourism is a global term for witnessing stargazing and celestial events in nature. Often, these destinations are found in smaller communities away from the pollution of the cities. This provides an opportunity for less traditional tourism destinations to take centre stage through unique experiences (think the Northern Lights) and can become a catalyst for job opportunities in provinces like the Northern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal,  Mpumalanga & the Western Cape. Recently, Cabinet approved the White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism. The White Paper is set to help increase the contribution the sector will make in the broader economy by supporting entrepreneurship and create broader resilience in the sector. The sector contributes 8.8% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2024.  Guest: Patricia de Lille - Minister of Tourism Guest: Dr. Blade Nzimande - Minister of Science and Innovation

While many are discovering the trend of astrotourism today, we often don't talk about how our ancestors and cultural practices includes generational knowledge about stars as well as celestial bodies. In years gone by, many indigenous cultures used the stars to perform and predict daily activities: navigation, the change of season think sowing and harvest periods) and timekeeping. In other instances, stargazing helped cultural groups with more complex activities such as to perform specific rituals, share the symbolism of celestial bodies and share folklore associated with planets to younger generations. We wanted to take a moment to reflect on this as its important to not only understand our origins but also encourage people to link our heritage as imprinted in our stars.  Guest: Ntate Menzi Maseko  

World Tourism Day will be celebrated in South Africa under the localised theme: “Tourism and Peace – 30 years of connecting People to Places and Cultures”. The event will be a celebration of our diverse cultural and historical heritage that continues to foster peace in South Africa, making the country a preferred holiday destination.  Guest: Shamilla Chettiar - Deputy Director general at tourism department 

Guest: Shamila 

  Focus: While many are discovering the trend of astrotourism today, we often don't talk about how our ancestors and cultural practices includes generational knowledge about stars as well as celestial bodies. In years gone by, many indigenous cultures used the stars to perform and predict daily activities: navigation, the change of season think sowing and harvest periods) and timekeeping. In other instances, stargazing helped cultural groups with more complex activities such as to perform specific rituals, share the symbolism of celestial bodies and share folklore associated with planets to younger generations. We wanted to take a moment to reflect on this as its important to not only understand our origins but also encourage people to link our heritage as imprinted in our stars. To help us make this concept accessible, we are joined by… Guest (STANDBY): Ntate Menzi Maseko

  As part of our broadcast, we explore the opportunities available to expand astrotourism in South Africa. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, Astrotourism is a global term for witnessing stargazing and celestial events in nature. Often, these destinations are found in smaller communities away from the pollution of the cities. This provides an opportunity for less traditional tourism destinations to take centre stage through unique experiences (think the Northern Lights) and can become a catalyst for job opportunities in provinces like the Northern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal,  Mpumalanga & the Western Cape. Recently, Cabinet approved the White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism. The White Paper is set to help increase the contribution the sector will make in the broader economy by supporting entrepreneurship and create broader resilience in the sector. The sector contributes 8.8% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2024. To help us unpack further and share her vision for this next step, we are joined by… Guest: Patricia de Lille - Minister of Tourism Guest: Dr. Blade Nzimande - Minister of Science and Innovation

For our Municipal Watch feature today we turn our focus on the state of municipalities in the Free State. Some of them have not been able to file their financial statements to the Auditor General. On the other hand, a lack of water provision and electricity is still a major problem as resident do call into this show on a weekly basis to talk about their experiences. We invited the MEC for Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs in that province to talk about how he plans to work with these municipalities and where he would say the problems lie…   Guest: Saki Mokoena – MEC for Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Free State

Earlier this month, we received a couple of calls from entrepreneurs complaining about the devastating impact of late payments from the government to their business. We reached out to the Department of Treasury in Kwa-Zulu Natal to give them the opportunity to respond to the challenges they are facing the provincial budget and how they will find ways to pay SMMEs on time so they can continue to render services. To tell us more about their plan of action, we are joined by... Guest (Studio): Francois Rodgers - MEC of Treasury in Kwa-Zulu Natal

Millions of South Africans are struggling to get home financing to afford an entry level home (R300 000) and few can get acces to home financing. Furthermore, there is a backlog of over 2 million homes on the RDP programme list. Some experts and civil society organizations believe that Social Housing should be considered as an intervention that may be able to help bridge the gap for first-time homeowners and provide safe housing opportunities for low-income earners in urban areas. However, many challenges stand in the way of this intervention addressing spatial redress: the slow release of public landifor construction, insufficient grant allocation & rising costs of construction. Some academics have found new data tools to help identify the impact of social housing by making project information more accessible. In this hour, we look at the impact a lack of housing has on dignity and how we can get create inclusive cities. Guest: Prof Ivan Turok - Distinguished Research Fellow in the Equitable Education and Economies (EEE) research division of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) Guest: Thapelo Mohapi - Abahlali baseMjondolo Guest:  Disha Govender - Head of Ndifuna Ukwazi Law Centre

The 23rd of September marks the African New Year which is referred to as Inzalo yeLanga said to be the world's oldest stone calendar. According to some African historians, the best way to mark it was through the dry season, which comes after winter, then followed by the rainy season. Communities would then start preparing their fields in anticipation of the rain, this also marking the start of the year.  Guest: Mkhulu Nsingiza - Kemet historian, student of the Credo Mutwa Afrikan Philosophy, Co-founder of the Kemet/Afrikan Royal calendar

Keeping with the theme of Heritage Month, we turn our attention one of the country's legendary warrior, King Mzilikazi kaMashobane. The book uncovers the life of King Mzilikazi through first-hand accounts from his descendants while capturing the journey through Southern Africa. The book's author now joins us in studio to talk about why he decided to bring us the story of King Mzilikazi out of so many other African and South African kings..... Guest: Nthebe Molope - Author of the book entitled King Mzilikazi kaMashobane  

Yesterday (Sunday 22 Sep) marked 100 days since the Government of National Unity came into effect. There has been mixed reactions to far with some commentators saying it will not last while others believing that it should be given a chance. The recent signing of the BELA Bill was test case that saw a public spat between the ANC and the DA while the SACP and COSATU calling on the ruling party to not forget the people it's supposed to represent. Let's get a perspective now from.... Guest: Prof William Gumede - Founder and Executive Chairperson, Democracy Works Foundation

Our next guest hails from the streets of Klerksdorp in the North West. We first met on our TV screens back in 2017 as part of the top 16 in South African Idol. Since the first breakthrough, she has worked alongside heavyweights in house such as MasterKG, Makhadzi, Nkosazana the Daughter, Ntokzin, Azana and Prince KB.   She has recently won a Basadi Women in Music Award alongside DJ Zinhle with the mega-hit: Mdali. To tell us more about her creative process and share her music with us, we are joined by…   Guest (studio): Basetsana Kolwane - Musician  

In this hour, we want to reflect on heritage in South Africa and how we have not built collective heritage in the post-democratic era. There may be some segments of our society that define heritage through culture and historical events. Other segments of society have used the day for braais. The broader conversation we are trying to hold considers how a nation builds heritage and what we consider important in building a society. Further, we want to ask our listeners: What is holding our society back from building a collective archive of heritage activities that are common for all South Africans? Guest(telephone): Khethiwe Zulu - Writer and Game Developer

Miyelani Holeni joins us today to discuss the practicalities of public private partnerships at municipal level. In a country like ours where politics is everything in a municipality, how can the private sector be ropes in? Some suggestions were made to run municipalities like a business which could perhaps help in changing the way municipalities are run, but with so much happening not forgetting the unions, could there be an apatite for private businesses to get involved? What would we say are the most practical examples we could use the test this possibility? Miyelani joins me in studio to lead the discussion....   Guest(Studio): Miyelani Holeni - Chief Group Advisor at Ntiyiso Consulting Group – He is also a local government revenue and governance expert

Tomorrow (Friday) marks the last day of National Wills Week and we bring you another perspective, this time from the Justice Department. Over the years many families were split by the discovery that they were left out of the Will, mostly by men who either did not tell their wives that they have another family or in a polygamous marriage. There's just so many incidents of this nature in our country that leave devastation to affected members. So what provisions are there in the justice system that deal with customary laws and what is it that those who find themselves in such situations can do to contest a Will? To help educate us on this issue, we are joined by.... Guest:  Euphemia Daniels - Acting chief director: Operations at the Masters Office in the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development

As we continue to track the year of elections, we take amoment to reflect on the latest developments in one of thelargest election processes this year: the United States of America. The nation has seen a change in presidential nomination and two assassination attempts on a presidentialnomination. Two conventions have set the stage for presidential candidates Donald Trump (R) and Kamala Harris (D) to wrestlefor the 50 states and win the electoral college votes. The statesthat may decide this election are Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Nevada & Michigan. At the time of this recording, former President Trump and Vice President Harris have emerged from their first Presidential Debate as part of the road to voting day (November 5th). It is In this discussion, we outline four key themes that may play a role in who wins the hearts and minds of the electorate: Foreign Policy, the Economy, Migration & Crime. To help us explore this themes and hear the perspectives of these candidates, we earlier spoke to two experts keeping a close eye on developments from the US.   Guest: Mr Rodney Davis - former member of the U.S. Congress from Illinois (R), and a managing director at Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies Guest: Mr Jason Altmire - former member of the House of Representatives from Pennsylvania (D) and author of the critically acclaimed book, “Dead Center: How Political Polarization Divided America, and What We Can Do About It.”

Guest: Sello Chipu - Head of Human Settlements at the City of Tshwane Guest: Joseph Bracken - Journalist at Ground Up ( Did extensive investigation in KZN on the issue Guest:  Ciaran Ryan -  Johannesburg based freelance writer (Wrote an article for MoneyWeb) HE will leave at 10:30 Yesterday (Tuesday) we received a call from one of our listeners by the name Happy from Centurion in Pretoria. He spoke about an informal settlement in the area where people are charged a fee by water tankers in order to deliver water to them. If they don’t pay, then the trucks simply don’t deliver the water forcing people to walk long distances seeking water. Let’s take a listen to what he had to say

Guest (Studio):  Mr Deven Chinappan - Chief Director: Human Capital Management and Organizational Design at the Department of a Social Development Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe stressed the need for the employment of more social workers to deal with the social ills faced by the country. She was addressing her department’s two-day workshop under the theme: ‘enhancing collaboration with the private and business sectors’ where she also spoke about implementing the newly approved government strategy of employing social service professionals. Furthermore she pointed out that according to the National Development Plan, the country needs 55,000 professionals by 2030. Currently government has 23,561 social workers under its employment. To help us understand how serious the problem is and what solutions the department is bringing, we are joined by….

This morning, Bryan revisits the importance of having a Will. This is because we are marking National Wills week. He will also answer the questions from last week’s show about how do insurance companies deal with members smoking Marijuana.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

We speak now to Youth Capital about a very important issue they have been following on the status of thousands of teaching assistants across the country. The organization wrote to the Acting Director General of the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) and the Commissioner of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) on the disbursement of funding to the Basic Education Employment Initiative. The organization is calling for the release of the funds as a provision of the 2024 Budget Speech where Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the extension of R7.4 billion for the Presidential Employment Initiative in the medium-term. Later in March, it was communicated with Youth Capital that the funds for the PES would come from the UIF.’ It’s now the end of August and details haven’t been shared. To get an understanding of what is really going on, we are joined by…   Guest: Kristal Duncan Williams – Project Lead at Youth Capital Guest: Palesa Ramolefo - Campaigner at Amandla.Mobi Guest: Viwe Mlezana - Acting Director-​General of Employment and Labour  

What is happening to our education system?   Focus:  As political parties threaten each other over the BELA Bill, another matter that may fall through the cracks is that thousands of teachers stand to lose their jobs. This follows reports of provincial budget cuts. The Western Cape is one of the provinces that have already been notified, while other provinces are holding talks between MECs and unions. Guest:  Mugwena Maluleke - General Secretary at the South African Democratic Teachers Union Guest:  Basil Manuel - Executive Director – National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa Guest: Sipumelele Lucwaba - Secretariat of the Reading Panel and Right to Read

Last year we spoke to the Tshiamiso Trust,  which was setup to payout compensation funds to former  mineworkers who contracted silicosis and tuberculosis  while working for some of the mines in the country. So far it has paid out R1.5-billion since it started processing claims in 2021. These funds are not only for South African mine workers, but also those based in other countries, but work here. We catch-up with them to find out how the process is going and what claimants should know. Also how far back do they go seeing that some of the moneworkers may have passed on.  Guest: Dr Munyadziwa Kwinda - CEo of the Tshiamiso Trust

On Monday we received a couple of calls from entrepreneurs complaining about the devastating impact of late payments from the government to their business. A very worrying report by the National Treasury has revealed that in 2023/24 national and provincial departments failed to pay R35bn to suppliers within 30 days, as required by law.  Guest: Mr Cameron Jacobs - Chief Director: Governance Monitoring at the Public Service Commission

This morning, we try something new. We venture into classical music and more specifically - Opera. This genre is in full bloom in South Africa as many talented performers have made a breakthrough on international stages around the world: Pretty Yende, Zanne Stapelberg, Phumeza Matshikiza, Golda Schultz and many more. Our next guest is renowned in his own right and is building a new generation of performers who will take the baton forward. Recently, Opera UCT held a world premiere for stage adaption of Gaetano Donizetti's the lost opera: Dalinda. We are also joined by one of the leads of the play to tell us their journey into opera and performance. The opera performance also saw the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie was in attendance alongside various stakeholders to show their support and commitment to the arts. Guest: Prof. Jeremy Silver - Director at Opera UCT Guest: Luvo Maranti - Student (Tenor) at Opera UCT

Last year on the 19th of May, we spoke to representatives from the Matatiele Local Municipality after a video showing young children crossing a river where there was no bridge. The bridge was swept away by a storm. They came on the show promising to fix that bridge and other infrastructure. They also promised to come back on the show to give feedback, but since then, they kept on postponing the discussion. On the 26th of October, the communications team came to the SAfm offices to talk about a possible partnership, but then the team reminded them that they owed the residents of Matatiele a feedback interview. So today we decided to speak to the opposition parties to get a sense of what is going on in that municipality since the management does not want to honour the interview.   Guest: Wonga Potswana – DA Councillor at the Matatiele Local Municipality Guest: Simthembile Madikizela - EFF Provincial Chairperson and member of the legislature Guest: Lehakoe Maphela - Resident of Matatiele Guest: Athol Trollip - Member of Parliament & Provincial Head of ActionSA in the Eastern Cape Guest: Cllr. Sonwabile Mngenela - The Mayor of Matatiele Local Municipality  

September being Heritage Month, we speak to Prof Nogwaja Zulu from the University of KwaZulu-Natal about the cross-language usage in some South African languages. He gives examples of common words in English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, Sesotho and other South African languages. He goes on to say that this happened when European languages came into contact with third-world countries during the period of missionaries.  Guest: Prof Nogwaja Zulu from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s College of Humanities, School of Arts, African Languages

The story of the rise in cases of extortions around the country has been dominating the headlines for about a month now. Four provinces make up 73% of crimes related to extortion: Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Gauteng & Western Cape. Extortion has been linked to basic services, businesses, infrastructure, transport system and Nightlife. Last week on our Citizens Corner, we spoke to some of the community activists about their initiatives in fighting the scourge. Guest: Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya - Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection

Mozambican are heading to the polls on the 9th of October this year. Voters will cast ballots for President, parliament and regional authorities an election, in which the current 69-year-old President Filipe Nyusi cannot stand for another term. The country has been led by the ruling FRELIMO since independence. So today we are looking at the political dynamics at play and whether new players stand a chance? Also, where is opposition RENAMO this time around and what are their chances at the polls this time around seeing that there are younger voters taking part who may not know the bitter history.  Guest:  Charles Khumalo - Former Executive Producer of the Portuguese Desk at Channel Africa and has also spent many years in Mozambique while in exiile as a political activist

This morning, Bryan shares the dangers of being under insured with Life Assurance and Disability policies.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

The University of the Witwatersrand, the Presidential Climate Commission and University of Pretoria are hosting leading climate advocate, Amitav Ghosh (USA). Later this afternoon, he is set to give a lunchtime seminar (the Pro-Vice Chancellor seminar) on the Limitations of Apocalyse: Catastrophic and Gradualist Imaginings of the Planetary Future. In this seminar, he will seek to unpack the historical and political roots of climate change. He will also seek to illustrate the impact violence and destruction of the environment is due to systems of oppression. Guest: Amitav Ghosh - Climate Advocate, Environmentalist, global thinker and renowned author  

This week, two ministries in Cabinet signed a Memeorandum of Understanding that may make a difference. The Minister of Basic Education - Siviwe Gwarube & Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture - Gayton McKenzie announced the implementation of Sports, Arts and Culture programmes in public schools. The programmes are set to make access to coaching, facilities and equipment to schools to assist in unearthing new talent that may represent the country. The programme is set to reach 13,5 million pupils. In light of this milestone, we wanted to hold a panel discussion on the future of these programmes for public schools. We unpack whether the plans set can be implemented, the challenges that need to be addressed given previous attempts to improve  access to these programmes and who are the potential partners that build a path where the nation can nurture talent to reach 2028 goals. We are joined by… Guest (Telephone): Michael Davy - Retired school principal (44 years of experience) and Administrator at the South African Council on Sport  Guest (Telephone): Prof. Ashwin Desai - Professor of Sociology and Director of the Centre of Social Change at the University of Johannesburg Guest (Telephone): Bongani Graham Chabalala - Chief Education Specialist for Sports and Recreation  Directorate under Free State Department of Education 

Focus: South Africa has the sixth highest rate of kidnapping for ransoms in the world, according to insurer OELA. In the last quarter of SAPS crime statistics (2023/24), 3494 cases of kidnapping were reported to police. 135 cases involved the demand of ransom for the abducted. Since January 2024, R390 million has been demanded for ransom purposes. While this may only represent 5% of kidnapping statistics, there has been a rise in express kidnappings where criminals have ditched long spells of captivity and shifted to 24 hours. The epicenter of these kidnappings have occurred in Gauteng. Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal are also being identified as a hotspot. To tell us more about these crimes and what implications the rise of this crime has on families as well as communities, we are joined by… Guest: Dr. Chris de Kock - Crime Expert Guest: Willem Els - Senior Training Coordinator (ENACT Programme) at the Institute for Security Studies

Taking us to the weekend this morning is the internationally acclaimed Ndlovu Youth Choir. They have travelled to so many countries around the world raising the South African flag very high. They kicked off their Johannesburg tour last night (Thursday) at the Montecasino’s Teatro, which continues till Sunday, then to Cape Town. We have them in the studio now to find out more who they are and what we can expect from their performances…. Guest: Ralf Schmitt - Co-founder, Conductor, and Creative Director of Ndlovu Youth Choir Guest: Sandile Majola – One of the choristers who has been with NYC since its inception Ndlovu Youth Choir members performing in-studio: Nhlanhla Somo; Lungelo Masango; Sandile Majola & Madoda Mashoane.

The Auditor General’s report has revealed very shocking findings regarding the state of municipalities in the country. The report found that only 34 municipalities obtained clean audits. We thought to use this opportunity to get reaction from the various MEC’s responsible for local government for them to talk about their plans of action to fix some of the problems highlighted by the Auditor General, Tsakani Maluleke. We start in Limpopo where one of the things she mentioned is that municipalities in that province blew R280m on financial consultants in the past auditing year, with some hired to do basic functions like tax services and more than half found to be ineffective.   Guest: Basikopo Makamu - MEC  of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs, in Limpopo (Acting Premier of Limpopo)

According to the World Health Organization at the United Nations, one in ten people fall ill due to contaminated food each year. The highest prevalence of food poisoning takes place in Africa. Closer to home, we have noticed a sharp rise in cases of food poisoning, particularly in the economic and urban centres. Earlier this week, the Department of Health in Gauteng announced that  there have been 207 cases of food poisoning since February. Kwa-Zulu Natal and Limpopo have also become provinces of concern in the first half of 2024. In this discussion, we unpack some of the dangers that contaminated food has on public health, enforcing regulations, what awareness campaigns on food safety and how do we ensure that we reduce the number of incidents in our communities.  Guest: Mthokozisi Nkosi - CEO of AS Consultants Public Health and Food Safety  Guest: Moloko Mehlape - Dietitian and Human Nutrition lecturer at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University Guest: Prudence Moilwa - Head of Complaints and Investigations at the National Consumer Commission  

In recent weeks, we have seen a rise in cases of extortions around the country. Four provinces make up 73% of crimes related to extortion: Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Gauteng & Western Cape. Extortion has been linked to basic services, businesses, infrastructure, transport system and Nightlife. Yesterday, the Ministry of Police attended a plenary session to respond to the questions of MPs during a debate in Parliament. Minister Senzo Mchunu addressed the plenary stating that they are working with provinces and municipality to create operational plans. The Ministry is working on a National Policing Policy that will  provide an outline to addressing extortion.  Guest: Chad Thomas - Forensic Investigator Guest: Fundiswa Mhlekude - SABC reporter based in the EasternCape Guest: Tshepo Mahlangu - President of LASCA Tshwane Parliament Guest: Ndithini Thyido – Community Activist and Former  Chairperson of the Khayelitsha Khayelitsha Development Forum Guest: Gregory Mofokeng - Vice President of the Black Business Council

This week, the latest political party funding report was released for the period of 1 April 2024 to 30 June 2024 disclosing donations for the first quarter of 2024/5 financial year. The report is compiled by the Independent Electoral Commission. Unlike other reports, it highlights donations made in the period of the elections as political parties received just under R190 million in donations. Fourteen political parties received donations with many receiving the same donors as the previous quarter. Among the political parties who received the highest donations are the Democratic Alliance, ActionSA, Inkatha Freedom Party, Patriotic Alliance, African National Congress & Rise Mzansi. Meanwhile, this report is released during a court application to review the minimum as well as maximum threshold of donations received.  Guest: Joel Bergman - Senior Researcher at My Vote Counts Guest: Michael Atkins - Independent Elections Expert

This morning, Bryan shares the dangers of being under insured with Life Assurance and Disability policies. To tell us more, we are joined by… Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

The National Planning Commission and the International Organization for Migration held a forum on migration and development in Southern Africa recently. Under the theme: Migration as a Development Catalyst, it has emerged that the African diaspora plays a critical role in development, sending over 65 billion US Dollars annually to the continent. This surpasses what Africa receives in international aid. The forum sought to explore the opportunities to address key migration issues in the region including policy gaps, best practice on migration management & how to leverage diaspora engagement to participate in rebuilding their home nation. South Africa is considered a top destination country for migrants across the continent due to the economic, linguistic and cultural exchange opportunities available. Guest: Prof. Tinyiko Maluleke - Deputy Chairperson of the National Planning Commission  

Teenage pregnancy in the Eastern Cape has been done acting the news most of this year. The scariest thing about it is that the ages are getting younger as the latest stats revealed that about 94 of the young mothers are between the ages of  10 and 14. These are the ones who gave birth at public health facilities since April.  Close to 4-thousand who gave birth around the same time are between the ages of 15-19. What is going on there what could be behind the scourge? Guest:  Nomfundo Mogapi – CEO of the Centre for Mental Wellness and Leadership    

Today being the second day of September, which marks the beginning of Heritage Month, where we focus on our history, tourism and just the beauty of our country and it's people. Sadly though, the sentiment on the ground is a bit depressing with many South Africans feeling disgruntled stating a lack of unity and patriotism. How then do we use this month to focus on the positive and sharing the beautiful stories,heritage, History and the arts to unite us as a nation?  Guest: Marlan Padayachee - Seasoned journalist and founding executive member of the Media Workers Association of South Africa. Also currently assisting the SANEF  LOC for the Sanef Net Nakasa Awards ceremony taking place in Umhlanga on the 4th of September

We end Women’s Month in style today as one of the country’s great musicians usher’s in the weekend for us. Zama Jobe is marking 20 years of her career in the music industry and we feel honoured to have her in studio to share her journey and highlights of life….   Guest(Studio): Zama Jobe – South African Afro-soul award-winning musician

As we wrap-up the week, it’s always interesting to get reflect on some of the sentiment’s you’ve shared on the Open Line. One thing we’ve noticed is you anger and frustration against government, be it a minister implicated in corruption, politicians implicated in corruption being sworn into parliament or issues of crime. But then, what about us as South Africans, what is our responsibility in fixing our country and turn things around in our communities? How do we not put too much expectation on the shoulders of government?  Guest:  Tshepo Matseba -  Managing Director at Reputation 1st Group and Strategic Partner at Ebony + Ivory Integrated Advertising Agency. Guest:  Lorenzo Davids - CEO of the Development Impact Fund and The Justice Fund

This morning, on our Municipal Watch feature, we speak to National Minister of Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs: Velenkosini Hlabisa to get his response to the Auditor General's report which found that only 34 municipalities obtained clean audits. The Minister has so far promised to look into the different structures running municipalities and will also reveal his plans in a few days time. When you listen to this feature every Thursday, you will know some of the rot that has been revealed in the different municipalities.  Guest: Velenkosini Hlabisa - National Minister of Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs  

The latest statistics indicate that approximately 7.06 million people are living with HIV in South Africa. The HIV incidence rate is about 2.70 per 1,000 population across all ages. Additionally, there are around 50,000 deaths due to AIDS annually. We unpack the new vaccine interventions that have been made in recent weeks to make medication accessible to communities affected by HIV/AIDS.  Guest: Dr. Nkhensani Nkwashu - Executive of NSP Implementation at the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) Guest: Saira Johnson-Qureshi - (Acting) Country Coordinator at PEPFAR Guest:  (Mr) Nthabiseng Petrus Khoza - Director of HIV/AIDS Conditional Grant at Department of Health

We are joined by the Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Museum who will share more on how the Museum is preserving, promoting and protecting the Legacy of Nelson Mandela… Guest: Dr Vuyani Booi - Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Museum

The problem of gender-based violence and femicide seems to be getting worse. Judging from news reports, in a space of two months we've heard about so many gruesome murders of women. Just this past Monday a young woman from Mpumalanga who was set alight by her boyfriend succomed to her injuries.  In July, well-known daughter of Dr Letlape was found dead in her home, her boyfriend was arrested.  Still in July, Didi Lekganyane, a young bright scientist who had just been named as one of the M&G 200 Young South Africans was stabbed to death by her partner. This year marks five years since the brutal killing of for UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana who was also brutally killed by a post office employee and the list goes on. So this morning we thought to look at how we as members of various communities can stand up against this scourge? What can we actively do to unite and stop this evil madness?  Guest: Kgothatso Moloto - Founder of Voice It In Action, they will be marching on Friday against rape Guest: Langaliphumile Nyanda - Board member  at the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation  

As we conclude our Women’s Month commemoration, we take a look at the construction industry as only 10% of industry is represented by women. The challenges facing women accessing this industry are training opportunities and mentorship. We profile ladies that work tirelessly to ensure that every home, school, roads, public infrastructure and community facilities are built. We also speak to ladies who are working in real estate and work in adjacent industries to play an important role in building the nation.  Guest: Palesa Ngweyama - Founder and Principal Property Practitioner at Ilanga Properties. Guest: Ria Moletsane - Director at Distinctive Choice 712

As it is the last Tuesday of the month, this programme is always devoted to answering questions that have been submitted to Bryan during the month. Bryan picks out all those questions of a similar nature and deals with them on the last Tuesday of the month. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

Since last year, we have been receiving calls from many government employees who have been complaining about some of the processes around the Government Employees Pension Fund. Either the process takes too long or they are being sent from pillar to post. So this morning they have agreed to come on to the show to explain their processes and to also point you as their client in the right direction.  Guest: Brian Karizda - Head of Actuarial and Benefits at the Government Employees Pension Fund

Over the weekend, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi urged lawyers who fraudulently submitted claims to the health department to withdraw them in two weeks so that they can be pardoned. He promised that they won't be punished as long as they withdraw within the two two weeks. Guest:  Kashif Wicomb - President of the Progressive Professionals Forum Guest: Anele Yawa - General-Secretary of the Treatment Action Campaign Guest: Reuben Maleka - General Manager of the Public Servants Association

As we enter the final week of Women’s Month, we continue to profile trailblazers in their respective industries. This morning, we turn our attention to aviation and how this industry is blossoming in relation to advancing gender equality. In a recent global study, South Africa has emerged as producing 10% of the world’s female pilots and it making strides in diversifying female professionals in operations, technical, cargo and other vocations in the field. Guest: Cpt. Annabel Vundla - Airbus 320 Captain at South African Airways Guest: Poppy Khoza - Chief Executive Officer at South African Civil Aviation Authority  

Taking us to the weekend this morning is Penelope Jane Dunlop, popularly known as PJ Powers. She really does not need much of an introduction except for the bon-frees. Thandeka is she is affectionately known by many in the townships has been a household name since the 80s up to today and she joins us via zoom to tell us what she’s been busy with and also what sort of changes she’s noticed in the music industry…. Guest: PJ Powers – South African legendary musician

So many of you our listeners have been raising your concerns about the deteriorating state of society. Just yesterday (Friday) we spoke on the open line about violence in schools. Some you suggested that we start by fixing the family structure. Our guest is an Africologist and she believes that there’s a lot we can learn from our elders that could help in restoring order and respect in our communities. But then in 2024, where do we start? She now joins me in our Durban studios to lead the discussion and share her thoughts… Guest: Dr Ashantewaa Ngidi – Visionary Founder of the Institute of Afrikology. She is also a Social Cohesion Advocate  

The 13th Southern African Railway Association is currently taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre under the theme: Boosting Continental Trade via Rail.  One of the main challenges that were raised are that of investment in the sector which will ultimately lead to job creation. One of the major players in the sector is Gibela Rail which has expressed enthusiasm and success in how they've managed to employ highly qualified young people and women in their manufacturing sectors. To tell us more on this, we are joined in studio by… Guest( Studio): Reggie Boqo - Acting CEO at Gibela Rail Guest: Mesela Nhlapo – CEO of the African Rail Industry Association

Ever since we’ve started the Municipal Watch feature on this show, we’ve come across so many instances where the Municipal Manager is embroiled in controversy. Either they are appointed wrongly without following proper procedures or part of a political faction. Who exactly appoints a municipal manager and what role are they playing in the running of the municipality? Also why do so many of them find themselves inAlso what can be done in terms of the law to make them politically neutral, while being held accountable for performing their duties as required by law? To educate us more on this, we are joined by…. Guest: Miyelani Holeni - Chief Group Advisor at Ntiyiso Consulting Group – He is also a local government revenue and governance expert

Elinor Sisulu joins us in the studio to talk about the remarkable contributions women have made to South African literature. She’s an author herself and human rights activist sharing the collective journey of women who have fought to have their stories heard and their perspectives valued. The South African Literary Awards has been at the forefront of celebrating the talents of numerous women writers who have enriched our literary landscape. To tell us more about this and also what more can be done to promote literature in this country, she now joins us in the studio… Guest (Studio): Elinor Sisulu – Author and human rights activist

Luthando Mzilakazi joins us again this morning and this time she’s talking about retirement readiness. What should you know and understand about it? She joins us now in studio to talk on the subject…. Guest: Luthando Mzilikazi - Founder of a financial education brand called Money Views

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa commended the people of Zinbabwe for not bowing to pressure calling on them to boycott the SADC summit currently taking place in Harare. There has been fierce criticism against member states for ignoring the plight of pro-democracy activists. Many of them have reportedly been arrested and detained a few days before the summit started. Some commentators around the world feel that SADC has lost credibility by not acting against human rights abuses also not saying anything around the 2024 general elections that put Zanu-PF back in power. For a perspective on the summit and also Zinbabwe's state of politics, we are joined by.... Guest: Promise Mkhwananzi - Spokesperson for the Citizens Coalition for Change Guest: Rejoice Ngwenya -  Zimbabwean based Political Analyst Guest: Dr Ross Harvey -  Director of Research and Programmes at Good Governance Africa

Guest : Prof. Bonang Mohale - Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Professor of Practice at the Johannesburg Business School (JBS) and Chairman of both The Bidvest Group Limited and SBV Services  Guest : Buhle Hanise - Chartered Accountant and President of the African Women Chartered Accountants (returning to the discussion)  As we commemorate #WomensMonth, we kicked off a series of conversations with women across various sectors in the workplace. We wanted to unpack some of the challenges, triumphs, and opportunities that exist to advance equality in the workplace. We also explored what empowerment looks like for the next generation by speaking to captains of industries at the 30 year milestone and have them share their reflections. While we see many women climb the corporate ladder to leadership, many women have expressed that they are still not seen or heard as leaders in the workplace. There are also concerns around clearing the obstacles to access male-dominated industries, seeing #WomensMonth as a corporate social responsibility project rather than a meaningful process outside of August, access to funding for expansion and advancing equal pay for equal work particularly as more households (42%) are being led by women in South Africa (UN-WIED: 2018- 2022).  

We met our first guest when she broke out into the industry back in 2022 after her mega-hit, Phakade Lami, rose to popularity. Since then, she has amassed over 400 million times on audio (Spotify, Apple, etc) as well as visual (Youtube) platforms. Her second studio album: Amagama has gone platinum and won multiple awards. This morning, he returns to our #FridayWindDown to share her new music in an upcoming album: Twenty Four. We also catch up with her on new collaborations, accolades & new doors that have opened for her. Guest: Nomfundo Ngcobo, known more by her stage name Nomfundo Moh – She’s a South African Musician

The six days of violence which culminated in the infamous Marikana Massacre near Rustenburg in the North West province, are indelible memories for the relatives of the victims and the global community. Our reporter Sentleeng Lehihi and video journalist Jabu Oa Afrika look back at the days that led to the fateful events of 16 August 2012, and what has happened since…. Guest: Nomfundo Zondo – Executive Director at the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa Guest: Mameti Sebei – President of the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa and also coordinator of the National Strike Committee that coordinated the strike that followed the massacre

The Progressive Civics Congress is tomorrow (Friday) staging a protest march against the Mogalakwena Local Municipality in Limpopo.  They say that the march is against corruption, maladministration, and also demanding service delivery from the municipality. The municipality has been in the news over the controversy surrounding the Municipal Manager who has been implicated in corruption Guest:  Refilwe Seleka - Spokesperson for the Progressive Civics Congress Guest: Patrick Aphane - Provincial Secretary for the SA Municipal Workers Union

As we continue our commemoration of Women's Month, we unpack an open letter that has been written to the Presidency on combatting period poverty. Without access to santiary products, many women and girls are hindered from going to school and seeking economic opportunities. The letter has called for the new Minister to bridge the gap on this inequality and have started the process of developing a costing study to ensure that sanitary products are free for women and girls. Guest (studio): Tracey Malawana - Founder of I Menstruate Movement (

Guest: Advocate Brenda Makganyoha - Principal Family Advocate of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development For our Citizens Corner this morning we thought to educate you on the country’s maintenance laws. Issues of parental disputes are not new to all of us, whether married or single. Most of the time they get very complicated and ugly leaving the child to suffer. But then, for those of you who find themselves battling with this issue, what should you know and how can you approach the courts? Our guest who is an expert on family law joins us in studio to explain it all and as always you are welcome to ask questions…    

Guest: Yolan Friedmann - CEO of the Endangered Wildlife Trust As part of our Women’s Month series profiling some of the great work done by women in this country especially in professions that are mainly dominated by men, today we focus on the conservation sector. Yolan Friedmann is said to be the longest serving female CEO of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, a conservation body. She joins us to talk about her journey and what it is that attracted her to this sector. Also if a young girl is listening to this interview, what should the take from it…..  

We are literally less than five months away from the end of 2024 and so many of us are starting to complain about burnout whether at work or life in general. So the team thought instead of waiting for the end of the year, let’s rather prepare ourselves now to understand what we can do to save ourselves and stick to our outstanding goals.  Guest: Dr Laura Fisher - Head of Institutional Advancement, Boston City Campus Guest: Violet Phiri - Life and Relationship Coach  

This morning Bryan is out and we introduce you to Luthando Mzilakazi who will be talking about some of the misunderstandings you may have around the handling of your money. Some of the things you may want clarity on regarding investments. Guest: Luthando Mzilikazi - Founder of a financial education brand called Money Views

There seems to be no end around the problem of teenage pregnancy in the country. Alarming reports state that children as young as between10 and 14 are falling pregnant. The 2023/24 figures show that close to 4-thousand girls under the age of 20 gave birth in public hospitals with the Eastern Cape being one of the provinces with the highest numbers. Where exactly can we point the finger and what can be done to stop this from happening?  Guest:  Dr Shaheda Omar, director of the Teddy Bear Foundation for Abused Children Guest: Merle Mansfield -  Programme Director for DGMT's Zero Dropout Campaign Guest: Petros Majola - Child Rights Activist and Director of the Khula Community Development Project  

The story of Chidimma Adetshina contesting in the Miss South Africa beauty pageant dominated the news agenda for almost a month with many South African calling for her to step down until she finally did. Over the years we've also seen the same type of outrage when it comes to issues of racism, be it by a business, school or any other entity. But then, would it be fair to ask whether we as South African focus our energies more on things that are negative more that those that can cbuild us as a nation? What does this say about us as a nation? Guest: Tshedi Setai - MD- Mmutla Communications... Developmental Communications Expert Guest: Rev. (Dr.) Joseph Tshawane - Author of The Rainbow Nation: The vision of the beloved South African Community

As we celebrate Women's Day today, remembering the 1956 anti-pass-law March to the Union Buildings by women from different backgrounds, we take a look at the education side of things. Especially the STEM subjects and how to get more young girls in that field. Businesswoman and philanthropist, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe raises a very important issue about society not doing enough to push young girls to study the sciences. Let's take a listen to what she had to say, starting her question with a riddle..... Clip - Motsepe Link: We speak now to those who took up the sciences as a career to find out what some of the difficulties were and what they believe we can do to turn what Dr Moloi-Motsepe is saying... Guest: Prof Keolebogile Motaung - Biomedical Scientist and Chief Executive Officer of Global Health Biotech (PTY) LTD Guest: Kanya Xongo - Geospatial Scientist and Junior Remote Sensing Science Specialist at the South African National Space Agency Guest: Dr Rakeshnie Ramoutar-Prieschl - Head of Research Capacity Development at the University of Pretoria and also Acting DDG in the Department of Science and innovation

    Our next guest started this ensemble band back in 1998 with the hope that it would be a platform to empower black, female instrumentalists. She, alongside Zodwa Mabena and Thandi Mahlangu, graced local and international stages over 3 decades having performed for government dignitaries as well as sold-out audiences. This weekend, they come together again to commemorate #WomensMonth and celebrate the legacy of women in music. We are joined by….   Guest(Studio): Anikki Maswanganye - Musician and Managing Director of eKhaya Creatives

The City of Johannesburg is one of the key metros in our country that’s housing the major financial institutions including the stock exchange. But sadly it is also the municipality that has not been able to allow a mayor to finish his or her term. We’ve seen some of the fiercest political wrangling with mayors removed through motions of no confidence. Two weeks ago members of civil society marched in protest calling on the current mayor KabeloGwamanda to step down. Guest:  Ganief Hendricks - Leader of Al-Jamah-ah Party Guest:  Cllr Belinda  Kayser-Echeozonjoku -  DA’s Johannesburg caucus leader Guest: Yunus Chanda - Project Manager at Action For Accountability and JCA steering committee member Guest: Ishmael Mkhabela – Concerned Resident of Johannesburg CBD

Guest: Jo-Ann Joffe - CEO of the Ronald McDonald House of Charities

We are coming to you live from the Wanders Golf course where MacDonald's is hosting their Red Socks Golf Day event to highlight some of their community building initiatives which forms part of their corporate social responsibility. One of their major ones is the Ronald McDonald House Charity, which is located in the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital in Park Town, Johannesburg. The accommodation offers what they say is a hotel-style rooms for families travelling more than 60 kilometres for specialist medical care.  Sechaba Motsieloa - Marketing Director at McDonald's South Africa

For our citizen’s corner this morning we thought to talk to those who are in community policing forums ensuring that their communities are safe. With the high rate of crime in this country, one knows that it is not easy having to come face to face with criminals who don’t think twice to cause harm or even kill. Just how effective are community policing forums in fighting crime and what sort of challenges do they face? Guest: Jacob Masilela - Chairperson of Gauteng Provincial Community Police Board  Guest: Patrick Malebogo – Deputy Chairperson of the Limpopo Community Poling Forum Guest: Siyanda Biyela - Secretary for the KZN Community Policing Forum

A new report has been released, unpacking the concept of family homes in townships and informal settlements. One of the key findings of the report is that women are often the primary occupants of these shared familial homes and become adversely affected when a family disputes arises. Through intersectional analysis, the report unpacks customary beliefs surrounding property by virtue of a family home, how our courts have  approached family home disputes and how overlapping legal systems contribute to disadvantaging women from tenure security.  Guest: Nerishka Singh - Gender Analyst at the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa

The Kwa-Zulu Natal Tourism and Film Authority has set a five year strategic plan to increase women’s economic participation the film and tourism economy in the province. This includes supporting small businesses by bridging the gap on access to market and making skills development opportunities accessible.  Guest: Jackie Motsepe - Chief Operating Officer of KZN Tourism

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina says that the construction of phase one of a plant that will enable clean water to be provided to Hammanskraal north of Pretoria will be completed by October. She was briefing the media yesterday (Monday) on her department's plans and priorities - for the 2024/25 financial year. Thirty people died following a Cholera outbreak due to contaminated water in Hammanskraal - last year. On the Vaal sewage spillage Majodina said that the project to upgrade the capacity of the waste water treatment plant in the area is at the procurement phase.  Guest(Zoom): David Mahlobo – Deputy Minister for Water and Sanitation 

This morning Bryan is focusing on the  Two Pot Retirement System. So many of you have been asking about it as the time for you to access it is drawing very close.... Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

ANC First Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane vowed over the weekend that the 112-year-old liberation movement will not die in their hands. After enjoying impressive electoral support since 1994, the ANC has for the first time lost its majority and is now forced into a Government of National Unity with nine parties. They gave a number of excuses for why the party performed so poorly from blaming the MK Party, the Polokwane Conference that saw the then President Thabo Mbeki ousted before finishing his term to a disconnect with the electorate. One of the big questions we are hoping to deal with in this hour is whether the ANC is following in the footsteps of liberation movements on the continent? What lessons can they learn and are  their reasons valid enough to convince South Africans to vote them back in power? Also where do liberation movements go wrong? Guest: Leeto Ntoba - Political analyst (Will deal with the politics) Guest: Prof Musa Xulu - Zulu Cultural Expert and Founder of iNdonsa Yesizwe also an African historian 

As we commemorate #WomensMonth, we kick off a series of conversations with women across various sectors in the workplace. We wanted to unpack some of the challenges, triumphs, and opportunities that exist to advance equality and empowerment for the next generation by speaking to captains of industries at the 30 year milestone and have them share their reflections. Today, we start with the financial services and unpack some of the misconceptions that still exist in the sector whether it be climbing the ladder of leadership or expanding your horizons when it comes to seizing opportunities for growth outside of the traditional vocational options. To help us share their journey and share what impact women can make in their industry, we are joined by... Guest: Lindeka Dzedze - Economist, Head of Strategic Partnerships & Global Markets at the Standard Bank Group and Chairperson of the African Women Impact Fund Executive Committeeq Guest: Buhle Hanise - Chartered Accountant, Chief Operating Officer at BDO and President of the African Women Chartered Accountants (AWCA)

The Human Rights Commission has expressed its concerns at reports of alleged racism at the Pretoria Girls High and Pinelands High School in the Western Cape. Both incidents have dominated the national agenda with mixed reaction from the public. Incidents of racism have been occurring for many years even as we mark 30 years of democracy. What does the Commission believe is behind some of the racial incidents what would they say can be done to make sure we don't go through this again? Guest: Professor Tshepo Madlingozi - Commissioner at the Human Rights Commission  

Favourite time of the show where a musician soothes us into the weekend and today Elaine lifts our mood up with her RNB sound. It's highly reported that today (Friday) she is releasing her long-awaited new offering entitled "Waiting on you".  Guest: Elaine - (Real name Elaine Moyo) - South African RNB musician

On the 11th of April this year, we spoke about the AmaGqunukwebe traditional community about the lack of service delivery in their area. They felt ignored by the local and provincial government as no services are rendered to them. So we then had a discussion with them, and some of the representatives from both the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality and the Provincial Department of Transport to try and find out what is happening on the ground. Lot’s of promises were made, but the community members have since gotten back to us telling us that not much has changed since the discussion. Guest: Nomfundo Mpuntsha - Community member who have raised concerns on service delivery issues and petitioned provincial government Guest: Monde Manga – Chief Engineer in the Eastern Cape Department of Transport  

Earlier in July, we had callers on our open-line who shared their distress surrounding navigating public transport. One of our callers had shared the challenges facing e-hailing drivers, how some were being compelled to use the Shesha App through illegal “stop-and-go” and being fined by taxi associations. We had several operators call in to share their experiences and their concerns on lack of regulations to protect drivers. Last week, another caller spoke about how she and a group of colleagues had been harassed by a private security company that was deployed to deal with taxi violence. The group of co-workers were stopped before leaving Pietermaritzburg.  In this hour, we get updates since these initial calls and hear feedback from subsequent meetings on how the industry can work amicably to ensure the safety of passengers and operators. We are joined by… Guest: Sifiso Shangase - Provincial Office Manager for South African National Taxi Council in Kwa-Zulu Natal Guest: Kamohelo Letlotlo - Kathorus Metered and e-hailing taxi association 

There has been a national cry from so many people against the high electricity tariffs approved by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, NERSA. The energy regulator had completed the approval of 178 distributors’ tariffs applications for implementation on the 1st of July which allowed municipalities and other entities to increase the cost of electricity. So for this segment today we are trying to understand how much this decision has impacted the ordinary South African.  Guest:  Natasha Gertse – Spokesperson for the Electricity Prices Must Fall movement Guest: Julius Kleinhuns - Executive Manager for Local Government Division at OUTA and a member of the Joburg Crisis alliance alliance steering committee Guest: Brian Sechothlo - Head of Electricity Pricing & Tariff at the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA)

As we wrap #MandelaMonth, we touch a matter that was very close to the heart of the former President Nelson Mandela: reading. Two decades ago, the former President reflected, in a quote, his concerns surrounding why so few people read books and if it remains unaddressed - our future generations may lose our history. According to the 2023 National Reading Barometer, 63% of our households still do not have access to a single fiction or non-fiction book. Our next guest work is calling for our society to address the barriers to reading for leisure and the importance of building a new culture that is based on positive reading habits.  Guest: Masennya Dikotla - Director at Qualibooks Group Guest: Gabrielle Kelly - Head of Research, Impact and Innovation at Nal’ibali

Underage drinking is a social ill that deeply affects our communities and stealing the future of young people. According to Aware.Org, Research indicates that about 19.9% of young participants claim to have had their first drink at the age of 13, highlighting the prevalence of alcohol use in communities and the ease of access to alcohol in South Africa. Many of these young people are engaging in binge drinking.According to the 2021 SACENDU report, alcohol was the primary substance of abuse for 1–10% of people under the age of 20 admitted to treatment facilities. Given this backdrop, we wanted to have a conversation surrounding what interventions need to be made in addressing the lack of support in rehabilitation programmes as well as aftercare programmes.  Guest: Mokebe Thulo - Head of brand AWARE.org Guest: Adrie Vermeulen, National Coordinator at South African National Council on Alcoholism (SANCA)

Bryan will conclude our series on financial planning.He will deal with the last part of a financial plan which is tax planning and then we need to deal with all the questions that came in last week that we were unable to answer. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

For the past three Mondays we have been focusing on some of the challenges faced by farmers in our country. We spoke to those who are in the industry to try and understand what it is they are going through and what they believe should be done to improve conditions. So for today we have approached government to find out what sort of programmes there are to assist farmers and how they are dealing with issues of red tape, land availability, access to markets and other forms of assistance to make the sector win and also attract new entrants. Guest: Mooketsa Ramasodi - Director General in the Department of Agriculture , Land Reform and Rural Development

The issue of alleged racism at Pretoria Girls High has again sparked national headlines in the media. The case involves black learners reporting that white learners had set up a WhatsApp group chat to discuss them. One of the white learners reportedly pointed out in the group that the black learners feel that uniform rules re not applied equally. The 12 learners who are on the WhatsApp group have been suspended pending a disciplinary hearing. At the case is being investigated, we thought to use the opportunity to look at whether we are overreacting when it comes to reports of racism especially in schools? What is it we ought to understand about a school set up and what learners are saying about each other? At home as parents, what should we make our children understand what racism is and how to abide by school rules and accept disciplinary action when in the wrong despite a teacher's race?  Guest:  Terry Oakley -Smith - MD of Diversi-T Guest: Seth Mazibuko - Social Justice activist 

Over 2,7 million children are living below the food poverty line and more children cannot meet their basic nutritional needs in urban areas. This finding is part of a new report on early childhood in South Africa. Further, this study has revealed that more children are more likely to live in poverty, at a higher risk of malnutrition and some lose their lives before turning 5 years old. This compared to the status of children before the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reviews the essential components of early childhood service delivery progress across five domains: Nutrition, Maternal & Child Health, Early Learning, Income & Social Support & Primary Caregivers. The Review includes data and commentary on over 50 carefully selected indicators on the status of children under six. The review is a partnership between government departments, civil society and data experts.  Guest: Dr. Katherine Hall - Senior Researcher at the Child Institute at the University of Cape Town Guest: Zaheera Mohamed - Chief Executive Officer of Ilifa Labantwana  

Our next guest hails from the streets of Soshanguve and began his musical journey as a back-up singer for artists such as Hugh Masekela, Vicky Vilakazi and Jonathan Butler. This multi-award winning artist has spent his time working on music production and developing musical scores for feature films including Losing Lerato (2020).  Guest: Brian Temba - Musician, Producer, Film Scorer and Actor  

Our next guest has one of the most influential voices on the continent when it comes to renewable energy and climate change interventions on the continent. She is set to host the inaugural African Women in Leadership Summit during Women’s Month, in partnership with knowledge partners - KPMG. The summit aims to drive meaningful change in the representation of women across the economy and to assess progress in gender diversity. Over a quarter of businesses on the African continent are led by women and represent the highest number of female entrepreneurs, globally. However, challenges still persist when it comes to representation, funding, and market access. She was recently part of a special edition of TedX Johannesburg reflecting on SDGs and finding common purpose in building a better world. This morning, she joined us to discuss just how far we are from combating energy poverty, the role women can play in energy and what interventions need to be made to reach SDG 7 surrounding access to clean and affordable energy. We are joined by… Guest: Linda Mabhena-Olagunju - Renewable Energy Advocate and Entrepreneur

As part of a series of discussions, we unpack the state of our agricultural sector with a focus on the 2 million small-scale farmers that are in operation. Today, we will address some of the issues raised around access to communal or rural land and what are some of the solutions that can be shared in building a more expansive small-scale farming landscape. To lead the conversation, we are joined by… Guest: Thabo Seatlholo – Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders Guest: Peter Mashala – Editor of Media-24’s African Farming Magazine which is part of Landbouweekblad

President Cyril Ramaphosa during his Opening of Parliament Address spoke says that the 7th administration’s clear intentions is to improve the functioning of municipalities. He has promised full support to the new minister of Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs. Guest: Miyelani Holeni - Chief Group Advisor at Ntiyiso Consulting Group – He is also a local government revenue and governance expert

Human Sciences Research Council has released the results of the country's latest HIV Prevalence Survey which revealed that it has decreased from 14% in 2017 to 12,7 in 2022. In practical terms this is a decline from 7,9 million people to 7,8 million. The sad part is that females continue to be affected compared to males. The good is that the country is doing well in the increase of antiretroviral treatment.  Guest:  Prof Khangelani Zuma - Divisional Executive in the Public Health, Societies and Belonging (PHSB)  research division in the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

Kwa-Zulu Natal contributes 7% of total international tourist spend and 12% of film spend in South Africa. The Authority is aimed at positioning the province as Africa’s leading destination for business and leisure. The KZN Tourism and Film Authority has strengthened its partnerships with SA Tourism as well as the National Film and Video Foundation to bolster economic opportunities in the province. This includes its Film Month celebration where the province played host to the Durban International Film Festival, the Simon Sabela Film and Television Awards and the Dundee July.  Guest: Sbu Gumbi - Acting Chief Executive Officer of the KZN Tourism and Film Authority  

Bryan continues our series on financial planning. So far, we have dealt with estate planning, trust planning and retirement planning. This morning, we continue talking about retirement planning and ask the question: What choices do people have when exiting from their Retirement Plans? Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

This past weekend, journalists were recognized for their story-telling and holding authorities to account on the behalf of the marginalized communities. Our next guest has been bestowed with the Journalist of the Year award for his poignant work in two features: (1) gold mining widows of miners how they face the battle with trauma and poverty.He has also been recognized for his work on (2) the quest for healing justice. At the centre of his story-telling, he brings the stories of people outside of urban centres and seeking to hold authorities accountable on behalf of the voiceless in marginalized communities. He has been awarded the CNN African Journalist Award for his coverage of the HIV/AIDS pandemic (2010) and the Marikana massacre (2013).  Guest: Lucas Ledwaba - Editor of Mukurukuru Media; Publisher, Photographer & the 2024 Sivukile Journalist of the Year award recipient

We have brought together various stakeholders to unpack some of these challenges faced by e-hailing operators and get a better understanding on how the public transport system is regulated in the province. Earlier this week, we spoke to a caller on the open line who shared their distress surrounding the fines that e-hailing operators were paying to taxi patrollers for client pick-ups and the push to use only Shesha App in their operations. Let us listen back to that call Guest (Zoom): Portia Kelekethu - Project Manager at Shesha App Guest (Zoom): Theo Malele - National Taxi Alliance spokesperson Guest (telephone): Lesiba Mpya - Spokesperson for the MEC of Transport in Gauteng Guest (Studio): Thato Ramaila - Chairperson of the Soweto United E-hailer Association (Note: He is currently also serving as Interim chairperson of the Gauteng e-hailing Drivers Association)

Our next guest hails from the friendly city of Gqeberha and has become one of the nation's most recognized Afro-soul artists. He has worked alongside RJ Benjamin, Moneoa, Ishmael, Jessica Mbangeni and many more. Over and above his award-winning music career, he  has been filming on his first reality series (Vusi Nova, Unprovoked) recently and has been a judge for the popular television show, Amazing Voices (season two). To tell us more about his journey and his new body of work: Full Circle, we are joined by… Guest(Studio): Vusimuzi Nongxa - Singer, songwriter and TV personality

As we mark International Mandela Day today, we thought of speaking to some of the charities in our country that are making a difference in the various communities. Normally on a day like this, we speak to companies and other organisations that are reaching out today only and normally go away after that. These charities face various challenges to stay afloat and today let's get to hear what challenges they face and what companies can do to assist.... Guest: Zonke Mbali - Social worker from Sobambisana Community development Project (We are based at Crossroads in Cape Town. We are an NGO working with children with disabilities and Elderly people) Mobile: 072 385 9314 Guest: Amanda Zungu -   Chief Visionary Officer for  One K (Kidney) Foundation  (We use innovative and creative ways to educate and create awareness around kidney health and organ donation. This year marks 10 years since our transplant) Mobile: 082 591 4644 Guest: Carol Xaba - General secretary of Disabled Persons in Trades South Africa Mobile: 079 580 6281 Guest: Bridget Munnik - Centre Manager of Mashup Community Development (Mashup is a NPO , founded in 2013 , providing community development,  entrepreneur training and skills development opportunities to youth in Westbury and surrounding areas) Mobile: 073 151 8572 Guest: Stephanie Sokane - Founder and Director of Chidiya foundation (Chidiya foundation and ECD center for underprivileged and disabled children based in Orange Farm. We have 30 children in our care and we strive to be an inclusive center where asked and disabled children interact without discrimination.There’s a lot of work we would like to do in Orange Farm and need the assistance to do it)

Yesterday, the African National Congress postponed their disciplinary committee proceedings against former President, Jacob Zuma for campaigning for a different party. During the election seasons, former President Zuma insisted that he is still a member of the ANC while addressing public MK Party rallies. This morning, we thought to look at why it was necessary for the ANC to take him through this process: What is it that the ANC hopes to achieve? Why does the political party keep postponing it? What are they so fixated on disciplining him? To help us understand, we are joined by.... Guest: Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast - Director of the Center for Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution

The reSURGEnce Conference Durban is an international investment conference which is a transformative initiative bringing together industry leaders, clergy, entrepreneurs, investors, financers and government officials. These officials represent the United States, Africa and South Africa for insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and collaboration sessions aimed at unlocking the vast potential of the African market. Explore innovative strategies, forge meaningful connections, and embark on a journey of growth and success at this premier conference in the heart of Durban. This is hosted in partnership by eThekwini Municipality with partners from the United States of America. To tell us more about this exciting conference, we are joined by… Guest (OB): Mr Musa Mbhele - City Manager of eThekwini Municipality Guest (OB): Reverend Dennis Dillon - The reSURGEnce Convener & Publisher of the New York Christian Times    

Last week, one of our listeners shared their distress surrounding the closure of public schools and if this decision would compromise the learning outcomes for affected pupils. Last month, the Department of Education in the Eastern Cape announced that they intend on closing 1142 public schools due to dwindling learner attendance numbers. MEC of Education, Fundile Gade announced this as part of the rationalisation and alignment programme that was gazetted back in August 2021. The consultation process with the affected schools and communities has commenced.   According to the Department of Basic Education, 1 503 schools in South Africa have been permanently closed since 2021. While rationalization and alignment programmes are not new, these initiatives are aimed at restructuring the schooling system for effective resource-allocation at public schools. We have seen similar initiatives undertaken in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Western Cape, particularly after COVID-19 pandemic. In today’s #CitizensCorner, we unpack the implications of this decision by hearing the perspectives of civil society, the teaching fraternity and parents on this important matter affecting communities around the country. We are joined by…   Guest (Telephone): Hendrick Makaneta - Education Specialist Guest (ZOOM): Vuyiseka Mboxela - Spokesperson for the Department of Education in the Eastern Cape (NOTE: HOD & MEC are attending public consultations) Guest(Telephone): Malibongwe Ntame - Provincial Chairperson of South African Democratic Teachers Union (Eastern Cape) Guest (WhatsApp): Matakanye Matakanye - Chairperson of the National Association of School Governing Bodies

  As widely expected, Rwandan President Paul Kagame is set to remain in power for a fourth term in office. By last night (Tuesday) he had already won  99.15 percent of the vote in an election where only two challengers were allowed to run against him. What is it we need to understand about Rwanda and why they keep Paul Kagame in power? What is he doing right politically and economically? To help us understand, we are joined by... Guest: Sophie Mokoena - SABC News International Editor Guest: Victor Kgomoeswana - Author of a book entitled Africa is open for business

Bryan continues this morning on the topic of financial planning which consists of four principles. For the past few weeks he dealt with estate, trust as well as investment panning. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

Yesterday (Monday), newly appointed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu emphasised the importance of keeping the country's police officers safe. He was speaking in Pretoria as he briefed the media, outlining the priorities for the ministry of police in the seventh administration. He says, attacking police officers whether on or off duty is regarded as an attack against the state. As assuring as that sounds, what are the men and women in blue saying on the ground? We speak now to the unions as it is their members who are facing the challenges on the ground and also arrested for criminality.  Guest: Richard Mamabolo – Spokesperson for the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, POPCRU Guest: Lesiba Thobakgole – National Spokesperson for the 11:30 News headlines

Sustainability is a challenge facing small-scale farmers and it impacts the business of agriculture at several levels: profitability as the cost of seed to export increases with inflation. One may have to consider whether to diversify the output of your product (think sugarcane and their by-products, for example). One also has to consider whether to introduce alternative farming methods where there is a lack of resources or basic infrastructure. Finally, how to adapt to climate change events   which extends the production period and makes communities food insecure. As part of a series of discussions, we unpack the state of our agricultural sector with a focus on the 2 million small-scale farmers that are in operation. Today, we will address some of the issues raised around sustainability of these holdings and what are some of the solutions that can be shared in building a more expansive small-scale farming landscape. Guest: Mr. Thabile Nkunjana - Senior Economist in the Trade Research Unit at the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) Guest: Dr. Jack Armour - Commercial Manager at Free State Agriculture Guest: Ms. Mandisa Mazibuko - Masters Candidate in the Department of Crop Sciences from the Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences at the North West University 

Last week we received a call from Robert Dlamini who is chairperson of the Mpumalanga Association of Student Accommodation. He called us from outside the NSFAS offices in Cape Town demanding outstanding payments for students they are accommodating. At first they were denied entry, then when the Talking Point team intervened, the officials then met with them leading to a happy ending. Guest: Sithembiso Nomvalo – Administrator National Student Financial Aid Scheme   

Our next guest hails from the streets of the West Rand, Johannesburg and started her musical journey at the age of 12 after her father introduced her to jazz by making her listen to the album: “Ladies Sing Jazz”. For her, the fluidity of jazz as a genre gives her the opportunity to share her influences and fully express who she wants to be at that moment. Before going solo, she was the lead singer of the popular band: Unity Band that has captured the hearts of many avid jazz fans. She has worked alongside Sisonke Xonti, Kurt Bowers, Lonwabo Mafani, Stephen de Sousa, Marco Maritz and many more to build the sound for her debut EP: Umnikelo.  Guest: Thandeka Dladla - Musician

In recent months, we have seen athletes across the country working towards qualification for the Olympic Games. As we mark 14 days to the global showpiece, we thought that we could take a moment before the Olympic Games to speak to some of our sporting heroes that will go represent us in Paris. We wanted to understand what goes into preparing for an Olympic event, the resolve to bounce back after injury, the moment of achieving the dream & how they use their role in society to inspire a new generation of athletes in their field. Our next guest hails from Durban where his love for water started at the age of eight and has gone from humble beginnings at Seagulls Swimming Club to becoming a 4x Olympic Medalist. He is one of South Africa’s most decorated Olympians and has dominated international swimming over the last three decades (2000s; 2010s & 2020s). He has been described by World Aquatics as “the ultimate competitor”. He is the man that stunned the world when he beat US Swimmer and hero, Michael Phelps at the 2012 London Olympics. Guest: Chad le Clos - Swimmer for Team South Africa

It is the second day of the Business and Commercial Banking conference which is being held in Cape Town. Today, the conference will focus on Africa’s competitive advantage looking at three areas: 1) Finding the growth opportunitieS, 2)Africa’s Energy Solutions; and 3) Banking the 4th Industrial Revolution.  Guest: Lungisa Fuzile - CEO of Standard Bank South Africa

Back in 2015, 17 goals were adopted to advance a blueprint of shared outcomes for a peaceful and prosperous society. The Sustainable Development Goals were a call to action to address the inequalities facing the world including equitable access to health, education, climate change, jobs, infrastructure and basic services. Some human rights activists argue that despite the adoption of these goals 9 years ago, there has been systemic failure to implement these goals by member states that has left up to 4 billion people struggling without access to critical services. Furthermore, the research organizations such as the World Benchmarking Alliance have measured the compliance of 2000 companies and found that 90% of the world’s most influential brands are not meeting human rights standards in as far as fair labour practices, wages & ethical conduct.  Guest: Fernando Morales-de la Cruz - Editor-in-Chief of Lewis Hine Org. and Human Rights advocate on ending child labour & forced labour

We continue our discussion on the Mafube Local Municipality in the Free State. Last week due to time constraints we could not deal with some of the other issues raised by the guests and resident under this municipality which is marred by reports of workers not being paid their salaries for two months. Water and electricity problems, poor service delivery, an acting municipal manager. There has also been a couple of arrests in connection with tender fraud. Guest: Suzette Steyn – DA Councillor at the Mafube Local Municipality Guest: Mothusi Lepheana - Acting Municipal Manager at Mafube Local Municipality Guest: Lindela Mkaza – Lead Provincial EXCO Representative  Guest: Themba Nhlapo - IMATU Shop Steward in the Mafube Municipality

Our next guest has submitted her fourth report to the UN Human Rights Council. The focus of this report speaks to drug use, harm reduction and the right to health centred by dignity. Member states have an obligation to respect, protect and fulfil equal access to healthcare - including drug use. However, state interventions to address drug use disorders often provide limited health interventions and some member states have opted to use a punitive approach by criminalizing drug use. The punitive approach often undermines the right to health of those who are affected by drug use disorders. Many affected by drug use have been marginalized, criminalized and discriminated against for seeking access to health interventions. The report unpacks drug use where it recognizes the intersection between human rights, criminal law and health. In her presentation, she outlines the transformative impact of the right to health and public health in accessing other human rights. She unpacks the risks faced by those affected by drug use if in conflict with the law or incarcerated: education, housing, food security, employment, travel and social protection. Another important aspect of this report includes the distinction between drug use and drug dependency which leads to disorders. This helps us unpack the medical condition and what quality of care interventions are required - including harm reduction alternatives. This not only affects drug users but their families as well. Guest: Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng - Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health

Yesterday (Tuesday), Patriotic Alliance leader and newly appointed Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie announced that the government will no longer be financing trips for sports super-fans. Mckenzie took to X to announce his decision saying that the department will use the money where it’s needed the most. Last week Public works minister Dean Macpherson said that he wants to curtail spending on cabinet members' government homes and offices. At the back of this, we thought to look at what else this new government should be looking at cutting? Blue lights motorcades, state-sponsored funerals are also some of the concerns that have been raised in the public domain for many years. What else would you as citizens of the country want to see cut?  Guest: Reuben Maleka – General Manager at the Public Servant Association Guest: Karam Singh - Executive Director at Corruption Watch

Bryan continues this morning on the topic of financial planning which consists of four principles. Last week he touched on Trusts. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

The West African bloc Ecowas has warned that it risks disintegration and worsened insecurity after Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formalised their breakaway union. The head of the Ecowas commission, President Omar Alieu Touray says the move is a major blow to the 50-year-old bloc and could have serious consequences if they do not reverse their decision. This comes after the military leaders of the three countries said on Saturday that they were "irrevocably" turning their backs on the 15-member Ecowas to form a confederation of their own states. The bloc has appointed Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to mediate the crisis. For a perspective on this and also why the three countries feel the need to cut ties, where is France and Russia in all of this? Guest: Nixon Kathembo - African Affairs analyst and Channel Africa Producer

South Africa has a robust agriculture export market that is worth USD 12,8 billion (year-on-year; 2023). Small-scale farmers play an important role not only provide economic opportunities for rural communities, it also plays a massive role in food security and poverty alleviation. However, small-holder farmers do face serious challenges that limit the extent to which they can build a sustainable agricultural venture such as limited access to markets, financial constraints, inadequate infrastructure and mitigation systems to address climate change. Due to these challenges, most small-scale farmers are struggling to feed their families or turn a profit. As part of a series of discussions, we unpack the state of our agricultural sector with a focus on the 2 million small-scale farmers that are in operation and if organizations representing this segment of the agricultural landscape has raised alarm for these urgent challenges to be addressed. In the coming weeks, we will address some of the policy that exists which does not include provisions for smallholder farmer and what government interventions that can be made in a new administration to alleviate the outlined challenges.  Guest: Makhu Mutheiwana - Potato Farmer and Attorney Guest: Nyiko Maluleke - Chief Executive Officer of Buhle Farming Academy Guest: Ipeleng Kwadi - Cattle Farmer

The National Planning Commission has unveiled a report which calls for coordination from key government departments to prioritize early childhood development as a cornerstone to the country's progress. This includes addressing malnutrition, accessing social protection, early learning programmes and maternal health services in the first one thousand days. The report looks into the importance of human development for children under six years, not only when it comes to educational development but also as it relates to nutrition, health and social outcomes. To help us unpack this report further on the strategic stakeholders involved and how we build a social compact for inprovement in this essential sector. Guest: Prof. Mary Metcalfe - Commissioner at the National Planning Commission (Education)

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has given municipalities the green light to continue with tariff increases pending the outcome of its appeal to the recent court ruling. The Gauteng High Court recently ruled in favour of AfriForum to prevent an increase in electricity tariffs due to outstanding documents. AfriForum says its court application is aimed at giving consumers a better understanding of what they are paying for when buying electricity and to ensure that municipalities are held accountable. Guest:  Nqobani Mzizi - Senior Manager Revenue Enhancement at City Power Guest: Mervyn Abrahams - Programme Coordinator at the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group Guest: Chris Yelland - Energy Expert

Our next guest is a Rap/Hip-Hop artist who hails from Soshanguve who started his musical journey back in 2020. He raps in Tshi Venda, English and S’Pitori. Last year, he made a breakthrough and won a Best Hip-Hop Video award at the Eminent Video Music Awards for his song, “Mapungubwe”. The song is a tribute to the history and heritage of the Mapungubwe Kingdom. T Guest: Thizwihangwi Nemanashe - Musician, Poet and Journalist

We go down to the Free State at the Mafube Local Municipality where the situation is very heart breaking. We are reliably told that some workers have not been paid their salaries for two months. Water and electricity problems, poor service delivery, no municipal manager. There has also been a couple of arrests in connection with tender fraud. These are just some of the issues that have made it to the news.  Guest: Johnny Mbele –Shop steward and Chairman of SAMWU in Mafube (Has not been paid for two months) Guest: Suzette Steyn – DA Councillor at the Mafube Local Municipality Guest: Mothusi Lepheana - Acting Municipal Manager at Mafube Local Municipality Guest: Zakhali Mzolo - Concerned Community Member Guest: Lindela Mkaza – Lead Provincial EXCO Representative 

Blood is an important vehicle for food, oxygen and other compounds move from one part of the human body to the next. When a life-altering disease or an accident happens, blood is an essential part of the recovery process. According to the South African National Blood Services, less than 1% of citizens are active and regular blood donors. This is a cause of concern as this means there are shortages of blood in the public healthcare system. Guest: Prof. Glenda Davison - medical scientist and Associate Professor at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

As we observe Film Month, the Kwa-Zulu Natal Tourism and Film Authority has rolled out the red carpet to promote and sell the province as a premiere destination for the audio-visual industries. The Authority’s role is to create sustainable growth, develop job opportunities, and build infrastructure to support emerging filmmakers. The Authority is set to host the 11th annual Simon Sabela Television and Film Awards in recognition of entertainment excellence in the field.  Guest: Mu Ngcolosi - Project Leader for the Simon Sabela Television and Film Awards

We bring you live coverage of the swearing in of cabinet Ministers and their deputies under the government of national unity. We speak to some of the political journalists to give us some background to who these Ministers are and what we can expect them to bring.  Guest: Abongwe Kobokana – SABC journalist in Parliament Guest: Sophie Mokoena - SABC News International Editor  

Next week Cape Town will be hosting the Africa Energy Sector Inward Buying and Investment Mission. The gathering will see delegates from the African continent putting their heads together in dealing with energy security and foster investment. To talk us more on the benefits it has brought so far for the African continent and its citizens and also how this initiative can be sustained without western participation, Guest: Mrs. Chiboni Evans, CEO of the South African Electrotechnical Export Council (SAEEC) 

      This morning Bryan will be discussing Trusts, however, he is not a lawyer, so the discussion will revolve around the practicalities. He now joins us in studio to educate us on the subject….   Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

  As the cabinet ministers are preparing to be sworn in tomorrow (Wed) to pledge their loyalty to serving the country, we thought to talk about what it is they need to understand when taking that oath. What should it mean to them and also what should we as a nation expect as we’ve seen over the years how many of them did not honour the promises they made. To help us navigate this issue, we are joined by….. Guest: Guru Kali – Director of The Conscious Leadership Academy - Will talk on Conscious Leadership, no politics please) Guest: Ebrahim Harvey - Former labour unionist, political writer and author Guest: Dudu Msomi - Founder and CEO of Busara Leadership Partners   

Focus: July in our country is associated with giving as we build-up to International Mandela Day. So we use this hour to reflect on our culture of giving as South Africans. What is the smallest thing you are doing for someone who may be in need? Do you give to charity? Do you get involved in some of the activities in your community? Let’s use this time to talk about us as a nation and what it is we do to reach out and to lead us in this discussion, we are joined by…  Guest: Gushwell Brooks - Head of Mandela DayGuest: Brandon Grealy - Chairperson of Excutive Committee at 67 Blankets for MandelaGuest: Alison McCutcheon - Director at Ladles of LoveGuest: Dr Imtiaz Sooliman - Director of Gift of the Givers  

Focus: As you've heard last night's cabinet makeup under the government of national unity, we continue the coverage by looking at the makeup of the appoint looking at what each of these Ministers are bringing. At has indeed been a long wait as the DA and the ANC were meeting behind closed doors debating which portfolio to divide among themselves. Now that other parties have joined the formation also allocated some posts, what sort of changes can we expect and what are some of the surprises? To lead us in this discussion, we are joined by... Guest: Dr. Dale T. McKinley- An independent Writer, Researcher, Lecturer Currently based at the International Labour, Research and Information GroupGuest: Prof Susan Booysen - Visiting Professor and Professor Emeritus, University of the Witwatersrand Guest: Dr Ralph Mathekga - Political Analyst 

  Lu Dlamini is one of those artists you hear very little about. She has been performing live at some of the jazz clubs and those who've seen her perform talk about the traditional instrument she plays so well. One of her greatest works has been Ulwimilam which is a collection of songs. To tell us more about what has she been up to lately, she joins me now in our makeshift studio to talk about her career... Guest(DBN): Lu Dlamini – Singer and composer

As the DA and the ANC are still discussing which cabinet portfolios to divide among themselves under the government of national unity, the nation is still gripped with anxiety over the future of the country. So as we conclude Youth Month, we thought to get the opinions of some the young thought leaders to talk about what South Africa would be like if young people were given a chance to govern? What sort of meaningful change could they bring as we witnessed very little change in a government made up of a generational mix? To lead us in this discussion, we are joined by.... Guest: Tswelopele Makoe -  Gender and Social Justice Activist, also Editor of Global South Media Network Guest: Leeto Ntoba - Political Analyst Guest: Otsile Nkadimeng - Executive Director of SoWeVote

Government departments in the Northern Cape owe Kimberley based Sol Plaatje Municipality over 700 million-Rand on rates and taxes. The departments, businesses and residents collectively owe over 3.8 billion-Rand. Over the weekend the municipality blocked electricity meters of indebted residents, a decision that has since been rescinded following threats of violence. Premier Zamani Saul has called on departments to act ethically and pay their debt. The municipality has also been in the news over water shortages and other service delivery issue. To find out what the situation is on the ground and how the municipality is dealing with it, we are joined by…   Guest: Butana Phillips - Secretary of the Kimberley Action Group Guest: Thapelo Matlatla – Municipal Manager for the Sol Plaatje Municipality Guest: Madeleine Brandt - Provincial Director: Northern Cape at the South African Local Government Association (Has made several attempts to intervene with service delivery issues in the municipality)

  Residential rental properties are experiencing their lowest vacancy rate since 2016 currently sitting at 4,42%. This is according to the TPN Credit Bureau and the latest Vacancy Survey report for the first quarter of 2024. The survey measures the number of sectional- and full-title residential units across the country. The report has outlined that due to the high interest rates over the past 18 months, many people are renting properties over a longer period of time as home ownership remains out of reach. While low vacancy rates are good for property owners and investors, our next guest warns that landlords should be mindful of constrained budgets and caution against changing the rental value band of properties as it may lead to tenants defaulting on their obligations. To tell us more about this report and share reflections from different provinces, we are joined by.... Guest (ZOOM):  Waldo Marcus - Industry Principal at TPN Credit Bureau, an MRI Software company Guest (TELEPHONE): Sbu Nyathi - Sustainability Practitioner at Isakhombe Assets & co-host of Ubuntunomics Podcast Guest(TELEPHONE): Thato Ramaili - Chief Executive Officer of the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA)

NGOs are raising their concerns over the South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) new identification verification process. We have received complaints from recipients of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant that they can’t access their grants because of a new process. On the other hand, SASSA says that they are doing this to prevent fraud. They go on to say that they have received high volumes of fraud with the R370-a-month grant. What then does this mean for the recipients and which other grants are affected? To tell us more on this and also field some of the social grant questions you may have, we are joined by… Guest (telephone): Mr Fanie Sethokga - General Manager: Grants Administration.

GBV affects all social, economic, cultural, and educational backgrounds. As we conclude our observation of Youth Month, we discuss what interventions are being made when it comes to gender-based violence prevention and response management. Our next guest has developed an internship programme that addresses some of the urgent support services that remain inaccessible to communities. To tell us more about this, we are joined by…   Guest (ZOOM): Mara Glennie - Founder & Director of Tears Foundation   Guest (ZOOM): Dembe Netshithothole - Graduate   Guest (ZOOM): Precious Makhubela - Graduate   Guest (ZOOM): Claire Thompson - General Manager of Tears Foundation  

2024 is also and election year for Namibia and Mozambique where both SWAPO and FRELIMO ha e been in power since their countries attained independence. Some commentators believe that what's keeping them in power is more to do with loyalty during the liberation years. But what's also being picked up is how liberation movements on the African continent are starting to experience reduced numbers at the polls. So for this morning we thought to look at what seems to be behind the declining support from citizens. Is it because young people are now the ones voting or liberation movements no longer relevant? To educate is on this issue, we are joined by.... Guest: Adv Sipho Mantula -  Researcher with Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs

The week before last we started with a programme which dealt with estate, retirement, taxation and investment planning. Bryan only dealt with estate planning and as it is the last Tuesday of the month, he always deals with common themes received during the month which he will deal with today. Thereafter he will deal with more detail about Trusts. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

  Since the ANC opted for a government of national unity after it got less than 41% of the vote, there has been mixed reaction from all concerned citizens and politicians alike. So far six parties joined giving different reasons why. In this how we take a deeper look at the actual document and whether it can work to take the country forward. As it stands with the different clauses, are they practical under the correct political climate? To help us understand, we are joined by… Guest: Professor Lesiba Teffo – Political analyst based at Unisa Guest: Dr Sithembile Mbete - Political Analyst based at the University of Pretoria

  Our next guest is a leading guitarists on the continent whose love for music started at the age of six. He draws inspiration for his work from the techniques and the heritage of African string instruments. His work has brought him to stages on four continents and has played for former President, Nelson Mandela. He has worked alongside John Williams (Australia), Egberto Gismonti (Brazil), Toumani Diabate (Mali) and Debashish Bhattacharya (India). He joins us to discuss his latest album with African Kora master, Ballake Sissoko after the 50th anniversary of the Kora (traditional harp). The album explored sounds from the empires of West Africa. We are joined by... Guest(Zoom): Derek Gripper - classical guitarist from Cape Town specialising in the kora music of Mali

Tomorrow marks the inauguration of the seventh South African Head of State. We take a moment to unpack what we can expect from the inauguration, President-elect Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech and the road ahead for the government of national unity. What impact will the coalition pact make on the President’s cabinet appointments? How will the President place the conflicting policy imperatives of the coalition (International Relations, National Minimum Wage, Social Grants, Affirmative Action, Land, etc.)? Does the President still have the confidence and the trust of the public? What happens to the Members of Parliament who were sworn in despite pending cases from the State Capture? To find out what hurdles the President may face, We are joined by… Guest: Ongama Mtimka - Political Analyst and Senior Lecturer at the Nelson Mandela University

Focus: We take a moment to reflect on 30 years of Constitutionalism in South Africa. In this hour, we reflect on what has been achieved in the last 30 years: the rule of law, the Bill of Rights and the institutions placed to safeguard the Constitution. We reflect on how we anchored building this nation on three principles outlined in the Constitution: dignity, equality and the advancement of Human Rights. Let us go down memory lane and take a listen to the presidential oath, starting with Nelson Mandela Guest (ZOOM): Prof. Patrick Bond - Political Economist and Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg (Constitutional critique on promises for public good) Guest (ZOOM): Dan Mafora - Senior Researcher at the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC) Guest (WHATSAPP - SWITZERLAND):  Adv. Michael Osbourne - Constitutional Law expert  

Focus: In the past two weeks, we have seen a new era in our election culture as talks of a coalition government among political parties were underway as the voting results did not find any party received more than 50% nationally. According to the law, a new government must be formed within 14 days and the first sitting of Parliament had to elect the President. In this period, we have seen new political formations emerge outside of the goverment of national unity (“black progressives”), seen legal action to interdict the first sitting of Parliament and a new party did not get sworn as members of Parliament. We have also seen resistance from members of the ANC against the GNU and tripartheid alliance partners, with some protesting. We wanted to reflect the Highs and the Lows as the nation prepares itself for the first days of a new administration.  To lead the conversation, we are joined by...  Guest: Dr Hlengiwe Ndlovu – Senior Lecturer at the WITS School of Governance and Political Analyst Guest: Darren Campher - Political and Socio-economic Commentator  

Focus: Lovedale Press has been in existence for the past 200 years and has published some of South Africa's seminal indigenous literary, theologian and academic works. However, this beloved publishing house is a state of decay and facing possible closure. The Thabo Mbeki Foundation, universities in the Eastern Cape and other stakeholders have come together to help the publishing house keep the lights on and preserve the legacy of the institution for future generations. To share about this institution and the role of heritage management in preserving our national identity, we are joined by...  Guest: Bongani Kupe - Head of Special Projects at the Thabo Mbeki Foundation  Guest: Dr Yanga Majola - Social Linguist at the Department of Applied Languages at the Tshwane University of Technology  Guest: Dumisani Sibayi - Chairperson of the EC Provincial Heritage Resource Authority

We use this segment now to speak to some of the political parties and journalists finding out what the situation is regarding coalition talks. Who is agreeing with who and what is being put on the table? To help us through this conversation, we are joined by... Guest: Solly Malatsi - National Spokesperson for the Democratic Alliance Guest: Hajra Omarjee - Political Editor at Business Day Guest: Samkele Maseko - SABC Senior Political Reporter

We continue our series of discussions meeting the new faces and parties that will stand in Parliament for the first time. Today, we decided that it would be important for us to meet the new and young faces that will be entering Parliament for the first time among the established political parties.   We are also featuring new members of provincial legislatures as the lower houses open their doors for the seventh administration. To tell us more about what they want to achieve in the next five years and what it means to represent the views of young people in law-making processes, we are joined by…   Guest (Telephone): Liam Jacobs - Federal Leader of the Democratic Alliance Student Organization and MP-elect Guest (ZOOM): Sanele Zondo - Chairperson of IFP Youth Brigade and MP-elect

As political parties are still deciding on how to run the country under a possible government of national unity as proposed by the ANC, we continue discussions around what the possibilities are. Many have been likening this period to 1994 as we were starting a road to democracy under a government led by Nelson Mandela under a government of national unity with two deputy presidents. Well, we thought to bring in some of the people who were active in that period to talk about the dynamics that were at play then comparing them to today. What lessons can we learn in order to take the country forward?  Guest: Professor Richard Calland - A visiting adjunct professor at the Wits School of Governance and Director of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership Guest: Mbhazima Shilowa – Former Gauteng Premier, General Secretary of Cosatu and was also part of the ANC’s negotiating team at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa Guest: Oupa Ngwenya - Founding secretary-general of the Forum of Black Journalists, freelance writer, columnist, corporate strategist, and currently Project’s Co-ordinaries of The 70s Group comprising of liberation activists of the 1970s  

June being Youth Month, we turn our focus to mental health. According to UNICEF's 2023 U-Report, 60% of South African youth needed access to mental health support services. Young people between the ages of 15 - 24 are the most at risk (70%). Young people face many challenges that affect their mental health and leads to self-harm: violence, poverty, substance abuse, unemployment, loss of parents and bullying - amongst others. We see many young people who simply can’t find jobs after their training or qualifications are complete. We have seen many of them stand on street corners with boards and posting on social media, seeking help. According to the U-Report Youth Pulse, 48% young people are anxious about how they will develop their skills to attract employment opportunities. What is this doing to their mental health and well-being? How are they expected to cope if there is a lack of access to support tools?  Guest : Inga Nieuwoldt - Educational Psychologist Guest: Dune de Blaar - Youth Coach for the Basic Support Package programme, a joint project implemented by DG Murray Trust, the University of Cape Town and the University of Johannesburg.   

Financial planning consists of four principles. Estate, Retirement, Taxation and Investment planning. Over the next four weeks Bryan intends to take each aspect in structuring a comprehensive financial plan.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

Last week the Black Management Forum in partnership with the Henley Business School hosted a panel discussion entitled: Leading Beyond The Ballot, shaping South Africa’s Post-election Future. This comes at a time where the country is waiting with bated breath to hear what decision political parties are likely make with regards to the type of government we may have since none of them got a two-thirds majority to form a government. The ANC has proposed a government of national unity and extended the invite to all parties, but sadly none of them seem to be in agreement.  Guest: Professor Thuli Madonsela – Director of the Centre for Social Justice at the University of Stellenbosch Guest:  Patrick Kulati - CEO at Good Governance Africa Guest: Jon Foster-Pedlley - Dean and director of Henley Business School

We continue the conversation this morning looking at where we are regarding a coalition or government of national unity as proposed by the ANC. Many are comparing this to the 1994 first democratic elections, but others argue that it is not the same. This has no doubt brought strain to the nation as political parties are not in agreement as to a way forward. So this morning we thought to look at what this does to us as a nation? What does it do to our psychology and why is it so difficult for the political parties to put the country first?  Guest: Dr Saths Cooper – President of the Pan African Psychology Union, former political prisoner and leader of the Black Consciousness Movement and a member of the 1970s group of activists Guest: Dr. Ntsikelelo Breakfast - Director of the Center for Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution at Nelson Mandela University

As a country we have been so occupied by what’s happening in our political sphere that we forgot another burning issue of our energy transition. An article published in the MyBroadband website in May reminds us that South Africa is expected to propose a timeline for the shutdown of coal-fired power plants in a bid to secure about $2.5 billion in climate finance. If you may remember that under the agreement which was first announced in 2021, our country is said to receive assistance under certain conditions, one being that it cuts its dependence on coal, which accounts for four-fifths of the nation’s electricity output.  Guest: Tabi Tabi – CEO Granville Energy

We end the show by talking to the clergy as they called for a day of prayer around the state of the country. In a statement released over the weekend, the South African Council of Churches says that it has concluded a special meeting of the National Leaders Forum where leaders of member churches came together to reflect on where the country is at the moment from elections to natural disasters that has just hit three provinces.  Guest: Archbishop Thabo Makgoba - President of the South African Council of Churches    

On Tuesday this week, Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka briefed the media on her report into the findings of an investigation on the difficulties GBV victims experience when opening cases at magistrates' courts across the country. The other problem is on the police side where she says they are reluctant to register cases and do not inform the victims of their rights to institute criminal action but rather refer victims directly to court to apply for a protection order. This issue indeed has multiple factors which at the end fails victims of gender-based violence, what else can be done then to find workable solutions seeing that the problem persists? Guest: Adv Brenda Madumise-Pajibo – Director of Wise Collective Guest: Dr Lesley Ann Foster - Founder and Managing Director of Masimanyane Women's Rights international Guest: Charles Mohalaba - Deputy-Director General: Court Services at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development

As the political parties are meeting behind the scene to come up with plans aimed at taking the country forward, many people in the country are trying to imagine the type of government that will work for all of us. Many of you have been giving your opinions on the show indicating what sort of coalition government partners you would like to see and shared your concerns. In the past 48 hours, we have seen tripartite alliance partners (SACP & COSATU) share their concerns surrounding specific coalition partners. So this morning we focus on the various scenarios that could best create a government that can be pleasing for all South Africans. In this panel, we look at how national planning and scenario forecasting is affected by major events such as election outcomes and whether it re-inforces our  development trajectory or lays a new pathway ahead.  Guest: Xolelwa Kashe-Katiya – Project lead at Indlulamithi South Africa Scenarios Guest: Dr. Ismail Lagardien - Political Economist and Columnist

In light of the #ElectionResults2024, we have eighteen political parties that will be represented in the National Assembly. This includes seven new parties who will become legislators for the first time. We wanted to take a moment to reflect with some of the parties on their recent triumph, their vision for the next 5 years. Guest: Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster - Deputy Leader of Build One South Africa Guest: Mighty Mabule - Spokesperson of the United African Transformation   

Keeping with the theme of elections and the coming coalition government, we turn our focus on the Black Management Forum. They issued a statement last night stating their hopes in the incoming government'. They are hoping for the advancement of economic transformation and the economic participation of black people.  Guest: Monde Ndlovu - Managing Director at the Black Management Forum

We continue with our election theme looking at the different aspects of the outcomes of the 2024 polls where the ANC finds itself not having reached enough numbers to govern nationally. They are now forced to form a coalition with the opposition to form a government. For today’s discussion we thought to look at where coalitions have worked successfully and what sort of lessons we can learn in order to move forward as a country.  Guest: Prof William Gumede – Chairperson of the Democracy Works Foundation at Wits Guest:: Pranish Desai - Senior data analyst in the Governance Insights and Analytics Programme at Good Governance Africa

Usually on the last Tuesday of the month Bryan answers all your questions of a similar of a similar nature that have been submitted to him. So because we could not speak to him last week due to the elections, he was kind enough to make time for all the questions you may have. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

The IEC last night declared the elections free and fair while behind the scenes political party leaders are contemplating who get into a coalition with. The running African National Congress probably has the biggest headache as this is a rude wakening for them. What about us as a nation, what sort of country would we like to see as we start the seventh administration? 1994 was a complete system and regime change, but then this is the first time the country is run without the ANC having a full majority. What would we like to see?  Guest: Dr Lubna Nadvi -  Senior lecturer in political science and international relations at the University of KwaZulu-Natal

As the IEC declared the elections free and fair last night, the focus now shifts to parliament. Also the fact that we also have independent candidates and also having to elect the president. This time around the ANC does not have the majority, what then does all of this means? Could we end up with a president that is elected by a united opposition party?  Guest: Xolile George - Secretary to Parliament

We continue our coverage of the results as they come in. Today should present a better picture of which parties are likely to make it and which ones will be writing their obituaries. Guest: Dr Thapelo Tselapedi – Political analyst

As the day progresses, we are starting to see clearly what the numbers are saying and which provinces there’s likely to be coalition governments. The Patriotic Alliance and MK standout the most. PAC and Azapo are not doing too well again this time around. What should happen to these two?  Guest: Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast – Political analyst  

As the results are starting to trickle in, all of us are waiting with bated breath to see who will be at the helm of running the country come Sunday. Will the ANC remain in power? Will the smaller parties gain traction? Or are we headed to a coalition government? I’m currently watching the results board and as early as it is, this is some of the reflection…(Latest results). So to help us talk about what has come through so far,  Guest: Dr Sithembile Mbete – Political Analyst Guest: Dr Hlengiwe Ndlovu – Political Analyst

We continue to reflect what is on the results board at the IEC’s National Results Operations Centre at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand. Remember that you as our listeners can also call in to share your views on what is being reflected here at the centre and whether it is what you are wishing for. T Guest: Dr Fikile Vilakazi – Political Analyst

With just a few hours away from the 2024 elections, we thought to talk to some of the election observers about their mandate and also about the work they do. Since the dawn of democracy, South African elections have always been deemed free and fair. This year however, there has been a lot of talk in the media about bringing in election observers from different countries. Just why are election observers important and what is it they look for in making sure that an election is free and fair? What are the characteristics of an ideal observer? Guest: Terry Tselane - Chief Executive Officer Institute of Election Management Services in Africa Guest: Professor Kealeboga Maphunye - Professor in the Department of Political Sciences at UNISA Guest: Enock Kavindele - Head of the Southern Africa Development Community Observer Mission 

On 28 May 2014, decorated poet Maya Angelou passed away. The luminary was lauded as global citizen, civil rights activists and luminary in the sphere of literature. As part of the 10th anniversary, our next guest delves into her legacy and unpacks how she used her platform to speak about pan-Africanism. For some who may not know, Angelou lived in Ghana, Liberia and Egypt in the 1960s where she started to engage in discussions surrounding global civil rights struggle, transnational citizenship and the decolonialization of Africa. She was a part of a group of expats who shaped public intellectual thought on the continent and back in the United States of America: W.E.B du Bois, Malcolm X, Pauli Murray, C.L.R James, Julian Mayfield, Muhammad Ali, William Gardner Smith and St. Clair Drake.  Guest: Professor Simphiwe Sesanti - Professor of Education at the University of the Western Cape

We speak now to Professor Susan Booysen about an article she penned in the Business Day about post-election coalitions and scenarios. So many of us are pondering what a government will be like under a possibility of coalition government or ANC not having the majority two-thirds to rule. There’s just so much that makes it difficult to even try to predict, so rather let’s hear from the expert as to what the possible scenarios are.  Guest: Prof Susan Booysen - Visiting Professor and Professor Emeritus, University of the Witwatersrand

Since the build-up to the 2024 elections, there has been so many mixed reactions from citizens over whether they will be voting or not. The most popular argument is that nothing is going to change as the poverty on the ground is just getting worse. Others complain about a lack of service delivery and corruption from those in power. So this morning we have invited in studio one of the struggle icons who will lead a discussion about why your vote matters and to help us through it Guest: Cheryl Carolus – Veteran struggle stalwart, UDF member, Former South African High Commissioner to the United Kingdom

With less than five days to go before we go to the polls, we thought to have the last interview with IEC in terms of where we are currently and what needs to happen? Last week voting took place successfully outside of the country, while the IEC says that it is ready to run a successful election for 2024. We've also seen the amount of court cases against the IEC from disgruntled parties hoping to postpone the elections as some of them did not make the deadline. What are some of the outstanding issues and what happens between now and voting day?  Guest: James Aphane - Manager for Electoral Operations at the Electoral Commission

Our next guest hails from the Windy City of Gqeberha and has music not only in her heart but in her lineage. Her grandfather was a revered classical composer. She has taken to this ancestral gift and it has taken her to stages across Europe. She has emerged as a prominent figure in the Afro-Soul as well as the Jazz fraternity. She has worked alongside George Benson, Somi, Caiphius Semenya, Thandiswa Mazwai, McCoy Mrhubata, Judith Sephuma and the late Gloria Bosman.  Guest: Titi Luzipo - Musician, Lecturer and Musicial Director

We continue our series with Miyelani Holeni talking about the different spheres of local government and how they can be improved in order to run municipalities more efficiently. This morning we reflect on the state of service delivery during the sixth administration. We have this conversation ahead of #Elections2024 on the role of provincial and national government in the delivery of services.  Guest: Miyelani Holeni - Chief Group Advisor at Ntiyiso Consulting Group – He is also a local government revenue and governance expert

The last day of the sixth parliament was on Tuesday the 21st of May. So we thought to talk to them about what happens in a period like this? What happens to the outstanding Bills that were not finalised and also what major changes take place? Ever wondered how seats are allocated after parties win elections? The process of swearing in new MPs? Quite a lot to deal with in the beginning of the new administration and to educate us on how it works and how preparations for a new administration unfold,  Guest: Mr Masibulele Xaso, Secretary to the National Assembly.  

In recent months, many experts have warned of a new international scramble for Africa that is emerging as global players seek to establish influence over key decision-makers. This comes at a time where 17 African member states are voting for new leaders in national ballots this year. Some academics are cautiously optimistic stating that the new scramble may presents opportunities for African nations to leverage external interest for their own benefit. If approached strategically, partnerships with global powers could result in technology transfer, infrastructure development, education and increased investment. In the build-up to #AfricaDay2024, the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs is holding its annual lecture this weekend under the theme: “New International Scramble for Africa and the challenges of unity in 2024” and our next guest reflects on the position of the continent as well as what lessons can be taken forward by the next generation of leaders who must tackle these challenges facing this predominately young continent. Guest: Prof. Abdoulaye Bathily - Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.  

We return to a conversation we started last week on the right to vote and responsibility to vote. Today, we turn our attention to the culture of voting, what citizenship means in 2024 and why it is still important to exercise the responsibility to vote - 30 years into democracy. We have brought back our panelists to conclude this discussion and allow our listeners to share their thoughts. Guest: Prof. Cherrel Africa - Associate Professor in the Political Studies Department at the University of the Western Cape Guest: Tebelelo Lentsoane - activator and civic education coordinator  

Over the weekend, there was a scuffle on the campaign trail in Seshego, Limpopo. Two of the people injured during a violent confrontation between ANC and EFF members at Juju Valley informal settlement in Seshego, Limpopo, say they are traumatised by the incident. The scuffle happened during the ANC's door-to-door campaign in the area on Sunday. According to the ANC in the Capricorn region, members of the ruling party were pelted with rocks and bottles. Two people, including a 9-year-old child, were shot and wounded during the conflict. The EFF has condemned the attacks and has called on the police to investigate the matter.  Guest: Jimmy Machaka Mathole - ANC Limpopo Provincial Spokesperson Guest: Godrich Gardee - Provincial Convenor: Limpopo at the Economic Freedom Fighters  

This morning Bryan talks about the four stages. When you start saving after receiving your retirement benefits: The build-up phase. Where you are on the journey Important factors at retirement What pension do you buy. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

Our next guest has written an thought leadership article that unpacks the importance of investing in leadership development of a new generation in a bid to elevate the collective well-being of the continent’s future. At present, Africa has the world’s youngest continent with 70% of its total population under the age of 30 and presents an opportunity to take a seat at the table. Centred in Nelson Mandela’s vision for the continent underpinned by the value of compassion, our next guest unpacks the legacy of post-colonial leadership practices and how we build leaders that are committed to serve.  Guest: Judy Sikuza - Chief Executive Officer of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation Guest: Kristal Duncan-Williams - Alumnus of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship  

For more than a month, reports have been surfacing in the media that things are not too rosy in the Multi-Party Charter led by the DA. Some reports point to John Steenhuizen’s condemnation of parties campaigning in the Western Cape on the other hand there was a lot of criticism against the burning of the flag ad. So this morning we thought to talk about whether South Africa is ready for a coalition government at national level seeing how things are not working out at municipal level. Guest: Mmabatho Mongae – Data Analyst within the Governance Insights and Analyst Programme at Good Governance Africa Guest: Dr Dale McKinley – Independent Writer and political analyst. Currently based at the International Labour, Research and Information Group

We speak now to Heal-SA, a non-profit organisation that says it’s committed to dismantling mental health disparities. They have recently launched an initiative to provide free counselling services nationally to off-campus university students. One of the things they point out is that there is still stigma around getting mental health support. Guest: Mpadi Makgalo – CEO of Heal SA

So many of you our listeners share your frustrations through our show, be it crime, GBV, corruption, poverty, unemployment and other issues that are bringing the country down. So for today, we thought to go back to the concept of Ubuntu the way it’s explained by the late Emeritus Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu. Has his message fallen off deaf ears or have we as a country just conveniently forgotten about it?  Guest: Rev Dr Joseph Tshawane – Author of a book entitled: The Rainbow Nation: The vision of the beloved South African Community – It's a book based on Desmond Tutu’s legacy Guest: Seth Mazibuko – COO of the Moral regeneration Movement

Soothing us into the weekend today is a pan-Africanist collective called iPhupho-lika-Biko. They are led by composer Nhlanhla Ngqaqu who says that their music is rooted in spirituality and blackness. One would assume that they are talking about Steve Biko’s dream, but he explains it differently.  Guest: Pulane Mafatshe – Vocalist in the iPhupho L’ka Biko, a contemporary South African jazz group

During our open line this month, a listener asked our audience a critical question when it comes to the upcoming elections later this month and took a moment to reflect on various opportunities we had to exercise the right to vote: “How responsible are we as voters when it comes to our voting behaviour?”     Guest: Prof. Cherrel Africa  - Associate Professor in the Political Studies Department at the University of the Western Cape Guest: Lindiwe Mazibuko - Founder of Futurelect Guest: Tebelelo Lentsoane - activator and civic education coordinator

The Knysna Municipality has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, from water shortages, breakdown of coalition, councilors using derogatory terms against each other and recently, the appointment of the Municipal Manager was ruled null and void by the Western Cape High Court. The council must now restart the process of finding a new Municipal Manager to replace which Ombali Sebola. There has also been calls since last year to put the municipality under administration.  Guest: Moyisi Magalela - ANC Regional Spokesperson in the Southern Cape Guest: Rev Ralph Stander - Community Activist and chairperson of Knysna United  Guest: Dr Dion George - DA Constituency Leader in Knysna Guest: Eugene Botha - National Head for Legal for the Patriotic Alliance

Yesterday Statistics South Africa revealed that unemployment increased from 32,1 percent to 32,9-percent in the first quarter of 2024. The number of unemployed persons increased by 330-thousand to reach 8,2-millon in the first quarter, while the number of employed persons increased by 22-thousand to reach 16,7-million in the first quarter of 2024.  Guest: Dr Laura Fisher - Head of Institutional Advancement at Boston City Campus Guest: Kganki Matabane - Chief Executive Officer of the Black Business Council  Guest: Lethiwe Nkosi - Network Mobiliser at Youth Capital   

Service delivery in our country is a very big issue especially at municipal level. Interestingly, there’s a party contesting the elections having formulated their strategy and name around service delivery. Under the name Forum 4 Service Delivery, the party refers itself as a civic political movement which was founded in 2015 to deal mainly with issues at grassroots level. This year they are contesting the national elections in six provinces. Guest: Dr. Mbahare Kekana - Forum 4 Service Delivery President  

Tourism Kwa-Zulu Natal has been working to towards accessing investment opportunities to keep up with the global tourism trends and to set the province as a destination of choice. Our next guest has recently partnered with Collins Residential to build a new hospitality development to the value of R2 billion in northern Kwa-Zulu Natal which is set to create 800 direct jobs and 1500 indirect jobs to the local economy. To tell us more about the importance of investment and partnerships in tourism sector, we are joined by…   Guest(OB): Oliver Prillat-Priatoine - Club Med Investor

Listeners have been listening to me for years and this morning, I would like to put our listeners through a test called, ‘how financially healthy are you and what does financial security mean to you?’ While I do my opening, it will give you a chance to get a piece of paper and a pen out to make your notes and to do the test.   Guest(Studio): Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

eThekwini Municipality plays host to the Africa Trade Indaba and this event is an economic driver for the local economy. In last year’s edition, the trade show contributed more than R1 billion to the national fiscus and created 2 295 sustainable jobs.   The trade show is taking place at a time where the inner city is being revitalized to attract investment opportunities. Our next guest will share the significance of the event taking place in South Africa’s playground. We are joined by…. Guest (OB): Cllr. Zandile Myeni - Deputy Mayor of eThekwini Municipality

As part of the Africa Trade Indaba, the Business Opportunity Networking Day is an opportunity for stakeholders in the tourism industry to connect, share global tourism insights and advance knowledge sharing. The networking initiative is set up these four insight pillars: Unlimited, Discover, Connect and Grow.   To tell us more about their role in this initiative and the Precinct Ambassadors programme, we are joined by….   Guest (OB):  Musa Mbhele - EThekwini City Manager

As we continue to take a closer look at political parties and their promises ahead of #Elections2024, we unpack the manifesto of the Freedom Front Plus who launched their Manifesto back in March 2024. The election manifesto calls for voters to take against the ruling party, pick up the broken pieces and start rebuilding the nation. The manifesto speak to land, employment equity, local government, health, crime, unemployment and border management.  Guest: Dr. Pieter Groenewald - President of the Freedom Front Plus  

Yesterday (Sunday) marked International Nurses Day with the different unions raising their own views on how the profession can be improved. Some state that poor health costs the economy billions as it affects productivity. Investment in the nursing staff is another critical point unions feel should be looked into especially now that government's   National Health Insurance (NHI) plan is at an advanced stage. In 2024, what would the unions say are the new challenges faced by nurses?  Guest: Kwena Manamela -  General Secretary at the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa Guest: Reuben Maleka - Manager at the Public Servants Association Guest: Jabulane Mashego – Provincial Secretary for HOSPERSA in Limpopo

In August 2023, the Road Accident Fund launched a Comprehensive Road Safety Programme for Youth and Learners. This programme involved educating learners in primary schools, special schools, and high schools about road safety. This was done through talks, industrial theatres performances and road safety simulations (edutainment). Later, community dialogues were held with unemployed and out of school youth to encourage road safety activism. These took place in selected communities found in the top four high accident provinces – Limpopo, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal, and Gauteng.  Guest: Collin Letsoalo - Chief Executive Officer at the Road Accident Fund Guest: Lisa Mangcu - Deputy Minister of Transport.  Guest: Siphamandla Gumbi - Senior Manager for Road Safety at the Road Accident

We usher in the weekend by chatting to Amaeshi Ikechi. He is a Nigerian bassist whose career in the last 26 years is said to have found expression across different genres of music. From the pew of an African church (in the heart of Lagos), to some of the finest stages in Africa.  He describes himself as a musician with a special interest in Jazz and its fusion with the music of Africa.  Guest: Amaeshi Ikechi – Nigerian bassist 

We received an anonymous call from a listener who alerted us to corruption within the Water and Sanitation Department in eThekwini Municipality. Back in 2022, the caller alleged that there was an emergency procurement contract worth R5 million paid into a business that was not tax compliant and no boereholes were built by the supplier. The supplier in question has said to be politically connected to the Municipal Manager at the time of the contract being awarded. Guest: Ednick Msweli - HoD Department of Water and Sanitation in eThekwini Municipality Guest: Cllr. Thabani Mthethwa - DA Caucus leader in eThekwini Municipicality Guest: Cllr. Themba Mvubu - eThekwini Chairperson for the Economic Freedom Fighters 

This weekend, the nursing fraternity will commemorate International Nurses Day under the theme: “Our Nurses. Our Future. The economic power of care”. In South Africa, the nurse-to-patient ratio remains notably high, with 224 patients per nurse in 2022. This imbalance poses significant challenges to patient care, contributing to excessive workloads, heightened stress levels among nurses, extended waiting times, and insufficient attention to individual patient needs. On the otherhand, a new era has emerged of digital nurses where technology is playing a role in making primary healthcare accessible and affordable. Technology is also helping nurses to not only provide improved patient care, build professional development and open up educational resources. In this panel, we want to speak to healthcare providers and nurses actively using virtual platforms to provide essential care in a time where less people can afford medical schemes to cover the cost of healthcare. Guest: Cameron Meyer - Group Clinical Officer at Intercare Guest: Tania Joffe - Chief Executive Officer of Unu Health

Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaoron Motsoaledi joins us in studio to talk about some of the issues pertaining to his department. Also seeing that we are a few days away from the elections, his offices have been working beyond normal hours including Saturdays. Last month he also announced that Cabinet has approved the Final White Paper On Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, something he says is the product of robust engagements…… Guest: Dr Aaron Motsoaledi – Home Affairs Minister

On our Citizens Corner this morning we chat to African Christian Democratic Party leader Rev Kenneth Meshoe. They launched their manifesto under the slogan of service, order and safety. This year is also the year that the marks 30 years of existence and one of the messages Mr Meshoe wants the country to know is that they want a South Africa with a vibrant, healthy economy; where jobs and opportunities are in abundance, and where everyone is able to benefit and feel safe.  Guest: Rev Kenneth Meshoe – Leader of the African Christian Democratic Party

Yesterday, a four-story building collapsed in central business district of George. Disaster management teams have been working around the clock to rescue construction workers trapped under the rubble. In a media statement released this morning, George Municipality confirmed that a total of five (5) patients have been declared deceased. Twenty-six (26) patients have been removed from the rubble of the collapsed multi-story construction site at 75 Victoria Street, leaving forty-nine (49) persons unaccounted for.  Guest: Mario Fereira - Head of the Southern Cape/Garden Route area for Disaster Relief at Gift of the Givers Foundation

The climate crisis is a global issue, but poses significant local impacts. It particularly affects poorer and vulnerable communities in South Africa.  Urgent action is required, but transitioning from our coal-heavy economy while leaving no one behind requires careful planning. Despite the imminent introduction of the Climate Change Bill, efforts to bolster climate resilience and shift away from fossil fuels have been inconsistent. Climate change is not just an environmental concern but also a social and economic one, especially relevant as we approach the upcoming elections.  Guest: Dave Bryant -  Member of Parliament  representing the Democratic Alliance Guest: Barbara Creecy -  Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, representing the African National Congress Guest: Nazier Paulsen - Member of Parliament representing the Economic Freedom Fighters  

As we mark Worker's Month, celebrated under the month of May, we thought to turn our attention on the role unions can play in saving jobs if given a chance by employers. We've seen massive retrenchments over the years, from the mining sector, to the post office which was just recently as many of them are shutting down the different branches. Yes economists do point to the harsh economic conditions that the work is finding itself in, but since many workers belong to unions, perhaps the two can come up with better solutions.  Guest: Ebrahim Harvey - Former Cosatu unionist,, political writer and author Guest: Riefdah Ajam - General Secretary at FEDUSA Guest:  Joseph Mathunjwa - AMCU President

As we continue to take a closer look at political parties and their promises ahead of #Elections2024, we unpack the manifesto of the Abantu Batho Congress who launched three weeks ago addressing unemployment, corruption, housing, crime, basic education and primary healthcare. In their Manifesto, they have advocated that it would advocate for an independent KwaZulu-Natal in a move they call reclaiming their historical identity & addressing the question of land for indigenous groups. The party made headlines by expressing their concern with the IEC that there was very little focus on multilingualism during the election process, notably at the National Pledging Ceremony where they refused to sign an electoral agreement that is only in English and not translated in isiZulu. The party also seeks to split from the African National Congress coalition pact in the province and change the landscape of local governance in KZN. Since the party launched back in 2020, it has managed to win 24 municipal councillors across Kwa-Zulu Natal and Limpopo municipalities. Guest: Dr. Makhosi Khoza – Deputy President of the Abantu Batho Congress, former Member of Parliament and the Premier Candidate for Kwa-Zulu Natal

That was the voice of Miriam Makeba speaking before the United Nations Special Committee on Apartheid on the 21st of March in 1964. She also appealed for "quick and real action" against South Africa's racial problems accusing the then government of "trying to keep us in bondage, with the utmost brutality, against the will of the entire world". Guest:  Dr Yvonne Chakachaka - South African internationally acclaimed musician and Goodwill Ambassador for Unisa  

We continue our Friday chats with the different political parties that are contesting the upcoming elections. To we turn our focus on Al Jama-ah. On top of their list of promises is creating what they call decent jobs, clean water and crime. On a more controversial side is that they are calling on men to play their part in society where they provide for and protect women.  Guest: Ganief Hendricks - Leader of Al Jama-ah Party

The Joy is a South Africa vocal group that made the country proud on the international stage by performing with American Grammy award-winning rapper Dija Cat on two of her tracks. They sang in isiZulu which was just one of the most beautiful performances.  Guest: The Joy – South African vocal group made up of Pastor (Ntokozo Magcaba), Duzie (Melokuhle Mkhungo), Guduza (Sphelele Hlophe), Sthombe (Phelelani Sithole) and Marcus (Sanele Ngcobo)

We end the show by looking at a very positive story regarding our economy. The PwC Economic Outlook report for 2024 which focuses on foreign direct investment (FDI) which was released on Monday. It shows that foreign investors in the country have a positive outlook of the country. One of the highlights is that the country’s economy attracted almost R100 billion in foreign direct investment inflows last year (2023) – which they say is equal to 1.4% of the GDP, despite the country’s many challenge.  Guest: Xhanti Payi – PWC South Africa: Senior Economist

The South African Local Government Association says that the debt owed by government departments to municipalities now sits at R3 billion. Earlier in the week, Salga’s KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Thami Ntuli said that they are generally battling to collect what is owed in services because of the prevailing difficult economic conditions in the country. He went on to say that municipalities are now forced to borrow money to cover their shortfall. The other problem this is creating is fuelling the protests by ratepayers associations who feel justified to withhold payments for municipal services.  Guest: Cllr Thami Ntuli - Salga’s KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Guest: Assad Gaffar - Civic campaigner and chair of the Westville Ratepayers’ Association Guest: Tshepo Mahlangu - Tshepo Mahlangu - Chairperson of the Lotus, Atteridgeville, Saulsville Civic Society

This morning, Bryan will be unpacking your questions that you have submitted throughout the month. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

Two weeks ago, we started a conversation surrounding the right to work, job creation and the dignity of a living wage. We further expanded this discussion by unpacking if political parties have provided reasonable economic interventions in their manifestos that will address the unemployment crisis. Where we last left the conversation, a critical point had been raised surrounding the types of jobs being created and whose vocation had been excluded as well as the impact of austerity measures on work prospects within the public service. In today’s discussion, we turn our attention to a daring new promise that has entered the public discourse as a mechanism to combat unemployment in lieu of low job creation. Political parties believe that this intervention that would address expanded unemployment. Guest: Dominic Brown - the Progammes Manager of Economic Justice at Alternative Information Development Centre  Guest: Duma Gqubule – Columnist and Independent economist  Guest: Kristal Duncan-Williams - Project Lead at Youth Capital

In one of our final discussions for Freedom Month, we  unpack the Quality of Life surveys that have been conducted in  South Africa in the last three decades. While South African  cities have higher quality of life scores than their African  counterparts, there are still major stumbling blocks facing a citizen’s ability to access public goods, economic opportunities  and the protection of their social rights.  We have seen that in the last five years, the COVID-19  pandemic highlighted some of the challenges facing citizens  when it comes to their proximity to poverty and glaring  inequalities during the lockdowns. How do we use these  indicators to change how we plan for better outcomes for this  nation in the next 30 years? We have brought together a panel  that can unpack what lessons we can take forward and how we  future-proof the quality of life toward an upward trajectory.  Guest: Professor Alex van den Heever – Chair for Social Security Systems Administration and  Management Studies at Universoty of Witwatersrand Guest: Dr. Steven Gordon - Senior Research  Specialist in the Developmental, Capable and Ethical State  (DCES) research division of the Human Sciences Research  Council (HSRC)

The United Nations (UN) is increasingly concerned about a possible  imminent attack on al-Fashir in Sudan’s North Dafur region and is seeking to  reduce tensions in the area, a UN spokesperson said on Friday. War erupted  in Sudan one year ago between the Sudanese army (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), creating the world’s largest displacement crisis. Al-Fashir is the last major city in the vast, western Darfur region not under  control of the RSF. The RSF and its allies swept through four other Darfur  state capitals last year, and were blamed for a campaign of ethnically driven  killings against non-Arab groups and other abuses in West Darfur. What  makes the war in Sudan so difficult that the world in unable to overcome?  Guest: Nixo Kathembo - Africa specialist at Channel Africa  

Today, we focus on the manifesto ActionSA with the party’s Premier candidate for Gauteng Funzi Ngobeni. Gauteng is one of the provinces that are highly contested with the biggest challenges. What is he and his party bringing to the residents of this province and what would he say will give them as ActionSA the advantage over other parties? Guest: Funzi Ngobeni - Action SA Gauteng Premier Candidate

We usher in the weekend with the smooth jazz sounds of Kyle Shepard. There’s just so many descriptions of him in the media, from jazz maestro, film and theatre composer while being internationally recognised for his distinctive style. One of his achievements is winning the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year for Jazz in 2014. How does he describe himself and his music in one sentence?  Guest: Kyle Shepard -  South African jazz pianist

We continue our series with Miyelani Holeni talking about the different spheres of local government and how they can be improved in order to run municipalities more efficiently. This morning we turn the focus on professionalising local government. This is something many of the campaigning political parties are promising to look into. What then can we safely say is behind municipalities ending up with the wrong people who are said to be behind the collapse of so many municipalities? Also if I was leader of a political party, what would be the first thing to change at local government level?  Guest: Miyelani Holeni - Chief Group Advisor at Ntiyiso Consulting Group and a local government revenue and governance expert

Johannesburg will be playing host to this year’s Africa Children’s Summit. It brings together children from across the African continent to share their experiences on matters of children's rights, interventions by their governments and share recommendations or solutions. This week while making the announcement, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, Dr Linda Ncube-Nkomo said that what will happen is that adults will take what children have said and report it elsewhere and to sit down and to listen to those voices and also to be able to create a continental platform for the children of Africa to get together and to start to define what sort of Africa fit for children looks like from their lived experiences. Sadly though is that it comes at a time where children in this country are in the news for all the wrong reasons, from being harmed, kidnapped, missing or living in terrible conditions. As we build-up to the summit, we thought to use the opportunity to talk about the state of children in our country and what we can do to make things better.  Guest: Anzio Jacobs – Acting Child Safety and Protection Manager at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund Guest: Dr Shaheed Omar – Executive Director at the Teddybear Clinic

As we continue to coverage of political parties ahead of the 2024 National and Provincial elections, we speak to the Economic Freedom Fighters on their election manifesto that was launched back in February 2024 in Kwa-Zulu Natal. The theme of their election campaign: “Our Land and Jobs Now! Stop Loadshedding” as part of their road to victory. The 2024 manifesto has seven pillars: (1) land expropriation without compensation; (2) nationalization of the mines, banks and economic institutions; (3) abolishment of the tender system; (4) free quality services (health, education, housing & sanitation); (5) industrial development & employment; (6) continental justice; & (7) combatting corruption.  Guest: Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane - Member of Parliament for the Economic Freedom Fighters

Yesterday (Tuesday) during the Open Line, we played you a snippet of an interview we did last years on the 6th of December with the national Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu where he made a commitment that the people of Giyani will have their water problems sorted out by the end of 2023. As we all know, that is not the case as the people on the ground spoke to the SABC this past Monday saying they are waiting for the minister to fulfil his promise.  Guest: Senzo Mchunu - Minister of the Department of Water and Sanitation  

This morning, Bryan is discussing the generation gap and answering the question: Are children supporting parents or are parents supporting children? What is the sandwich generation?  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates 

The expansion of social protection has been discussed since the White Paper on Social Security of 1998. Our next guest argues that universal basic income should not been seen as social welfare but as economic stimulus. Our next guest argues that universal basic income is one of seven pillars that required to turnaround South Africa’s outlook and address the declining living standards of the past 19 years. They take it one step further and have proposed that the government needs R656,9 billion to implement universal basic income over the next three years.  Guest: Nomahlubi Jakuja - Head of Research at the Social Policy Initiative  Guest: Russell Wildeman - Social Policy Specialist at the United Nations Children’s Fund

We continue with our Freedom Month themed coverage, we return to the conversation we started looking at the progress and challenges faced by persons with disabilities after 30 years of democracy in South Africa. In part one, we explored freedom and political representation in society. The discussion also explored the policies in place that advance equality but have not translated into implementation in the last two government administrations. Some examples of this were access mainstream education, public transport, employment opportunities, basic public infrastructure, and healthcare. One of the guests shared that due to systemic failure, this minority group is vulnerable to poverty.  Guest: Therina Wentzel – National Director at the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities Guest: Ari Seirlis – Former CEO of the QuadPara Association of South Africa and member of the Presidential Working Group Guest: Abongile Xhantini - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Expert; and Founder of Holding Albus

We continue our series on discussing 30 years of our democracy and how we go to where we are today. Many of you have been touched by the opening clips of some of the stalwarts we play when we start the show. Some comments that come in talk about how bad the country has turned out compared to what our freedom fighters fought for. So this morning we take a look at history and whether it heals of open wounds? Guest: Professor Chitja Twala - History Professor in the Department of Cultural and Political Studies at the University of Limpopo Guest: Prof Musa Xulu - Zulu Cultural Expert and Founder of iNdonsa Yesizwe Guest: Omar Badsha – CEO of SA History Online 

Focus: Our next guest hails from the streets of Majazana in Johannesburg South. He first burst onto the scene when he won a contest on Jam Alley back in 2010. His next break would happen when his TikTok video on his take of John Legend’s “Nervous” Open Verse Challenge went viral globally back in 2022. John Legend performed and met with him in 2023.  Since then, he has released new music with hits like “Senzeni”, “iThemba”, “Kuyalunga” and “Bekezela”. He is inspired by the likes of producers such as Black Coffee, Sun-EL Musician and Chymamusiq. To tell us more about his new single “In2U” and the two new Metro FM award nominations in 2024, we are joined by… Guest (studio): Mthandazo Gatya - Musician

Today, we focus on the manifesto of the GOOD Party who launched their election manifesto last month in Johannesburg. This is their second manifesto since its formation in 2018 and won two seats in parliament in their maiden election campaign in 2019 national elections. In their second election campaign, the party has shared their concise thirteen page manifesto with overarching theme of good governance as key to eradicate corruption. The four pillars of this manifesto are social justice, economic justice, spatial justice and environmental justice to rebalance the vast inequalities that still exist 30 years after the dawn of the democracy. In building a more inclusive South Africa, GOOD proposes to address homelessness, corruption, unemployment, crime, land reform, introduce a basic income grant, reform early childhood development and service delivery.  Guest: Brett Herron - Member of Parliament and Secretary General of the GOOD Party

For more than a year, we have been receiving calls from some of our listeners in the North West Province around the area of Matlosana telling us about corruption at that particular municipality. The latest is that the North West ANC Provincial Executive Committee has decided that the Executive Mayor of Matlosana Local Municipality in Klerksdorp, James Tsolela resign from his position sighting allegations of corruption. Chief financial officer Mercy Phetla has also reportedly been suspended for allegedly approving the pay of two-point-nine-million-rand to her associate without following the Municipal Finance Management Act.  Guest: Johannes Le Grange – DA Caucus Leader in the Matlosana Municipality Guest: James Gadinabokao – Provincial Head of Communications for the South African Civic Organisation in the North West province Guest: Banele Faku – Regional Secretary for the EFF in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District

Earlier this year, the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs passed a review of bilateral relations with South Africa. This review takes place less than 12 months before South Africa hears if their status in AGOA is renewed. This follows questions that have been raised surrounding Pretoria’s non-aligned stance in their foreign policy  on Palestine and Ukraine. There have also been questions surrounding their closer relations with China, Russia and Iran. Some Republican members even went as far as calling for the Bill to cut off funding from agreements such as PEPFAR that provides essential healthcare interventions over the past 20 years. If the bill is passed, the US administration would have to determine whether South Africa has undermined foreign policy and national security interests. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of senators has passed its own bill to renew AGOA until 2041. One of the new provisions that has emerged is that the US would allow African countries to have their status reviewed after 5 years of recognition as a high-income country. While Minister of International Relations, Naledi Pandor has been speaking to officials to prevent punitive measures to be taken, Pretoria believes that Washington may have as much to lose if this Bill is passed. Given both nations are hosting elections in the coming months, we unpack the implications of this review and the optics given that the AGOA Summit of 2023 presented signs of the two nations’ relations being on the mend. Guest: Arina Muresan - Senior Researcher and Project Manager at the Institute of Global Dialogue Guest: Prof. David Monyae - Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations & Director for the Centre for Africa-China Studies (CACS) at the University of Johannesburg Guest (studio): Leslie Dikeni - Author (Habitat and Struggle) & Urban Sociologist

Our next guest is making history as she forms part of the first cohort of independent candidates running in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections set to take place on 29 May 2024. Her campaign sets to address the gap that exists between government and the people. She seeks to abolish the tender system; fight corruption in the public service; address transformation in the workplace; strengthen the primary healthcare system; combat crime and gender-based violence; review social grants; redesign basic education curricula and build inclusive economic opportunities.  Guest: Anele Mda - Independent Candidate

We end the show by speaking to Hlanganisa Community Fund for Social and Gender Justice. Yesterday (Wed) as part of marking 30 years of the country’s freedom, they held an event aimed at addressing the problems around gender-based violence and women's rights. They refer to themselves as an innovative intermediary grant maker aimed at strengthening social accountability and promoting human rights in pursuit of social justice in Southern Africa.  Guest: Bongiwe Ndondo - Executive Director Hlanganisa Community Fund for Social and Gender Justice Guest: Bongani Ndlovu - SEF Project Manager at Hlanganisa Community Fund for Social and gender Justice

This morning, Bryan is discussing why should working South Africans be concerned with equity markets moving up and down.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

In South Africa, 9.1 million young people are not in education, employment or training. Many of our listeners who have shared their reflections on freedom and the 30 year milestone, not being able to access economic opportunities means that they are unable to tangibly hold the fruits of freedom. As we continue our series of discussions, we want to have a conversation surrounding the right to work, job creation and the dignity of a living wage. We further expand this discussion by unpacking if political parties have struck the balance in developing economic policies that will address the unemployment crisis. In many polls, unemployment has been highlighted as the top voting priority in the 2024 national and provincial elections Guest: Duma Gqubule – Columnist and Independent economist Guest: Kristal Duncan-Williams - Project Lead at Youth Capital 

As we continue our series of discussions on Freedom, one of our callers observed that we have not had a conversation surrounding how our sentiment around Freedom not being fulfilled has to do with our disillusionment with the implementation of Democracy as a vehicle to realize our rights and elevate the quality of life. Guest: Prof. Louise Vincent - Professor of Political Studies at Rhodes University Guest: Dr Oscar Van Heerden - Senior Research fellow at the Centre for Diplomacy and Leadership in the University of Johannesburg: Guest: Professor Bheki Mngomezulu - Professor of Political Science & International Relations and Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy (CANRAD) at Nelson Mandela University  

The problems at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme seem far from over. Last week Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande dissolved the board with immediate effect. But sadly, on the ground students and universities are battling to deal with the problem of funding as some of the funds have still not been released. Yesterday (Sunday), Dr Nzimande explained his reasons for dissolving the board sighting their mismanagement and the inability to implement some of the turnaround strategies. Guest: Veli Mbele – Spokesperson for the Department of Higher Education  

Our next guest hails from a lineage of rich musical heritage, being the niece of multi-instrumentalist and lead vocalist of Afro fusion band Harari, Selby Ntuli. She has blazed her own path being one of leading figures in a new generation of South African music that reflects crosscultural jazz. She is globally recognized for her work that is influenced in Spoken Word, Electronic and Jazz. She has worked alongside the likes of Steve Dyer, Carlos Nino, Benjamin Jephta, QB Smith, the Ndlovu Youth Choir, Thandiswa Mazwi, The Brother Moves On, Marcus Wyatt and many more. She sees music as community care. She sees her work as not just a journey to find home within herself. Her music facilitates our access to our histories, presents and futures by creating in music literature the existence of language, experiences and space that speak to us.  Guest: Thandi Ntuli - Vocalist and Pianist

Today, we focus on the manifesto of the Inkatha Freedom Party which launched its 13-point plan last month in Durban. Since then, it has held its provincial manifesto launch in Ulundu, KZN this week. In their programme of action, the IFP seeks to end loadshedding and reassess the role of state-owned enterprises. The party seeks to prioritize citizens for employment as well as business opportunities. It seeks to address access to land by using Ingonyama Trust as a model. On social issues, the party has spent time to unpack social protection in the country by seeking to increase the social grants and expand food vouchers. The party has notably included a new group in social protection: graduates. The party will also seek to curb the cost of data and reduce the cost of access to information.  Guest: Hon. Velenkosini Hlabisa – President of Inkatha Freedom Front and Member of Parliament

A few months ago, we received a message from the Amagqunukwebe traditional community in the Eastern Cape. They fall under the Raymond Mhlaba Municipality. They sent us very heart-breaking pictures of school children crossing rivers where there are no bridges. Non-existing roads where cars are stuck in mud with community member having to pull or push them out. They have pleaded with the municipality and the Eastern Cape Transport Department to assist them, but nothing has come their way. Government on the other side claims to have sent earth moving vehicles to assist in developing roads, but community says that they did not do much.  Guest: Nomfundo Mpuntsha - Community members who have raised concerns on service delivery issues and petitioned provincial government Guest: Asa Bacela - Community member of the Amagqunukwebe traditional community Guest: Cllr Nomhle Sango – Mayor of the Raymond Mhlaba Municipality

We continue with our Freedom Month themed coverage, this time looking at the plight of people living with disabilities. What are their general views on the state of services to them and how would they describe how the needs of people living with disabilities are receiving attention 30 years into our democracy? Also seeing how the different political parties are campaigning, how important would they say their issues are in the order of importance when listening to what the political parties are selling. Guest: Therina Wentzel – National Director at the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities Guest: Ari Seirlis – Former CEO of the QuadPara Association of South Africa and member of the Presidential Working Group  

Today on our Citizens Corner we talk to the IEC and their partnership with the Information Regulator. You may remember that the two institutions were in the news after the regulator received two security compromise notifications from the IEC following an unauthorised release of the confidential ANC and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party’s candidate lists for the 2024 national and provincial elections.  Guest: Mfana Gwala - Commissioner at the Information Regulator Guest: William Bird – Executive Director of Media Monitoring Africa

Yesterday, the Minister of Electricity provided the Nation with an update on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan. Some of key updates provided to the public, the Ministry shared its plans to finalize proposals with the National Transmission Company on the funding model for expanding the energy grid. The Ministry has also noted that aggressive planned maintenance which has led to 600 few hours of loadshedding between December 2023 and February 2024. The Ministry is also planning to onboard 2500 MW of power in the coming months.  Guest: Kgosientsho Ramokgopa – Minister of Electricity

This morning, Bryan is discussing the common mistakes that investors make and unpacking the myth that if you take on more risk in the short term, you will be rewarded with greater returns.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

According to the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA), South Africa has witnessed over 40,000 crimes impacting supply chains in the past year alone, based on data from the South African Police Service (SAPS). Criminal incidents considered in these cases not only happening at the ports but also on the road. These offenses include truck hijackings, cash-in-transit robberies to common robbery, burglaries, and stock theft. Items of significant value such as phones, electronic goods, and food and drink consistently feature in the top five list of stolen goods. South Africa has faced many challenges in ensuring the safety in the logistics industry in recent months.  Guest: Elvin Harris - President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport: South Africa Guest: Gavin Kelly - CEO of the Road Freight Association

South Africa has 11 official languages and that linguistic diversity illustrates the social value of multilingualism as a cornerstone of our national identity. For example, we see it in how our leaders are polyglots for example, President Cyril Ramaphosa often reciting speeches in four or more languages.  Sometimes, pronunciation can become a barrier in how we are understood and it plays itself out in how we learn new languages despite having full command of two or more languages. Our listeners often correct each other in the English language without realizing this. Guest: Dr. Thandeka Mdlalo – Speech and Language Therapist  

Last week, we kicked off a series of Freedom Month discussion on the journey towards 30 years of democracy. Many listeners reflected and shared the challenges of remaining optimistic, especially pinpointing their exclusion from the economy and the impact of perpetual landlessness. Some listeners have asked a question surrounding how we characterizes, measures and defines freedom at 30 years. In this discussion, we brought together three panelists who have only experienced this democracy and share their unique observations based on their experiences. We are joined by… Guest: Darren Campher – Content Creator and Founder of DC Consulting Guest:  Lerato Mutsila – Journalist at Citizen Maverick Guest: Tebelelo Lentsoane - activator and civic education coordinator

We close the week now with one of the country’s greatest base guitarists, Aus Tebza. She’s one of those who don’t need much of an introduction as she’s played for so many of our top musicians.  Guest(Studio): Aus Tebza (real name, Tebogo Sedumedi) – South African Singer and Bassist

Our next guest is a liberation movement with its roots in the Black consciousness movement and the work of Stephen Bantu Biko. AZAPO has called for One Azania, One Nation that is enshrined in human solidarity, dignity and economic prosperity as it launched their manifesto ahead of the 2024 national and provincial elections. AZAPO has pointed out that despite 30 years of democracy in South Africa, black people still face poverty and landlessness.  The party set out the following promises: (1) nationalize the Reserve Bank, (2) make the state the custodian to redistribute land, (3) remove guns from local communities, (4) abolish provincial governance structures and (5) address the jobs crisis.  Guest(Studio): Nelvis Qekema – President of AZAPO

Last week we focused on issues of a tribal dispute where people bought land from someone who was said to not be the rightful owner in an area called Mamahule in Limpopo. The issue brought to light many other issues pointing to what can go wrong and what the laws are around the purchasing of tribal land. So for today, we speak to the National House of Traditional and Khoi Leaders to get their take on the issue. What should we know when one wants to buy or sell tribal land? Who is allowed to buy or sell and what the public should know. Also what sort of challenges do they deal with when it comes to the land issue?  Guest: Kgosi Thabo Milton Seatlholo – Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoi Leaders

Cost of Living & if consumers can tighten the belts Focus: The start of April has been heralded tariff hikes which took effect this week: petrol and energy. These increases will have an impact on the cost of living as inflation will take up the price of food.  Further, major municipal metropolitans may increase rates and taxes. Given this backdrop, salaries remain stagnant with no real prospect of keeping up with inflation. In this discussion, we are looking at the difficulties that lie ahead for consumers and what interventions need to be made to provide them much needed relief.  Guest: Mzwanele Ntshwanti - Economist and Academic at the Department of Economics at the University of South Africa Guest: Matthew Parks – Acting Spokesperson and Parliamentary Coordinator at the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)

Continuing our build-up to the elections with the IEC, today we are focusing on how the electoral body is safeguarding the integrity of the elections. Obviously in any election, many of the parties would want to get a significant amount of the vote and often it is the electoral body that will be scrutinised the most to make sure that the management of the system is accurate. In our country’s history, we’ve never had allegations of vote-rigging and to talk more on the issue, we are joined by…. Guest: Mosotho Moepya – Chairperson of the IEC

Yesterday (Tuesday) Judge Sulet Potterill delivered judgment in the urgent interdict application launched by National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula over her pending arrest.  The judge said that it would not be competent for courts to interdict arrests as it would lead to the collapse of the criminal justice system. The Speaker sought the intervention of the court to prevent the state from effecting an arrest against her. However, Potterill says if the court were to grant such an order it would lead to the criminal justice system being controlled by suspects.   Guest: Benedict Phiri – Legal Analyst     Guest: Karam Singh - Executive Director at Corruption Watch

The month of April this year is very special and significant for us as South Africans as it marks 30 years of the beginning of our democracy where black people voted for the first time in 1994. Unfortunately the atmosphere is no longer as exciting and vibrant due to how people feel on the ground. High unemployment, service delivery, access to good education and unfulfilled promises from the dawn of democracy. How then do we start this month with optimism and positivity to make the best of what our hard-earned democracy brought to our country?  Guest: Dr Mosibudi Mangena – Former Minister of Science and Technology and President of the Azanian People’s Organisation  Guest: Xolelwa Kashe-Katiya – Project lead at Indlulamithi South Africa Scenarios 

Brenda Gace joins today to talk about how to manage your Income needs in retirement especially under the current economic conditions… Guest: Brendan Gace – Head of Anchor Capital Private Clients  

  Focus: One of South Africa’s internationally acclaimed musicians, Billy Monama got in touch with the producers of the show complaining what he says are injustices they face from the South African Music Rights Association over the issue of royalties. He goes on to say that they claim to sponsor shows, but never pay them for performances. Monama now joins us to tell us more.....   Guest: Billy Monama – Renowned South African guitarist, author and composer

Today’s Friday Wind Down comes with a twist, instead of an hour we are afforded 30 minutes this Easter Friday to get to know our guest better. We are easing into the weekend with one of South Africa’s prolific jazz musician, who cut his musical teeth within the jazz industry in Nyanga East Township, Cape Town, South Africa, where he was born and raised. He later moved to Johannesburg in 1995 Herbie where he developed a reputation as one of the most accomplished and in-demand electric and acoustic bass players in the country. This week saw him reissue his first album, African Time under his own label and will be part of this year’s edition of Jazz in the Lights music festival on 30 March (Saturday). Let’s wind down with him… Guest: Herbie Tsoaeli – Jazz Musician

Focus: Abdullah Ibrahim, South Africa’s most distinguished pianist, was born on 9 October 1934 in Cape Town. This year marks not only his 90th birthday but also the start of a world tour. Christine Lucia has studied Ibrahim’s work and published research articles about him and his work. She joins us this morning to share why writing and sharing about this music legend has been a great part of her life’s work… Guest: Christine Lucia - Extraordinary Professor, Stellenbosch University (She’s now based in France)

We are joined now from Australia by Dr Kathleen Smithers from the Charles Sturt University. She has penned an article criticising the tourists visiting schools in Zimbabwe. She finds that this is very disruptive and also because these tourists upload the pictures they take with learners without their permission. She goes on to say that the pictures also paint a very negative image of the African continent. She joins us now via zoom to share her thought Guest(Australia): Dr Kathleen Smithers – Lecturer in Education in the Charles Sturt School of Education

Municipal Watch: Rural land dispute: Mamahule Focus: On the 15th of March, we received a call from one of our listeners by the name Shadi who called in about her community in Mamahule being threatened with an eviction that was going to see their properties being demolished. She painted a very bleak picture that sounded very bad. Guest: Ambrose Mogashoa – Representing Mamahule Community on Service Delivery  Guest: His Majesty Kgoshi Thato Kholofelo Matsaung I Guest: Cllr Makoro John Mpe – Executive Mayor of Polokwane

As South Africa approaches the significant moment with the upcoming elections, it pushes us to question the relationship between religion and politics within the nation's current social landscape. The fusion of these two spheres has been a subject of debate, raising fundamental questions about governance, morality, and societal cohesion. Against the backdrop of South Africa's diverse religious landscape and its history of political struggle, exploring the compatibility of religion and politics becomes imperative in understanding the dynamics shaping this country's future by borrowing through the past.  Guest: Rev Mpho Molebatsi – Pastor at Global Theological Mission formely All Nations – Evangelical Missions of South Africa Guest: Rev Thembelani Jantile – Senior Pastor at Mamelodi Baptist Church

This morning on our Citizen’s Corner we take a look at how election polls work. We often hear in the news how certain parties are doing as we build-up to an election or hoe a certain political party leader is doing as the race intensifies. But then, what are these polls and how do they work? How credible are they and what should we look at when reading them? Also how do they influence the voter?  Guest: Gabriel Makin - Associate at the Social Research Foundation Guest: Terry Tselane - Executive Chairman of the Institute of Election Management Services in South Africa Guest: Lulu White - Founder and CEO of Elections Consulting Agency of Africa

The latest Edelman SA Trust Barometer has revealed that South Africans trust their peers, technology and private business than the media and government. The research looks back to the past 24 years and which institution has been trusted the most including during the Covid-19 period. The report further highlights that in a year where half the global population can vote in new leaders, the acceptance of innovation is essential to the success of our society. While people agree that scientists are essential to the acceptance of innovation, many are concerned that politics has too much influence on science. This perception is contributing to the decline of trust in the institutions responsible for steering us through change and towards a more prosperous future. Guest: Karena Crerar – CEO of Adelman Africa Guest: Nicoli Koobanally – CEO of Mobile Applications Laboratory  

Today being the last Tuesday of the month, Bryan will be dealing with all the questions he received of a similar nature. But remember that you are more than welcome to ask him any other questions that are financially related.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley; Associates (Pty) Limited 

‘#30YearsOfDemocracy – a reflection of the advancement and challenges of women’s rights in democratic South Africa’   Focus: In commemoration of 30 years of democracy in South Africa, we take a closer look at the journey of women's rights since the end of apartheid. Join us as we examine the progress made, the challenges faced, and the current state of affairs regarding women's rights in the country. From the pivotal role of women in the struggle against apartheid to the ongoing efforts to address gender-based violence and promote women's empowerment, our panel of guests will provide insights and perspectives on the successes and shortcomings of the past 30 years. Together, we'll explore the intersectionality of gender, race, and class in shaping the experiences of women in post-apartheid South Africa and discuss strategies for achieving full gender equality and social justice in the years to come. Guest: Dr Ayesha Omar – Political Analyst, Senior Lecturer in Political theory in the Department of Political Studies at Wits and currently the British Academy International Fellow (2023) at the Department of Politics and International Studies at SOAS University of London Guest: Gugu Nonjinje - Advocacy Specialist at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation  

Often on our programmes many of you our listeners ask about the delay in investigating private sector corruption compared to government department. The reported suicide of former disgraced CEO of Steinhoff, Marcus Jooste has raised so many questions reminding us also of Bosasa CEO, Gavin Watson and mining magnate, Brett Kebble. The three of them died under a cloud of controversy with them being investigated by different bodies and implicated in activities. So this morning we thought to talk to a forensic expert about the difficulty of investigating the private sector and the complexities around that. Guest: David Loxton – Financial Forensic Investigator

Last week Monday we had a discussion on racism in the workplace. This followed incidents of racism at the Curro independent school network with all sorts of allegations of racial name-calling. We then invited four guests to talk about solutions for dealing with racism in the workplace. We had Terry Oakley-Smith - MD of Diversi-T, Dr Joy Owen from the University of the Free State, Dr Shahieda Jansen - Clinical Psychologist and Tryphina Mopai - HR Specialist.  Guest: Hassen Lorgat – Social Justice Activist (Feels that our institutions are letting us down. Says under apartheid there was better unity for black advancement) Guest: Rethabile Ratsomo - Anti racism programme manager at the Kathrada Foundation Guest: Professor Roger Southall - Professor Emeritus in Sociology at the University of the Witwatersrand.

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition in partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation, the National Empowerment Fund and the Export Credit Insurance Corporation hosted the second Black Industrialists and Exporters Conference at the Sandton International Convention Centre on 20 March 2024. The objective of the Black Industrialists (BIs) Programme is to increase the participation of black South Africans in the ownership and control of productive enterprises in key sectors and value chains of the country’s economy.  Guest: Tshepo Ramodibe – Head of Corporate Affairs at the IDC

Makhosazana Masango, known as Azana, is a rising South African singer and songwriter. Azana first gained recognition for featuring on Sun-EL Musician's song "Uhuru" in 2019. Her debut album, "Ingoma," released in 2020, was highly successful and received critical acclaim. Azana's music is a blend of Afro-pop, soul, and R&B, with themes of love, spirituality, and personal growth. Despite her short career, she has been nominated for several awards in different categories, and her music continues to captivate audiences.  Guest: Azana, real name Makhosazana Masango – Afro-pop musician

We continue our series where we bring you leaders of the various parties to talk about their manifestos and the changes they would like to bring should they win the 2024 elections. Earlier in the month of March, President of the Pan Africanist Congress Mzwanele Nyhontso delivered the party’s manifesto at the Orlando Communal Area in Soweto under the theme of going back to the beliefs of the party’s founder Robert Sobukwe to mark his centenary.  Guest(Studio): Mzwanele Nyhontso – President of the Pan Africanist Congress

Today we mark the Sharpeville Massacre, which is now called Human Rights Day under an election year that falls on the 30th year of our democracy. Sadly though the sentiment on the ground is very heart-breaking as many people don’t have water, proper housing, access to education and other basic rights enshrined in the constitution. Let’s remind ourselves of some of the problems South Africans are facing on the ground…. Guest: Professor Tinyiko Maluleke -  TUT Vice Chancellor and political analyst Guest: Prof Anthony Masha – Social realist, academic and an accidental writer on land matters associated with the Walter Sisulu University Guest: Thamsanqa Malinga – Columnist and author of ‘Blame me on Apartheid and a ‘Dream Betrayed’

It’s that time on a Wednesday where we speak to the IEC about all things elections. Since we’ve started the series with the electoral body, we have been receiving questions still about the three ballots and how they are going to work. This week they’ve also been encouraging eligible voters who will not be at their voting stations on voting day, to make an application with them (IEC) to vote at any other station in the country. The window period for this Section 24A application ends on May 17th.  Guest: Masego Sheburi – Deputy CEO of the IEC

Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo Grant Thornton has published its 2024 Women In Business Report, which highlights gender diversity in senior management among the world's mid-market businesses, exposing barriers and identifying action for change, which just also happened to coincide with International Women's Day, which was commemorated on the 8th of March.  Guest: Dr Sylvia Sathekge - Chief Information Officer at the Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo Grant Thornton  

Staying with women issues, this time in the workplace, let’s tell you now about an awareness initiative to remove menopause stigma in the workplace and why it’s important.  Liberty Two Degrees (L2D) in partnership with Business Engage and Life Healthcare have partnered in what they say is an effort foster a workplace environment of empathy and support.  Guest: Colleen Larson - Chief Executive at Business Engage

This morning Bryan will be clearing up any confusion that he may have caused in last week’s programme on The Two Pot System. There is an opportunity for investors who may have never received the benefit of up to R550000 through either retrenchment or retirement. He now joins us in studio to explain…. Guest(Studio): Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley; Associates (Pty) Limited

We end the show by speaking to Pranish Desai from Good Governance Africa. They have just released their Good Governance Index report for 2024 which provides a holistic overview of the state of local governance in the country. This time around, the report features several critical additions which he says includes the introduction of a scoring and ranking system for district municipalities, as well as a more forensic breakdown of municipal performance by province, and according to the treasury’s Municipal Infrastructure Investment Framework. T Guest: Pranish Desai - Senior data analyst in the Governance Insights and Analytics Programme at Good Governance Africa  

The University of the Western Cape has come up with an innovative way of giving first-hand life experience to their foundation phase teaching students. They go on to say that this is a way to expose the first-year students to the social background of their future learners, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, while sensitising them to the complexity of the teaching profession.   Guest: Professor Rajendran Govender - Dean of Faculty of Education, University of the Western Cape

The past few weeks has seen incidents of racism play out at the Curro independent school network. There were allegations of an Indian teacher calling a learner a monkey while in another incident, a teacher called a fellow colleague also a monkey. Some of the incidents took place last year and this year. All the institution did was either suspend or dismiss the perpetrators. But is this good enough to just fire someone accused of racism? Is this institution handling the situation in a proper way? Also can racists be transformed?  Guest: Terry Oakley-Smith - MD of Diversi-T, Guest: Dr Joy Owen - Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of the Free State Guest: Dr Shahieda Jansen - Clinical Psychologist, she’s also UNISA Western Cape's Deputy Director for  Academic & ICT Support Services Guest: Tryphina Mopai - HR Specialist and Managing Director of Phahamang Human Capital Consulting

The Soil is a well-known acapella trio that was created in 2004 and is based in Soweto. The     group includes singer/songwriter Theo "Songstress" Matshoba, the group has evolved under the direction of lead composer and founder Ntsika Fana Ngxanga and powerful beatboxer and founder Luphindo Ngxanga, displaying dynamic musical skill. The voyage of The Soil is an amazing fusion of spiritual depth and musical brilliance. After a seven-year break, they returned with the exquisitely designed and distinctive album "Reimagined," which highlights their growth and ability to work together, securing their position in the global music landscape. Guest: Theo "Songstress" Matshoba Guest: Ntsika Fana Ngxanga Guest: Luphindo Ngxanga

2024 is not only marking 30 years of our democracy but also an election year. Parties have already started campaigning convincing voters to give them a chance to bring change to the country. This morning we speak to Vuyolwethu Zungula leader of The African Transformation Movement. The party was established in 2018, and currently has two seats in parliament, what is he hoping to do to convince the voter to give him a chance? Guest: Vuyolwethu Zungula - The African Transformation Movement

We continue our series on understanding the workings of local government and what we as citizens need to understand about how municipalities are run. Today we focus on the roles and responsibilities of political appointees and those who deal with the administration. We often hear about politicians and how they fight in municipalities, but do we understand how it affects the administration of a municipality? T Guest: Miyelani Holeni - Chief Group Advisor at Ntiyiso Consulting Group – He is also a local government revenue and governance expert

South Africa has made international headlines as the champion of human rights when it took Israel to the International Court of Justice. Interestingly, next week Monday, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development will convene a National Conference on Human Rights in South Africa. The theme they have chosen is: “Three Decades of Respect for and Promotion of Human Rights”’. Some of the major reflections they will focus on is on 30 years of the country’s transformation agenda and efforts towards promoting democracy, development and human rights and also our role on the international platform.  Guest: Doc Mashabane - Director-General in the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development

Last week we spoke to the UDM and AZAPO as they are part of the political parties that were taking the IEC to court over the list and signature policy. They also felt that the deadline for submission which was on the 8th of March was impossible to meet. So this morning we get a response from the IEC regarding this policy and also an update on the submissions and what happens next. Also in the news is the issue of the leaking of the candidate lists of the ANC and the MK party and how the electoral body handled it. Guest: Moagisi Sibanda - General Manager: Civic & Democracy Education, Research & Knowledge Management

This coming weekend the KwaZulu government will be commemorating the 110th anniversary of King Dinuzulu ka-Cetswayo. He was imprisoned by the British government after being accused of mobilising traditional leaders to rebel against the government’s decision to impose a poll tax on black people. He was then exiled to the island of Saint Helena. Guest: Prof Musa Xulu - Zulu Cultural Expert and Founder of iNdonsa Yesizwe

Bryan had many calls regarding The Two Pot System. There is an estimate that a million people will make use of this. SARS are expecting to collect well over 5 billion in tax.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley; Associates (Pty) Limited 

As we build-up to the 2024 elections, we bring you the different opinions from thought leaders about how they view the road we are currently travelling. Lorenzo Davids, a social justice activist has written an interesting opinion where he says that the elections are playing out like a hostage-taking situation. He goes on to criticise haw political parties read out their manifestos in such a way that the poor voter does not really understand. Guest: Lorenzo Davids – CEO of the Development Impact Fund Guest: Prof Ntsikelelo Breakfast - Director of the Center for Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Nelson Mandela University  

We wrap up our conversation around the state of our health department by talking to National Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla. One of the latest challenges he was facing recently is that of unemployed doctors. Last week he announced that his department has issued 270 appointment letters to unemployed doctors in the country. He said this while answering questions in parliament. Guest: Dr Joe Phaahla – National Minister of Health

SAfm’s Drama Department hosted its Radio Drama Play Writing Competition with the aim of giving an opportunity for writers to create the theatre of the mind by sharing their authentic South African stories. The competition received over 300 submissions and the adjudicators have selected the TOP 10 writers! Dr. Jerry Mofokeng Wa Makhetha was the Head adjudicator of the competition and he joins us in studio to share with us his experience going through over 300 scripts and the great talent they came across from our South African writers. Guest: Dr Jerry Mofokeng Wa Makhetha – South African actor

We speak now to Dr David Harrison who is CEO of the DG Murray Trust. As we build-up to the national and provincial elections to be held on the 29th of May, they are proposing new policies to bring real change to the country through their Change Ideas initiative which they say aligns with their organisation’s 10 opportunities, which play a significant role in breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and helping our citizens escape the grip of inequality.  Guest: Dr David Harrison - Chief Executive Officer of DG Murray Trust

Shane Cooper soothes us into the weekend with his jazz sounds. Some in the industry describe him in so many different ways, from film and theatre music, to electronic and dance music. But then, how does he describe his music?  Guest: Shane Cooper is a bassist, composer and producer

International Women’s Day in the build industry Guest: Dr Modjadji Malahlela - Head of Department in the Limpopo Department of Co-operative Governance, Human Settlents and Traditional Affairs Guest: Kile Mteto - Deputy President of Women in Plumbing and Trades

Friday the 8th of March will mark International Women’s Day with the UN’s division saying that investing in women is the best solution to face the growing crisis. They go on to say that as conflict, climate change and polarizing societies are eroding decades of progress in gender equality. To tell us more on this and also how would they describe the current state of inequality among women in 2024 especially in a country like ours Guest: Agnes Phiri – Partnerships Specialist at UN Women South Africa’s Multi-Country Office  

The train is moving says Nomsa Masuku, who is commissioner at the IEC’s. She goes on to say that “Anyone who is preparing to contest the elections should know that once an election date is proclaimed, the train starts moving because we have an election timetable. The context is that parties have until this coming Friday the 8th of March to submit their lists of candidates and also get signatures. Some of them are very unhappy with these rules.  Guest: Jabu Rakwena – Spokesperson for the Azanian People’s Organization, AZAPO Guest: Yongama Zigebe – General Secretary of the United Democratic Front  

Usually every last Tuesday of the month Bryan deals with all questions you have sent to him of a similar nature, but unfortunately due to an outside broadcast we had, he could not deal with that segment. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley; Associates (Pty) Limited 

Finance MEC Jacob Mamabolo has just finished delivering his 2024 Gauteng Budget which focused on economic growth, job creation, and enhancing living standards in underprivileged areas. Mamabolo joins us to talk about some of the reasons behind his allocations to the different departments and also the state of finance in the Gauteng Province and some of his achievements seeing that this is his last Budget Speech under the current administration Guest: Jacob Mamabolo – Gauteng MEC for Finance  

Last week Monday we focused on the state of our health sector and NHI being sold as the perfect solution to turn things around. The guests we had on the programme were very critical of the NHI as they feel it is not the solution. Let’s give you a snippet of how the conversation went. We had Professor Alex Van Den Heever – from the Wits School of Governance, Louis Boshoff from AfriForum, Matthew Parks from Cosatu and Baxolisile Mali from Nehawu…. Guest: Dr Nicolas Crisp - Deputy Director General for National Health Insurance, Department of Health

There has been mixed reaction to the announcement of the new National Minimum Wage which was announced by Employment and Labour Minister, Thulas Nxesi. The new figures which started on the 1st of March 2024 will go from R25.42 to R27.58. Some unions feel it won’t make a difference, while others feel it’s just too little. Most of the time those who are affected the most are domestic workers. Guest: Pinky Mashiane - Founder of the United Domestic Workers of South Africa  Guest: Aggy Moiloa – Inspector General in the Department of Employment and Labour

We ease into the weekend with a young RnB/ Soul musician who hails from Nelspruit Mpumalanga. Her passion for music grew after graduating high school and began a YouTube page where she was singing covers. She then began to make music of her own. She is currently a graduate with a Higher Certificate in Performing Arts and Bachelor’s in Motion Picture majoring in Film Directing and Producing. Mary – Jane is also the co-founder of UPPERROOM, which is a live event that aims to unite the young and upcoming talented musicians with the well-known and established musicians. Guest: Mary Jane – Soul/ RnB musician 

2024 is not only marking 30 years of our democracy but also an election year. Parties have already started campaigning convincing voters to give them a chance to bring change to the country. This morning we speak to veteran politician, Themba Godi, leader of the African People’s Convention, APC. He is no stranger as he was Chair of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa. His party didn’t do well in the last elections and this time around, what is he hoping to do to convince the voter to give him a chance?  Guest: Themba Godi – Leader of the African People’s Convention

Tomorrow (Thursday the 29th) is Rare Disease Day which is used to raise awareness for rare diseases and to improve access to treatment and medical representation for individuals with rare diseases and their families. According to the medical fraternity, there are 7,000 identified rare diseases to date, with some widely recognized by name, such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia and sickle cell, while others are less known, such as cat eye syndrome. In a country like ours, this must be very heart-breaking as we are an unequal society, what happens then if you are poor and your child need special treatment knowing how expensive it can get?  Guest: Bada Pharasi - CEO of the Innovative Pharmaceutical Association of South Africa Guest: Mahlatse Mashala - Living with Neurofibromatosis

This past Monday the Electoral Commission briefed the media at its headquarters in Centurion, where it outlined milestones related to the 2024 national and provincial elections. The IEC says political parties have been given adequate time to comply with the signature requirements to contest the elections. The elections timetable follows the gazetting of the 29th of May as the date for the polls. The Commission says the timetable, published on the 24th of February, was drafted in consultation with registered political parties and relates to the cut-off dates and times of key activities for registered citizens and election contestants.  Guest: Sy Mamabolo – Chief Electoral Officer  

Guest: Thabo Meeko. Free State MEC Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism & Environmental Affairs (DESTEA)  

Guest: Phindile Kunene - Programme manager for democracy and political culture at Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Guest: Bongani Matomela - Manager for governance at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa Guest: Lance Joel – Chief Operating Officer of The South African Local Government Association (SALGA)  

Last week in his Budget Speech, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana allocated R848-billion for the health sector with R1-billion going to the National Health Insurance. Earlier in the week, Western Cape Premier described the impact budget cuts are having in the operation of hospital in his province as catastrophic. Doctors at Grooteschuur are said to work under pressure as many vacancies are not filled. Guest: Professor Alex Van Den Heever – Adjunct Professor at the Wits School of Governance Guest: Louis Boshoff - Campaign Officer for health at AfriForum Guest: Matthew Parks – Cosatu’s acting spokesperson Guest: Baxolisile Mali –Provincial secretary for the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union, NEHAWU in the Western Cape

We end the show by speaking about Community Development Practitioners and the work they do. This sector has proven to be very critical in many townships and rural areas as many communities depend on it which has led to some practicing without qualifications. Government through the Department of Social Development and the Health and Welfare Sector Education Training Authority have come up with a way of professionalising the sector.  Guest: Lydia Maredi – Deputy Director for Policy Development in the Department of Social Development  Guest: Baakedi Motubatse – Executive Manager for Education and Training Quality Assurance at the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority

It’s that time of the week when we get to unwind and ease into the weekend with a musical treat. Today we bring you a seasoned jazz maestro, to get a text of his latest offering. The multi-award-winning singer and guitarist Selaelo Selota has recently released his new offering, titled Pelong.  This album follows Colours of the Rainbow, which was released in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. His latest album Pelong comes 24 years after he began his solo career, which is Pelong loosely translates as “In the heart”, the album boasts nine songs that are inspired by the journey of life. Guest: Selaelo Selota - Musician, Composer, Producer, Teacher and Storyteller   

2024 is not only marking 30 years of our democracy but also an election year. Parties have already started campaigning convincing voters to give them a chance to bring change to the country. So this morning we speak to the UDM to give you a chance as our listener to engage with him especially now that they have launched their manifesto.  Guest: Yongama Zigebe, the Secretary-General of the United Democratic Movement  

We are coming to you live this morning from PortShepstone where the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development together with Public Works are handing over and opening a multi-millon-rand state of the art Magistrates Court. Public Works is responsible for the infrastructure and saw it fit to invest in security and technology for the benefit of the ordinary South African. The building also houses specialised unites that are of great need to the communities. To tell us more on this and the thinking behind the development, we are joined by.... Guest: Sihle Zikalala - Minister for Public Works

The importance of the public's access to justice is a constitutional right. Especially with the new units that are attached to this particular building. Let's hear now from the Justice Department as to how the new courts/units will help to guarantee justice to the ordinary person on the ground.... Guest: Ronal Lamola - Minister of Justice, Correctional Services and Constitutional Development

We continue our series with the IEC looking at the different aspects of this year’s election processes. The aim is to get you to understand what you can expect when going to the polls and what new things you will be experiencing. So we will focus on the Voter Portal and also how the candidate nomination process is going to work. Also what role you as a member of the public will be playing. Guest: James Aphane –Electoral Operations Manager at the IEC  

As we all await to hear what Finance Minister Enoch Godongwane will be saying this afternoon, we thought to talk about what a people’s budget would be? Can the budget meet the concerns of the people on the ground? As a citizen, what would you like to see coming out of the Minister’s pans?  Guest: Tony Ehrenreich – Representing Cosatu at the People’s Budget Coalition   Guest: Andile Zulu – Member of the Budget Justice Coalition

Two weeks ago, we dealt with ways to save for retirement by using a retirement annuity and a tax-free savings. Many have taken advantage by making contributions to a retirement annuity in February and for this reason as they are near retirement, they are receiving letters from insurers informing them that their policy has matured.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley; Associates (Pty) Limited 

Last night, when delivering his second State of the Province Address, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi spoke at length about how he's dealing with the issue of crime in the province. What was surprising the most is how little he said when talking about gender-based violence. All he said is how he will equip police with extra cars. Something he did mention last year. Guest: Phinah Kodisang – Chief Executive Officer of Soul City Guest: Estelle Otto – Policy Developer on GBV in the Gauteng Department of Social Development Guest: Thembelihle Madi – Senior Trainer on GBV at Sonke Gender Justice

As we build-up to the upcoming elections, we continue to bring you discussions related to the polls. Patrick Kulati who is CEO of Good Governance Africa’s Southern Africa Regional Office recently penned a piece likening election campaigns to watering hole for politicians seeking to attract voters. Last week, we spoke about how we as citizens don’t hold them accountable.  Guest: Patrick Kulati - Chief Executive Officer of Good Governance Africa’s (GGA) Southern Africa Regional Office

Last week, we received a call from Malindi, a student at City Varsity in Braamfontein. She called in to tell us that the institution gave them notice that it is closing down. Her frustration was that they were given too short notice of the situation which creates a headache for her and the other students. Guest: Dr Shaheeda Essack - Director: for Private Higher Education Institutions in the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Guest: Dr Whitfield Green - Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Higher Education

Our featured artist today is Denga 'Kingdmusic' Takalani’. He is categorised as a gospel artist and has recently released a new single, Kundi, a shortened word Mukundi, meaning conqueror in TshiVenda. Guest: Denga 'Kingdmusic' Takalani - Multi-talented SAMA award-winning artist, songwriter, worship leader, and record producer  

February is Black History Month mostly celebrated in the USA by Pan Africanists. The month is gaining momentum also on the African continent as it is used by Americans to remember the cross-Atlantic slave trade that took place more than 400 years ago. In light of this, we thought to talk about the importance of reviving our history in the South African context and also ask how it can be used to build a nation? Guest: Menzi Maseko - Afrikan history teacher  Guest: Dr ZulumathaboZulu - African Historian  

West African regional bloc ECOWAS is pleading with the three junta-led Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali to reconsider their decision to quit the political and economic alliance. Some commentators believe that this will not only affect the region’s economy, but also democracy. The three leaders say that the West African body has fallen under the influence of foreign powers, therefore “betraying its founding principles”. Just how much power do these three countries hold and could they really bring down the region as analysts believe?  Guest: Nixon Kathembo - African Affairs analyst and Channel Africa Producer

We continue our series with Miyelani Holeni who is an expert in local government. With this series, we are trying to understanding the various aspects of local government. It is the engine room of the economy, but yet it is such a complex space and appears to be structured in a way that appears to be equally complex. Where did it all start? Is it something that was introduced under the democratic regime or has it always been like this? Guest: Miyelani Holeni - Chief Group Advisor at Ntiyiso Consulting Group – He is also a local government revenue and governance expert

On our Citizens corner this morning we continue talking the IEC about our electoral system and the new things it is bringing for this year’s elections. They just finished their last leg of voter registration. So much to talk about as also for the first time we will be using three ballot papers to vote as this time around we also have independent candidates taking part.  Guest: Mmakgabo Ramatlhodi – Assistant Manager for Civic and Democracy Education at the IEC

Often when we hear about the closure of mines, the first thing that comes to mind is the loss of jobs. One thing we don’t think about is the impact it has on the surrounding communities that are dependent on those mines economically. A recent study conducted by Dr Megan Cole and funded by the Water Research Commission hound that more than 6-million people are directly affected by these closures. The research also calls on both government and these companies to think about the social impact before closing the mines.  Guest: Dr Megan Cole – Research Fellow at the University of Cape Town Guest: Bizzah Motubatse – Regional Chairperson of the National Union of Mineworkers in the Highveld

Today being World Radio Day, we dedicate this hour to speaking about our medium of broadcasting. To mark the occasion, Wits Centre for Journalism and SABC Radio are using the opportunity to launch the annual State of the Newsroom report. The chapter we are focusing on this morning is that of radio being in the public interest and the credibility of that helping sustain the reputation of radio stations, guaranteeing audiences to feel free and exercise their democracy. Guest: Adv Robin Selwal - Director at RadioCracy Guest: Florence Kikine – Head of Advertising Media Strategy at The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)

We continue with the theme of the day of celebrating the medium we use to convene and exchange ideas. In celebrating our chosen medium for public discourse, we take a moment to focus on indigenous language radio stations and discuss their role in promoting conversations, cultural preservation, and expression. These station’s role extends beyond mere broadcasting as they are often seen as to serve as pillars of identity and community cohesion. We take a look at the role and power of an indigenous language radio station with a scholar, and we ask a veteran radio broadcaster about his views and experience of broadcasting in his native language. We ask as does broadcasting in one's native tongue enhance self-expression?  Guest: Prof Gilbert Motsaathebe -  Professor attached to the Indigenous Language Media in Africa research entity at the North-West University and Co – author of 100 years of radio in South Africa: Volume 1 Guest: Modisane Modise – Veteran radio presenter with Motsweding Fm (43 years in the game, and has broadcasted in English with former BOP radio)  

As political parties are busy campaigning for the upcoming election and launching their manifestos, we use this opportunity this morning to talk about issues of accountability. Through their manifestos, they outline their plans and promises to citizens as what they will bring should they be voted in power. But as we all know, once in power, they simply forget. Yes, some of them may not be in the driving seat, but may end up in parliament. How then do we as voters and citizens hold them accountable for all the things they promised? Do we only focus on the party that is running the country and pardon the ones that are sitting in parliament? Guest: Trevor Hlungwani – Journalist and Sicio-Politics Scholar Guest: Zodwa Madiba – Organiser of the Soweto Crisis Committee Guest: Qaanitah Hunter – Co-author of the new book, ‘Who Will Rule SA?

As you may have heard since last year that 81% of Grade 4 learners in the country can’t read for meaning. Very worrying statistic that should get all of us concerned. Well, this morning we speak to Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Nquka, who is convening the annual 2030 Reading Panel initiative of which she is the chairperson. She brings together respected South African leaders to ponder on the issue and see how they can change things to make sure that all children can read by 2030.  Guest: Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Nquka – Chair of the 2030 Reading Panel

Guest: Songezo Zibi, Rise Mzansi Leader

Guest: Gabi Gantso, Soul, Afro Pop, Jazz Musician 

Guest: Karabo Senna, GM of Sales and Licencing 

As President Cyril Ramaphosa gives his last State of Nation Address for current administration, we use tis opportunity to discuss his five year review report titled  'Leave no one behind' Guest: Thokozile Madonko, Researcher managing public Economy Project Of the Southern Centre for inequalities at Wits University Guest: Mpumelelo Mkhabela, Political analyst, Journalist and columnist at News24 Guest: Dr Levi Ndou, Political analyst based at Tshwane University of Technology 

Tomorrow (Thursday) President Cyril Ramaphosa will be delivering his State of the Nation Address under new joint rules. Yesterday (Wed) National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula announced that Parliament has introduced a set of new joint rules designed to regulate proceedings during the joint seating of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. Mapisa-Nqakula briefed the media on the state of readiness ahead of the address. In the past, proceedings faced a lot of disruptions and delays descending into chaos.  Guest: Lechesa Tsenoli – Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly  

Over the years we’ve been having discussing the on-going problem of teenage pregnancy in the country. The ages are getting younger and younger with many people pointing the finger at older men for sleeping with these children resulting in statutory rape. But then on the other hand there’s also young children experimenting with each other. Calls are also being made for medical staff to be held responsible for not reporting these births. Parents also don’t know any more as they also claim to do the best they can to raise their children well. Sex education is another issue raised with schools being blamed.  Guest: Ngaa Murombezi – Children’s Rights Activist Guest: Nthabiseng Ramothwala – Counseling Psychologist Guest: Siyanda Magayana - Senior officer at the Gender Equality and Anti-discrimination office at the University of Free State  

Last week we received an anonymous call telling us about a shortage of books at some of the schools in Seshego, a township in Limpopo. He says that in some cases in Zone 1 where he stays the books were not delivered at all. These are no-fee school he was talking about. Guest: Matthew Mhlongo –Deputy Director General Responsible for Governance in The Department Of Education in Limpopo Province  

With the end of the tax year looming, this morning Bryan will be discussing ways of saving for retirement and saving some tax. He will also be discussing tax free savings and over the next few weeks he is going to revisit retirement planning in relation to where you are, the future build up and ultimately retirement.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley; Associates (Pty) Limited

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says that South Africans showed enthusiasm on the first day of the national registration weekend. The IEC reported that registration got off seamlessly with over 99% of stations operational within minutes of the commencement time of 8 am.  Guest: Boichoko Ditlake - Programmes Manager at Kagiso Trust Guest: Tebelelo Lentsoane – Coordinator of the #WeAreVoting campaign Guest: Tebogo Suping - Executive Director at Activate and campaign coordinator for #WeAreVoting

Last week we received a called from a very disappointed resident of the North West Province about the state of the public buses. He spoke how dilapidated they are and just how uncaring the local government there does not care. Let’s take a listen to what he had to say...     Guest: Dr Hans Kekana – Head of Department in the North West Department of Transports

As we mark 30 years of democracy, we will be taking this opportunity to reflect on the challenges, progress and developments of our country concerning growth and developments. Our guest is someone with many years of international experience in selling our country as a preferred destination for tourism and investment. Among his accolades is being appointed as Chief of State Protocol at the Department of International Relations. In the Department of Tourism he was part of the team leading South Africa’s bid of hosting the 2010 FiFA Soccer World Cup.  Guest: Dr Kingsley Makhubela - Conflict Resolution Expert, Board Member of the Centre for Mediation at the University of Pretoria University of Pretoria, Non-Executive Board Member at Liliesleaf Trust

It’s that time of the week, when we get to kick off our shoes, lay back, and ease into the weekend. We wind down this Friday with Afro-soul and R&B singer Wanda Baloyi as we catch up with what she’s up to with her music, and other projects (fashion designing). The Afro-soul and R&B singer, DJ, and musician from Mozambique descent, inherited her musical talent from her father, Jaco Maria, the lead singer of the popular 80s band Ozila. Guest: Wanda Baloyi - Afro-soul and R&B singer, DJ, and musician

This morning for our Voting Hour feature we talk about what influences the South African voter, is it the heart or the mind. Guest: Professor Sethulego Matebesi – Political Analyst based at the University of the Free State Guest: Nkululeko Tselane – Legal Director at the Institute of the Election Management Services in Africa Guest: Dr Saths Cooper – President of the International Union of Psychological Science and the Pan-African Psychology Union  

As communities around the country are taking to the streets in protest of water shortages and other service delivery problems, ANC NEC member and Deputy Minister for Water and Sanitation said that they are on top of their game in dealing with the problems also insisting that many residents have access to water. He was speaking yesterday (Tuesday) at the ANC’s NEC Lekgotla. Parks Tau on the other hand said that they are confident that the interventions to mitigate loadshedding will soon bear fruit. But for South Africans on the ground, the grim reality is that they are battling with basic service delivery thanks to poorly run municipalities.  Guest: Miyelani Holeni - Chief Group Advisor at Ntiyiso Consulting Group – He is also a local government revenue and governance expert

Mnqobi Yazo takes us to the weekend as we wind down the hectic week that was. Guest: Mnqobi Yazo (real name: Mnqobi Ndunakazi) – South African house music producer, singer, actor, and also a scriptwriter

The story of Thabi Leoka allegedly misrepresenting her qualifications has reopened the lid on the country’s history of similar cases involving high profile people. The list is too long, but we’ve managed to dig into the archives to find out what some of them had to say when defending allegations of misrepresenting their qualifications. Guest: Cynthia Schoeman - Managing Director of Ethics Monitoring & Management Services Proprietary Ltd.  Guest: Osborne Molatudi – Founder of Molatudi Attorneys and Employment & Labour Law Expert Guest: Thembi Khowane - Talent Management Officer 

Today being the last Tuesday of the month, Brendan will deal with all the questions of a similar nature you have sent to him.  Guest: Brendan Gace – Head of Anchor Capital Private Clients

One of the steps that the Human Rights Commission proposes to prevent a recurrence of the 2021 unrest, is a call on all South Africans to sign a pledge to take part in a programme called Social Harmony through National Effort. It involves steps by ordinary people within our communities and the work place, in our daily encounters to foster discussion and understanding of each other. This brings us to the question of national unity. How could so many people unite in doing wrong by destroying businesses and infrastructure?  Guest: Leeto Nthoba – Social commentator Guest:  Rev Thembelani Jantile – Theologian

Last week Thursday Nelson Chamisa who is leader of the Citizens for Coalition Change decided to quit the opposition party with immediate effect. He said that Zimbabwe is facing a hostile political environment and that majority of people are leaving the country. However, he says that his focus will remain in Zimbabwe and honouring its citizens. Chamisa took part in last year's elections where incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa won the controversial polls. What then does all of this mean for opposition politics in that country? To discuss this, we are joined by…. Guest: Ernest Chinyuke – Nelson Chamisa’s spokesperson in South Africa Guest: Dr Ross Harvey – Director of Research and Programmes at Good Governance Africa Guest(Zim): Rejoice Ngwenya – Independent Political Analyst based in Zimbabwe

We end-off the show by talking about the story of Queen Nandi, mother of legendary King Shaka Zulu. Nandi the Musical by Edmund Mhlongo has just wrapped up at Soweto Theatre and going back to KZN. So many of us know very little about Queen Nandi herself except what we’ve seen on the Shaka Zulu movie. Why did the director decide to focus on Nandi specifically? To tell us more on this, we are joined in studio by…. Guest(Studio): Ntokozo Ngcobo – Plays the role of Queen Nandi Guest(Studio): Edmund Mhlongo – Playwright and musical director of Nandi the Musical Guest(Studio): Zawadi Yamungu – Lead vocalist

Since late last week, the media has been abuzz with reports of petrol stations selling contaminated diesel. This follows an investigation by Energy Department which found  that 70 filling stations across the country were selling contaminated diesel which they mixed with illuminating paraffin. Sadly though is that so many cars are probably damaged costing millions of rands to those who may have fallen victim to the scam.  Guest: Reggie Sibiya – CEO of the Fuel Retailers Association Guest: Robert Maake – Director of Fuel Pricing at the Department of Mineral Resources  

In an effort to curb youth unemployment, yesterday (Wed) Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi called on employers to register their vacancies and training opportunities on the department’s website. Addressing a  two-day Jobs Fair in Botshabelo, the Minister went on to say that they are willing and ready to assist employers for free to avoid costs charged by labour brokers. As good as it sounds, what about issues of access to data seeing how many people are unemployed? How practical is this under the current state of economy? To explain this further, we are joined by.... Guest: Sam Morotoba – Deputy Director General in the Department of Employment and Labour

As we continue our series on understanding our voting system, today we thought to get an understanding on what the Electoral Amendment Act means for independent candidates. Last week we heard from the IEC that in this year’s elections we will be provided with three ballot papers. The one will be for national, the other for provincial while the other will have the faces of independent candidates. So to get their perspective on this and what we as voters should know, we are joined by.... Guest: Dr Michael Louis – Chairperson of the Independent Candidate Association of South Africa Guest: Terry Tselane – Former IEC Deputy Chairperson

Yesterday (Tuesday) Minister of Higher Education and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande called on institutions of higher learning to allow students funded by NSFAS with outstanding payments to register. Dr Nzimande was speaking during a press briefing around the readiness of the scheme for the 2024 intake. As you’ve heard in the news since last year how more than 20 thousand students did not receive their allowances for 2023 and the frustration they had to go.  NSFAS representatives have been on the show a couple of times assuring us that they are dealing with the issue.  Guest: Buti Manamela – Deputy Minister for Higher Education and Innovation  

The South Africa’s delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos says that it used the platform to meaningfully engage investors, civil society, businesses and governments. They go on to say that they also drove home the message that the country remains a top destination for growth and investment. The team was led by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and made up of ministers and business. So to tell us more on what it is they took there and just how they sold the country to potential investors… Guest: Luvuyo Rani -  CEO/ Co-Founder Silulo Ulutho Technologies (attended the meeting)  

This morning we take a look at some of the benefits of saving through stokvels. Recently we have seen how stokvels are transforming to not just be about saving money, but also used as a method to buy property, livestock and other investments. So we thought to get an understanding of some of the benefits they bring and whether they really are a good alternative to conventional banking? Also how do you know if it is a genuine scheme and what should we watch-out for should we want to take advantage? To educate us on this, we are joined in studio by….. Guest(Studio): Andrew Lukhele -  Chairman of the National Association of Stockvels in South Africa

While the world is waiting to hear how the International Court of Justice in the Hague is going to rule in the matter between South Africa and Israel over the war in Gaza, this morning we revisit the subject of what constitutes genocide according to ICJ. Our guests had done some research looking at how the ICJ interpreted past genocide cases and what it may mean for future cases. Six western countries are said to have filed a joint application before the court putting up their arguments for an ample and expansive understanding of constitutes genocide. Let’s take a listen to a snippet from the South Africa vs Israel matter at the ICJ on the issue of genocide… But then, what exactly makes the definition of genocide so difficult especially at international level and where exactly did the technicality start? To help us navigate this issue, we are joined by….   Guest(Denmark): Line Engbo Gissel - Associate Professor, Global Political Sociology, Roskilde University Guest(Denmark): Kerstin Bree Carlson - Associate Professor International Law, Roskilde University

Last week we received a call from Brenda in Springbok in the Northern Cape talking about her frustration regarding schools in that part of the world using Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. She and the other parents approached the different authorities seeking a solution to the problem, but got no help for a few years now. To get to the bottom of this issue and an understanding of why it’s so difficult to solve this problem, and also how a country like South Africa can find a workable solution and balancing the languages, we are joined by… Guest: Sean Baker - Deputy Chairperson of the Parents Movement (This is the body representing Brenda and the other parents) Guest: James Ndlebe – Chief Director: Planning and Monitoring Support in the Department of Basic Education (He has been dealing with this issue directly from the department of Basic Education) Guest: Prof Thabo Ditsele - Associate Professor of Sociolinguistics and Linguistic Anthropology and an NRF-rated researcher at Tshwane University of Technology

Yallunder is our chosen artist ushering us to the weekend. She is described as an African soul artist and won her first SAMA award last year. Who is she and where did it all start for her? She now joins us to give us a glimpse of her journey.... Guest: Yallunder (real name: Yolanda Nyembezi) - African soul artist

Guest: Le Roux Lategan, top achieving A Level student from Reddam House Durbanville.

While Umalusi, the national education quality assurance body, has approved the release of the results, the CEO has expressed ongoing concerns regarding instances of group copying, counterfeit certificates, fraudulent activities, and errors in question paper printing. The matric exams administered by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) saw over 890,000 full-time and part-time candidates in the latter part of 2023. Today, the results for the 2023 independent examination boards were released, and we will now get reactions from various Independent Schools' representative bodies to share how the academic curriculum works within the private school sector To also share their experience of writing the final year exams are some of the students who sat for the 2023 matric exams…   Guest: Keith Maseko – CEO of South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) Guest: William Bester – Chairperson of  National Alliance of Independent Schools Associations (NAISA) Guest: Lebogang Montjane – Executive Director at Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA)   

In recent days we’ve received a concerning number of calls regarding the state of road user safety in the Eastern Cape, in particular around the Umtata to Lusikisiki road in regards to the state of the road and the disregard by drivers for the rules of the road. The calls highlighted the dismal state of the state of the road infrastructure in the entire province of the Eastern Cape, and how some drivers seem to not care to adhere to the road rules. We taking a moment this morning to understand from the provincial department of transport on their plans in addressing these road infrastructure and safety concerns… Guest: Mvuyisi Goxa – Director – IN HOUSE:  Department of Roads and Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government

In a country where the democratic process plays a pivotal role in shaping the future, understanding the ABCs of voter education is significant and critical. This morning, we are going to have a conversation in which we hope to educate and answer some of the questions you might have about how voting works and the importance of informed voting within the unique context of South Africa's political landscape. In this conversation, we wish to delve into the importance of empowering the electorate with the knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of our democratic election system. This conversation hopes to provides everyone legible to vote with basic information about participating in elections. The focus is on how to vote rather than who to vote for. Guest: Moagisi Sibanda - General Manager: Civic & Democracy Education, Research & Knowledge Management the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa        

As the new year begins, many of us are motivated to pursue improved health and well-being when we consider the past year and consider the prospects of the one to come by our desire for good change. Dieting as a New Year's resolutions has evolved into a metaphor for a self-improvement movement, with individuals setting out to change their behaviours, fuel their bodies, and adopt a lifestyle that promotes health and longevity. As part of this group effort to become healthier, people aim to rethink how they relate to food and lay the groundwork for a year full of healthful decisions and better general health. However, some of these dieting methods we employ can be dangerous and detrimental to our well-being. This morning we take a moment to speak on healthy ways to diet, the dangers of pills and/or other unconventional diet methods, and the role of supplements in enhancing our dietary intake… Guest: Betty Mohlala – Registered Dietician and Community Nutrition Lecturer at University of Pretoria

As we begin another year, characterised by the upcoming elections, it’s equally important to reflect and have a conversation unpacking the significant and monumental judiciary events of the year 2024 by delving into the legal landscape of South Africa by looking at the judicial calendar. These events hold particular significance, especially in light of the year we are in, in our 30 years of a democratic sovereign state as South Africa. What do these judicial events mean and why does it matter to us as citizens?... Guest: Mbekezeli Benjamin – Research and Advocay Officer  Judges Matter  

Bryan Hirsch joins us yet again for another informative financial session. Ever wondered about the key ingredients that make up a solid financial plan? Well, today Bryan takes us through that, sharing the key nuggets of the secrets to a successful financial blueprint. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just dipping your toes into the world of finance, stay tuned for valuable insights on crafting a plan that works and serves you best. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley; Associates (Pty) Limited (Radio line: 011 880 4888)      

Let’s turn our focus now to the Human Rights Watch World Report for 2023 which does not paint a good picture for southern Africa. The report has revealed that the region is sliding backwards when it comes to democratic processes. Abductions, torture and silencing of opposition political activists still takes place in some of the SADC countries. The concern for South Africa is anti-immigrant sentiments and xenophobia in the lead-up to the 2024 elections. To tell us more on the report and also which countries in particular are sliding down, we are joined by….. Guest(Zoom): Allan Ngari - Africa advocacy director at Human Rights Watch

Last week Wednesday we received a call from Solly in the Sekhukhune area talking about how schools in that part of the world are requiring money for all sorts of things. The other issue that seems to be confusing to many parents in these schools is that of principals withholding school reports for learners who did not pay for school fees. Let’s take a listen to some of the complaints we’ve received on this issue….. Guest: James Ndlebe – Chief Director: Planning and Monitoring Support in the Department of Basic Education Guest: Hendrick Makaneta - Education Activist and Director of Foundation for Education and Social Justice Africa Guest: Matakanye Matakanya - National Association of School Governing Bodies

Yesterday saw day 1 of South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice where Pretoria accused Tel Aviv of carrying out a genocide in Gaza and demanded that the U.N.'s top court order an emergency suspension of Israel's devastating military campaign. South Africa went on to say that Israel's offensive, which reportedly killed more than 23,000 people aimed to bring about "the destruction of the population" of Gaza.  Guest: Tshedi Setai - Founder and Managing Director at Mmutla Communications Guest (UK): Jonathan Turner – Chief Executive of UK Lawyers for Israel Guest: Charmika Wijasundara - Senior Law Lecturer at Wits Law School Guest: Prof Cathy Powel – Professor of International Relations at UCT

Political parties in the country have started campaigning making all sorts of promises to voters about the things they will fix should they be given a chance to govern. This is nothing new as we’ve heard all sorts of rhetoric that accompany campaign trails But then, how should we as voters interpret some of the political rhetoric spewed out by politicians which is sometimes very dangerous? Where do we draw the line in what they say and is it fair that they get away with it often leaving their supporters with nothing at the end? To help us navigate through this issue, we are joined by.... Guest: Sikelelwa Dlanga – Political Communication analyst Guest: Makhudu Sefara - Sunday Times deputy editor

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month and we thought to use this opportunity to talk about eye health. Glaucoma is said to be the third largest cause of blindness all over the world following cataract and trachoma. According to health journals, the condition accounts for more than 14% of total blind population. How can we start treating our eyes better to prevent eye diseases and what should we watch out for that will make us go to the doctor? To educate us on this, we are joined by….. Guest: Dr Kgao Legodi – Ophthalmologist at Mpudulle Eye Centre

Although the year is already more than a week, Bryan says that there are some critical factors to be considered with regards to the administration of your financial plans. He now joins us in studio to educate us on the subject…. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited (Radio line: 011 880 4888)      

South Africa will be leading the Southern African Development Community’s deployment Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo to assist the Congolese government in restoring peace and security in the eastern part of the country. Just recently, the United Nations withdrew its peacekeeping mission after 20 years following a call by the Congolese government for the withdrawal of the UN peacekeepers. They (DRC government) deemed the U.N. force as ineffective in protecting civilians from the armed groups and militias that have plagued the eastern part of the country. Let’s take a listen to this short report from SABC’s Chris Ochamringa  in Kinshasa…. Was this a good move though and also what is it that the SADC mission will be facing? What about South Africa’s military being the one in the forefront of the mission, do we have the capabilities? To help us answer some of these questions, we are joined by…. Guest: Thomas Mandrup - Associate Professor with the Royal Danish Defence College and with the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa at Stellenbosch University

2024 is a very historically significant year for our country as we mark 30 years of a hard-earned democracy. The year also takes us to the polls with many new parties emerging and promising all sorts of changes to people’s lives. As we kick off the year, we thought to speak to an editor, an economist and political analyst for them to paint us a picture of where the country is going and what the 2024 political landscape may bring seeing how South Africans feel on the ground about load-shedding, high unemployment, crime and poor service delivery and empty promises.   GUEST: Professor Kgothatso Shai – Professor of politics at the University of Limpopo GUEST: Duma Gqubule - Research associate at the Social Policy Initiative GUEST: Journalist/editor TBC  

As you heard on Friday that Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Ronald Lamola has reopened the inquest into the murder of the Cradock Four. The four, Mathew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkonto, Fort Calata and Sicelo Mhlauli were abducted and murdered by the security police in June 1985.As much as many of the perpetrators applied for amnesty during the TRC hearings, some families of the victims feel that the process was a waste of time and a miscarriage of justice. Let’s get the views now of one of the commissioners to hear what they have to say at the latest developments and where they stand as these inquests are being reopened, but on the other side the perpetrators are passing away.  Guest: Adv Dumisa Ntsebeza – Former Commissioner at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission  

As the matric results are about to be announced in a few days, time, the question of career choice becomes the next worry for those finishing high school. The world’s economy and industry are evolving so rapidly that it becomes very difficult for one to decide whether to choose a career according to passion or remuneration. For us who’ve been through the system already, what would we say influenced our choices and what advice can we give to those coming out of matric? In the 21st century technology has brought so many changes, and given us so many career choices, some careers are even dying out…    Guest: Dr Linda Meyer – Career and Education specialist    

Titi Luzipo is our featured artist today soothing us into the weekend. One of the highlights from her last year at the annual Standard Bank Joy of Jazz was her tribute to the late Gloria Bosman. She’s quoted in one of the articles saying: “Life without Gloria is very weird”. She now joins us to give us a glimpse of her musical journey…. Guest(Zoom): Titi Luzipo - Jazz and Afro-soul vocalist

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says that it is determined to conclude all outstanding 2023 disbursements by 15 January 2024, in consultation with the affected institutions. Interestingly, this comes at the back of the NSFAS Board holding an extraordinary meeting this past Sunday to consider reports from NSFAS management on various issues including the final disbursement of the 2023 allowances, the NSFAS budget adjustment and the NSFAS accommodation pilot project. To tell us more on this and also what it is you should know moving forward, we are joined in studio by... GUEST(Studio): Ishmael Mnisi – Spokesperson for the Student Financial Aid Scheme

Last year so many figures came out painting a bleak picture of the state of our country, from high unemployment, murders, crime, inflation to housing problems just to name a few. So this year being an election year, political parties are getting ready to campaign in an effort to gunner votes, we thought to use this opportunity today to ask you as a citizen, what is it you don’t want to hear from anyone who will be approaching you to vote for them? What for you would be realistic and convincing coming out of the mouth of a politician? To help us navigate this discussion, we are joined by…   Guest: Dr Trevor Hlungwane - Lecturer at the Central University of Technology, debater and socio-political analyst Guest: Phethani Madzivhandila - A pan-Africanist historian and activist based in Azania  

Yesterday (Wed) we received a call from Chris in Napier who told us about taxi operator blocking people from using other forms of public transport in the Eastern Cape. Also the fact that they preventing people from hitchhiking for lifts. Let’s take a listen to some of the things he highlighted... GUEST: Mmatshikidi Rebecca Phala – Spokesperson for the South African National Taxi Council, SANTACO GUEST: Charles Bramwell – Deputy Director Provincial Traffic Eastern cape in the Department of Transport

As we enter a brand new year, many of us find ourselves caught in the timeless debate, are New Year's resolutions the key to a successful year, or should we be leaning more towards the structured path of goal-setting? It's a question that lingers in the minds of those of us seeking personal growth and improvement. Today, we take a moment to dive deep into the heart of this dilemma, exploring the nuances of resolutions and goal-setting, dissecting their effectiveness, and attempting to unravel which approach holds the key to a more realistic and achievable future. To help us navigate the landscape of aspirations, habits, and self-discovery is… Guest: Brian Mhlanga - Executive Coach, Facilitator, Motivational Speaker and Organisational Behaviour Specialist.   

Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi has been re-elected for a second term after getting more than 73% of the vote in this month’s presidential election, the country’s election commission said on Sunday. Announcing the results on Sunday in the capital Kinshasa, Denis Kadima, the head of Congo’s national election commission known as the CENI, said Tshisekedi was elected with 73.34% of the vote having obtained over 13 million votes out of over 18 million valid votes. Turnout in the disputed election was at over 43%, Kadima said. Earlier on Sunday a group of Congo’s main opposition presidential candidates asked supporters to take to the streets to protest after the release of the provisional results. They demanded fresh elections be held with a new electoral body on a date to be agreed by all. The government of Congo had previously rejected calls for a rerun of the elections. Guest: Nixon Kathembo - African specialist and producer at Channel Africa      

Noxolo Seti is described as an Afro-soul and jazz musician born in Cape Town. She has shared the stage with many famous musicians around the country and really made a name for herself. How does she describe herself and where did it all begin for her? She now joins us to share her story…. Guest(Studio): Noxolo Seti - Afro-soul musician

Yesterday on the Open Line Faizel in Westdene got many of you talking on cultural issues when he highlighted how sexist some of the customs are. We even got different interpretations of what mourning in the various cultures. So this morning we thought to talk about the relevance of culture in 2023 and whether it is moving us forward at all seeing how sometimes it can be very oppressive to certain groups in our society. Also what parts of our cultures don’t make sense anymore and which ones should we keep to advance ourselves and which ones can we drop? To lead us in this conversation, we are joined via Zoom by.... Guest(Zoom): Dr ZuluMathabo Zulu – African Historian and author based at the Madisebo University

Next year is very crucial election year for our country as we mark 30 years of our democracy. Interestingly it will also kick off with a conference that will see seven African heads of state and other international experts gather at the inaugural AI and International Political Campaigns Expo and Conference in Cape Town. According to the people behind the gathering, the idea is to promote the adoption of new technologies to address voter apathy in Africa. Firstly, what is it that we can attribute voter apathy to on the continent, and how can Artificial Intelligence help in this regard? Also is our continent ripe for such innovation? To help us understand, we are joined by…. GUEST: Glen Mpani - International Political Campaign Expo Conference Host & Convenor

The country is currently facing a poverty crisis, with an estimated 20% of households experiencing food insecurity. The situation is especially severe in provinces like the Eastern Cape. A South African Human Rights Commission investigation revealed that one in four children in the province suffers from stunted growth due to malnutrition, and the commission has called for the government to declare this hunger crisis a national disaster. At the back of this, we thought to speak to those who make a difference, whether nationally, or in the communities they come from. You can also call in and talk about what you are doing or someone you may know to make a difference and share the story. Joining us to delve into this issue is... Guest: David Harrison – Chief Operations Officer of the DG Murray Trust Guest: Linda Twala – Philanthropist and founder of the Linda Twala Foundation

Dr Wayne Muller joins us now to talk about a very interesting observation that even led him to do his PHD around it. He highlights how what was deemed to be a colonial art form has over the years been advanced by black people. He’s talking about the love of opera and how it has been Africanised. He now joins us to talk about what drew his attention on this subject and what else he discovered about it and also how different is from the original Guest: Dr Wayne Muller - Publications Editor / Research Fellow at Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation.

We revisit the issue of abortion and where we are regarding awareness on what is available for those who may desire the service. For instance the issue self-managed abortions in this country is not something that is highlighted which brings us to the question of where we are when it comes to this issue and what message is the health department promoting in this regard? In a country like ours, we are faced with traditional norm, religious beliefs and stigma to name a few. So, we use this opportunity now to address this issue and some of the challenges on the ground as we welcome…. Guest: Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo – Deputy Minister of Health Guest: Victoria Satchwell - Executive Director at Abortion Support South Africa

International artists Sisanda Nilsson was born in the Eastern Cape but grew up in KZN, Margate.  Sisanda began her professional music career in 2011 and it picked up more when she was signed by Touch Africa Records in 2014. She then released her first hit single “Indlela Yami” in 2015. Since her move to Sweden in 2016 she released her hit single “If This is Love” which won an award with P4 Nästa. Swedens national radio station. She has worked with Swedens best producers and she released her first album Luvoyu Lwam in 2021 and continues to write and record new music. Guest: Sisanda Nilsson – Singer and songwriter

Today, we embark on a journey of understanding and unity as we explore the concept of reconciliation in the backdrop of the rich tapestry of South Africa's history. In a country such as ours, marked by a tumultuous past, reconciliation stands as a beacon of hope, a bridge to healing the wounds of the past and fostering a united future. Let’s take a moment to peel the layers of this profound concept, examining the strides taken, the challenges faced, and the stories that inspire us all to strive for a harmonious coexistence…  Guest: Xolani Masango – Member of the Pan Afrikan Comix 2085 series Guest: David Letsoalo – Sankarist, activist & Law academic

The issue of absent fathers is a contentious matter that is deeply entrenched in the fibre of the South African societal landscape. According to Statistics South Africa, half of all children in the country don’t live with their biological fathers which is a great concern. It cannot be denied how far-reaching the implication of absent fathers is to individuals, families, and society at large. Today we take a moment to discuss the underlying factors, examine the implications, and consider potential avenues for meaningful change. Guest: Gosiame Masike is the Head of Heartlines’ Department of Correctional Services Unit Guest: Zane Meas - Founder of The Fatherhood Foundation of South Africa.  

Smart tips that may help you.... We turn our focus now on December/festive spending attitudes which will definitely affects how we start the new year. Laurian Venter is Sales Director at OneDayOnly.co.za, South Africa’s original daily deals site and she has come up with tips on how you can spend wisely as you celebrate the festive. Very practical tips that we often don’t think about. Also this is your opportunity to tell us how you go about spending for Christmas parties and other gatherings during the festive season that do not hit your pocket too hard.  Guest: Laurian Venter is Sales Director at OneDayOnly.co.za

Former President Jacob Zuma dominated the news agenda this past weekend as he kept all of us ion suspense with speculation mounting that he was likely to join the EFF or announce a new party. Earlier in the week the Jacob Zuma Foundation announced that the former President will address the media on Saturday regarding his political future only to tell us that he won’t be leaving the ANC, but rather vote for the newly registered uMkhonto weSizwe party which is not affiliated to the ANC. Guest: Ntebo Mokobo – SABC Senior Political Journalist Guest: Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast – Political Analyst based at the Nelson Mandela University Guest: Dan Hatto – National convenor of the Umkhonto weSizwe Liberation War Veterans  

Latest stats around road fatalities since the start of the festive season has revealed that out of the 94 accidents that occurred, 53 were pedestrians. Even though we may not understand how the fatalities happened, is enough being done to look at the behaviour of pedestrians? Often so many of them cross on the freeway under a abridge, while others cross while the traffic lights are read. What then should be done to deal with pedestrians as motorists are given fines or jail time for traffic violations? Also as a motorist listen to this conversation, what are your experience when it comes to pedestrians?  GUEST: Unathi Binqose – Spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Transport Department GUEST: Simon Zwane – Spokesperson for the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) GUEST: Mmusi Moeti – Spokesperson for the Department of Community, safety, security and liason 

As we come to the end of the year, many of us look back to what life used to be. That feeling of going home to be with family. Sitting around the table and enjoying a meal together away from the daily bustling of work. We use this hour now to talk about what home is to you and what do you do when you get there. To lead us through this conversation, we are joined by… Guest: Mamanese Mathule -Transformation and Relationship Coach  Guest:  Seipati Mbokazi - Life coach and NLP practitioner

Some of the scary revelations that came out of the Discovery Group Risk claims data for the 2023 year, for the 12 months ending on 30 June 2023 shows that suicide related deaths have increased by 54% compared to previous Covid-levels. The report goes on to say that the biggest increases come from member under the age of 40. The under 30 age group is also showing an increase. The suspicion is that it may be as a result of economic pressure. Guest: Guy Chennells - General Manager and Head of Product at Discovery Employee Benefits  Guest: Tracy Feinstein - Call Center manager for the South African Depression and Anxiety Group will speak on behalf of SADAG as she'll be able to talk about the pattern and common calls received by SADAG

The Association of Private Security Owners of South Africa are calling for female security guards not to be allowed to work in the evenings. This follows recent attacks on female security officers in KwaZulu-Natal. Three female security officers were attacked and raped at the Department of Transport offices in Merebank, KZN. These acts are said to happen mostly in health facilities that require 24-hour services. The Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla answering questions in parliament spoke about how provincial health departments are dealing with security in their facilities.  Guest: Bulela Saliwa - Deputy President of the Association of Private Security Owners of South Africa Guest: Mbali Sabela - Provincial Secretary for the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa in KZN Guest: Rudzani Mphilo – Head of Security at the National Department of Health

As we wind up the year that was, we revisit a matter of national importance as we build up to the upcoming #2024 national elections. Beyond the political fervour, there lies a fundamental question - what is civic duty, and how do we, as citizens, play a pivotal role in upholding it? Join us as we explore the essence of civic duty and our responsibilities as citizens in safeguarding it. We are joined by a dedicated civil rights activist to talk more about how each one of us can actively participate and why we should embrace active citizenry. Guest: Mark Heywood – Human Rights Activist  

As we enter the festive season, security agencies are again warning the public to be vigilant against crime. But on the other hand, stock theft is one of those crimes that seem to not make it on the mainstream media platforms. A quick search on the net reveals so many incidents of the crime around the country. Not only in rural areas, but also in urban areas as some township dwellers especially in the Western Cape are reportedly becoming targets to the crime. To take a look at whether stock theft is on the increase or just not being reported enough, we are joined by… Guest: Dr Carina Bruwer – Senior organised crimes researcher at the Institute for Security Studies Guest: Freddie V Tonder – Vice Chairman of the National Stock Theft Prevention – National Red Meat Producers Organisation Guest: Dr Jane Buys - Safety and risk analyst at Free State Agriculture

Yesterday (Monday) West Africa's main regional bloc ECOWAS decided to set up a committee of heads of state to work with Niger's military leaders on establishing a transition roadmap, and will progressively ease the sanctions imposed on Niger based on the outcome of those talks. On Sunday the regional leaders met in Nigeria's capital Abuja for talks on their region in deepening crisis, after four countries fell under military rule. What has also emerged in that part of the world is that the four countries that are under military rule are also getting rid of French domination with Burkina Faso even changing French as the official language in schools and also building a gold refinery through a Russian partnership. To take a look back to how the region has been since the coup, we are joined I studio by…   Guest(studio): Nixon Kathembo – Africa Affairs Analyst at Channel Africa

Last week Monday we received a call from Nyaniso telling us the story of how his brother was swindled out of more than 6-thousand-rands by fake prophets. They promised to triple his money, but at the end he was left with nothing. Guest: Nazia Karrim - Head of product development at the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service Guest: Dr Shahieda Jansen - UNISA Western Cape’s Deputy Director, Academic & ICT Support Services Guest: Brigadier Attie Lamprecht –Section Head: Harmful Occult – related Practices, Bureau for Missing Persons and Crime Stop

Many of you especially from the Northern Cape were not impressed by the explanation given by the Northern Cape Education Department regarding the food parcels they gave to the elderly at an event in Marydale. The issue was brought to our attention on the Open Line by Ronald who called in to question the criteria that was used to give food parcels to the elderly. So this morning we’ve invited the MEC for Education in the Northern Cape to give some clarity around some of the issues raised by Ronald. GUEST: Ronald Februarie – Ward Councillor in Ward 2 for the Siyathemba Community Movement GUEST: Priscilla Issacs – DA Member of the Provincial Legislature and spokesperson on Education 

It’s that time of the week when we ease into the weekend with a musical treat, and today we introduce yet another South African talent. Keke Makhetha is an artist who does Afro House/Dance Music a combination of African and International Algorithms. The music he composes is about Love, Hope and the experiences of life. Keke Makhetha was born in Eastern Cape, Aliwal North, but is based in Johannesburg South Africa.  Guest: Keke Makhetha - Afro House/Dance Music

This morning, we have the privilege of hosting an esteemed guest who is not only a distinguished historian and academic but also a devoted custodian of Bapedi culture. Dr Tlou Setumu, whose passion for heritage preservation has recently embarked on a groundbreaking initiative – the launch of an open-air museum dedicated to upholding, teaching, and preserving the rich history of the Bapedi nation. In our conversation with Dr Setumu, we look at the motivations and inspirations that drive his tireless efforts in heritage preservation. Dr Setumu and his team have launched an open-air museum that stands as a testament to his commitment to ensuring that the legacy of the Bapedi people is not only remembered but also passed down through generations. He is currently heritage practitioner in Limpopo Province, specialising mainly on the Blouberg-Makgabeng-Senwabarwana.    Guest(Zoom): Dr Tlou Setumu – Historian, researcher and author  

 Guest: Sewale Langeni - Founder of Book Capital bookstore Guest: Tebogo Mashiyane - Founding member of Bafati Bebumene Bookclub Guest: Maggie Davey - Director and Co-Owner of Jacana Media

Guest: Ishmael Mnisi - Current spokesperson for the national Student Financial Aid Scheme Guest: Nkosinathi: Mabilane - SRC President at UNISA

Very difficult, uncomfortable and embarrassing subject we are discussing this morning. According to medical journals, urinary incontinence is a loss of bladder control that’s commonly seen in older adults and women who have given birth or gone through menopause. To educate us on this and also how to treat and manage it, we are joined by… Guest: Prof Shingai Mutambirwa - Head of the Urology Department at The Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and Founder of the Prostate Cancer Foundation South Africa   

Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu says that his department will continue to deploy resources to where they are needed to ensure that citizens receive quality water. He was speaking yesterday (Tuesday) when releasing the drop reports on the state of drinking water quality in the country.  Mchunu went on to give assurance that government will not allow residents to consume water that is harmful. To talk to us more about this and what his basing his confidence on, he now joins us on the line… Guest(Phone): Senzo Mchunu – Minister for Water and Sanitation

Today Bryan looks at those who are lucky enough to get a bonus, what are the three most sensible things they can do with their bonus? Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania is today launching their year-long Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Centenary Commemoration. Sobukwe who is the founding president of the PAC was also a lawyer, academic will be remembered through different events, from lectures at deferent universities to museums and other fun activities. Robben Island where he was imprisoned declared 2023 as the year of Sobukwe, and to remind ourselves more about his legacy and teachings and also what today’s leaders can take from him. Guest: Jackie Seroke – PAC secretary of finance Guest: Mzwanele Nyhontso – PAC President   Guest: Tshima Nemaheni – Robben Island Museum Chief Heritage Officer

As we wind down and wrap up the year 2023, it is opportune to reflect on the political events and developments that have shaped the past twelve months. Many challenges, triumphs, and significant events across the domestic and global political landscape have marked the year. The country’s political landscape has been characterised by economic challenges, governance, and malfeasance issues, electoral preparations amongst other things against the backdrop of the persisting wars in Europe and the middle East. Looking ahead, projections for 2024 hint at more defining moments as the country heads to the national elections and the country equally celebrates 30 years of democracy. As we take stock of the year, let’s take a moment to unpack the collective lessons learned that might shape our path forward as a nation and country.  Guest:  Asanda Ngoasheng – Diversity expert, academic and  Political Analyst Guest: Dr Ongama Mtimnka – Political Analyst and Politics Lecturer at Nelson Mandela University  

This past week, activists from various organisations such as Equal Education, Section24 and Centre for child law convened a peaceful protest at the offices of the Department of Basic Education calling on the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga to meet the legal obligations set out in the minimum norms and standards for public school infrastructure set 10 years ago, on the 29 November 2013. The group is raising concerns that little progress has been made to improve public schools since then. We unpack the department's progress on public school infrastructure and the impact of the state of public schools on teaching and learning, as these activists demand accountability.  GUEST: Elizabeth Biney – Head of Research at Equal Education GUEST: Hendrick Makaneta – Director at the Foundation for Education and Social Justice Africa GUEST: Elijah Mhlanga – Spokesperson for the Department of Basic Education

Guest: Tina Ardor - Singer Songwriter Guest: DJ Sbu

Guest: Mr Rodgers Basikopo Makamu - Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders including the entire Executive Committee

This morning to wrap up our Municipal Watch feature, we speak to Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. She is joining us to share her views on the state of municipalities and what’s she’s doing to turn them around. A few weeks ago she gave an overview of government interventions to address governance problems at municipal level which has affected service delivery. Having listened to this segment over the years, you as our listeners would’ve heard some of the corruption and mismanagement happening in our municipalities and how officials running these municipalities could never give clear explanations on their role in bringing municipalities down.  Guest: Thembi Nkadimeng – Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

Across South Africa, there is a growing movement of community activists stepping up in neighbourhoods to enhance the lives of members of their communities. Driven by a vision of reclaiming common humanity in communities, many leaders are making a difference now and for future generations in rural and urban areas. Join us as we connect with these change-makers shaping the present and future of rural and urban South Africa. Guest: Bridget Munnik – Manager of the Westbury Youth Centre Guest: Phethani Madzivhandila – Writer, Activist and Co – founder of Khonani Integrated Development Agency  Guest: Ndithini Thyido – Chairperson of the Khayelitsha Development Forum

We continue our GBV discussion with NACOSA as they embark on their #it takes a village campaign. The country continues to bear the brunt of gender based violence which happens on a daily bases. Their belief is that if we pull together, we ac actually with the battle against the cancer of GBV. To talk more on this campaign and find out what difference it will make, we are joined by.... Guest: Dr Ntlotleng Mabena - Technical Specialist: Community Based Violence Prevention and Response Guest: Ndumiso Madubela - Adolescents & Young People Programme Specialist Guest: Thato Senosha - GBV Prevention Coordinator Guest: Hannerie White – Capacity building specialist (Human rights perspective)

Researchers from Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences reported on a groundbreaking clinical research at the Union Conference on Lung Health meeting in Paris revealing that an oral antibiotic taken once daily for six months significantly lowered the likelihood of developing drug-resistant tuberculosis. The study showed that the risk for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis infection in children was reduced by 56% with levofloxacin. TB remains as one of the top causes of death in children globally and is one of the top killers of children below 5 years of age.  Guest: Professor Anneke Hesseling-  Director of the Desmond Tutu TB Centre and the overall Principal Investigator of the TB-CHAMP trial, at Stellenbosch University

This year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign for No Violence Against Women and Children is run under the theme: “Accelerating actions to end gender-based violence and femicide: leaving no one behind”. As much as themes change every year, the scourge continues everyday. Clearly something is not right about our society as NGOs blame legislature, some blame the way in which we raise about boys, while others blame government policies. Where exactly should we be pointing the finger? Also have we run out of things to blame? Guest:  Adv Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale – Chairperson of the Commission for Gender Equality Guest: Adv Praise Kambula – Head of The Promotion of the Rights of Vulnerable persons in the Department of Justice Guest: Lechesa Tsenoli – Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly 

We end the programme by talking to the Competition Commission on some of the investigations and cases they have Often when you listen to the news you will hear reports of how the commission has found companies doing all sorts of wrong things like price fixing, manipulation and colluding. The latest case of interest to the South African public is that of the manipulation of the rand. More than 20 banks are under investigation for alleged price fixing of the currency. To educate us more on how the Competition Commission finds out about these cases and how they come to a conclusion. GUEST: Makgale Mohlala - Divisional Manager for Cartels at the Competition Commission

Guest: Magic Nkwashu - Disability rights activities  Guest: Phuti Mabelebele - Chief Director: Advocacy and Mainstreaming rights of Person with disables at the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities 

Guest: Nomcebo Zikode - Grammy Award winner 

In 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed amendments to the Municipal Systems Act which sought to impose a blanket prohibition on municipal workers holding office. The South African Municipal Workers Union challenged the constitutionality of the amendment and won through the Labour Court ruling which declared that Section 71b of the MSA Amendments are unconstitutional, invalid, and set aside. As the political heads are studying the ruling, how do we as citizens feel about this ruling? As a citizen, is there a better way of limiting political influence in our municipalities?   Guest: Dumisani Magagula – General Secretary of South African Municipal Workers Union  Guest: Sandile Swana - Political analyst and governance expert Guest: Cllr Thami Ntuli – Chairperson of SALGA in KZN

We end the show by talking to Nse Ufot who's currently in the country for a voting advocacy program. Nse is the CEO of the New Georgia Project in the U.S., where she's passionately bridging the gap between the ideals of American democracy and the real experiences of Black and other people of colour through galvanizing black communities to participate in electoral politics. She's an expert in civil, human, and worker rights, as well as electoral politics, community organizing, and women's issues, specifically focusing on the experiences of Black women. She joins us to speak more on her work around advocating for voting rights, and how this has changed the political landscape in Georgia, also what lessons she feels South Africa could learn from this. Guest: Nse Ufot is an organizer, thought leader, and change agent and the CEO of New Georgia Project

Luminaries gathered in conversation to unpack intergenerational trauma and its impact on women today. As we reflect on the outcome of this gathering, we are reminded that the legacy of intergenerational trauma is not a solitary burden. It is a torch passed from one generation to the next. Together, we can lay the foundation for a brighter future, where the cycle of trauma gives way to a legacy of strength, healing, and empowerment  Guest: Alison Lazarus -  Conflict Resolution Specialist and Peace-builder Guest: Dieketseng  Diale - Founder and Executive Director of the Lady of Peace Community Foundation

World Pneumonia Day took place on 12 November and The World Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases Congress convened from 14 - 17 November 2023 in Durban. Both of these annual events are reminders that infectious diseases are still a major health threat, and thus vaccines play an important role in eradicating and preventing many diseases, reducing the burden of illness and mortality. The conference deliberated on research advances and developments within the field whilst exploring solutions for a post-pandemic world and how children in all markets can access affordable interventions, which will lead to healthier and more productive lives. Guest: Professor Prakash Mohan Jeena: Head of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Bryan says that this is a critical time for many who contribute to a medical aid scheme with increases for next year. In particular what should one do? He now joins us to educate and give us his perspective. Guest(Phone): Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited (Radio line: 011 880 4888)

Last year August, President Cyril Ramaphosa launched a National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council which is chaired by Professor Firoz Cachalia. According to the Presidency, the Council is a multi-sectoral advisory body set-up to oversee the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and to advise on the future of the country's anti-corruption institutional architecture. To learn more about what it is, what it’s doing and what has it done so far since its launch, we are joined in studio by…..   Guest(Studio): Professor Firoz Cachalia – Chairperson of the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council

‘BRICS Prospects for South Africa and the Continent: How BRICS Could Be a Big Boost for the African Continental Free Trade Area FOCUS: Since South Africa hosted the 15th BRICS Summit in August, different academics around the country have been sharing their views on what some of the benefits are for us. Recently, the University of Stellenbosch hosted a seminar looking at the prospects not just for the country, but also how it will boost the African Continental Free Trade Area which has been spoken about for so many years. To get an understanding on how exactly BRICS and the African Continental Free Trade Area amalgamate and looking at the current state of the continent, the politics, coups and the economy, how much of this can be a reality on the ground? To help us navigate this subject, we are joined by... GUEST:  Prof Charles Adjasi - Head of Research at the  Stellenbosch Business School and Acting Director GUEST: Saul Molobi – CEO and Group Chairman Brandhill Africa (His focus is on the African Continental Free Trade Area)

This past weekend was abuzz with politicians and the IEC trying to encourage people to vote. Young people in particular have been urged to register so that they can vote in the 2024 national and provincial elections. But some of them have raised their concerns asking what difference they vote will make to their lives. They are sighting unemployment, loadshedding and crime as some of their worries. Let’s take a listen to what some of them had to say.....   Guest: Vhahangwele Tsotetsi, - Chairperson of Project YouthSA and Vice-chairperson of BaswaConnect   Guest: Zenith Kwinana – Writer and public speaker, pursuing her post-grad studies in Journalism at Stellenbosch University Guest: Naledi Mahlangu – Young person living in Lotus Gardens Guest: Motheo Morakile – Unemployed first time voter based in Garankuwa

Pleasure Ramadimetja Peta, famously known for her stage name, Pleasure tša manyalo, is a renowned manyalo artist who rose to stardom with her debut album, Pleasure vol 1, Setagwa in 2005. Pleasure has since released classical hits such as: Lefotwana, Laela, Ntshike ka diatla, Modimo ke sethakga, Ke Lorile etc. The Ga-Mphahlele singer’s song Ke Lorile came second to King Monada’s Aye Kuwa and was the first Manyalo song nominated in the category.  Guest(Studio): Pleasure tša Manyalo – Wedding song musician

Monday the 13 of November marked World Kindness Day under the theme 'Be kind Wherever Possible'. So we thought to use today (Friday) to talk about showing kindness to each other. When last did you show kindness to someone else or witnessed an act of kindness? So this morning let's use the opportunity to share some of these stories. At the end of the segment Cadbury will give out 10 hampers during the show.  Guest: Seipati Mbokazi - Lifestyle Entrepreneur,Coach& NLP Practitioner Guest: Thabiso Mailula - NLP practitioner and Motivational Speaker

The Dr Ruth Mompati District Municipality has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the past few weeks over allegations that they paid R38 million for a shack they say is a call centre. Opposition parties have been up in arms demanding that action be taken against whoever is involved. Allegations have also been made that the municipality did not follow the correct procurement procedures. So we to get a full understanding of how all of this happened, we have invited the mayor, opposition parties and the civic organisation to give shed some light on the issue. Let’s welcome now…. Guest: Cllr Seepapitso Seepamere – Member of Mayoral Committee and Chair of Engineering and Technical Services of the Dr Ruth Mompati District Municipality Guest: Justice Dabampe – EFF Provincial Deputy Secretary in the North West Guest: Cllr Coenrad Herbst - DA caucus leader at the Dr Ruth municipality Guest: James Gadinabokao – Provincial head of Communications of the South African Civics Organisation in the North West Province 

We continue our 10-series interview in partnership with the Central Energy Fund. The series unpacks relevant issues within the sector, and provides insight into what South Africa collectively needs to do to ensure power security for all. Today we turn the focus on the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, NECSA. Who are they and what do they do? Guest: Loyiso Tyabashe – Group CEO of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation – Necsa

The SA Law Reform Commission, which is mandated with advising the government on the development of the law, has recommended the introduction of a maternity support grant for poor pregnant women, putting the cost of such a move at about R3bn a year. The commission has concluded after years of investigations that the country’s social protection system does not provide maternity and parental cover to the vast majority of self-employed workers who work in the economy's formal and informal sectors. To tell us more on the proposal is… Guest: Linda Mngoma - Legal Researcher at the South African Law Reform Commission. 

Last week the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster briefed the media giving an update on how they have been dealing with crime in the country. Police Minister Bheki Cele too centre state assuring citizens that they have the situation under control. He also blamed the media for not doing enough to highlight some of the gains they have made in dealing with some of the toughest areas that were riddled by crime. Guest: Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili - Deputy National Commissioner for Policing Guest: David Bruce is an independent researcher and consultant to the Institute for Security Studies Guest: Siphelele Ngobese - SENIOR RESERACHER AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN CITIES NETWORK  

This morning we talk to a victim of medical negligence to get a sense of the impact it has on the quality of everyday life. Hlengiwe Mbambo went in for a Hysterectomy surgery to remove her uterus, but things went horribly wrong. She has been hospitalised seven times and has undergone more surgery due to complications. She now joins us to talk about her experience. Also to talk about coping with an experience of this nature.  Guest: Hlengiwe Mbambo – PR specialist who is a victim of medical negligence Guest: Nompumelelo Mbongwa – Clinical Psychologist

We end the show by talking to the Nelson Mandela Museum and their plan to host their second African Liberation Heritage Indaba. The Indaba aims to bring together former liberation movements in the Southern Africa Development Community and the diaspora. Guest: Dr Siphe Potelwa – Deputy Chairperson of the Council

This morning Bryan will educate us about how the market report we read on our shows daily which includes oil price, gold, the value of the rand against various currencies affects us. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

The Gauteng Department of Social Development Men’s Forum will this coming Friday be honouring men who have positioned themselves as positive role models in society. The awards are being used as an intervention to curb gender based violence that has plagued the country. So we thought to use this opportunity to talk about this initiative and also to men about adding their voice to the scourge. What are men doing or should be doing to groom boys against abuse and respect to women? The other major problem is how men forums often speak to men who don’t abuse the women in their lives, how then do they reach the abusers? Guest: Bongane Ngomane – Chief Director of Stakeholder Relations in the Gauteng Department of Social Development Guest: Tebogo Lerole - Chairperson of Mzantsi Act Now  

We kick off the week by chatting to some of our academics about the state of corruption in the country. Just last week President Cyril Ramaphosa told delegates at the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council that if corruption is not arrested or stopped, it will be in the damaging of our democracy/ Chief Justice Raymond also addressed delegates and asked how we as a nation could allow corruption to take place for so many years without us doing anything about it. Guest: Professor Alex van den Heever - Chair in the Field of Social Security Systems Administration and Management Studies at the Wits School of Governance Guest: Dr Levy Ndou – Political analyst based at the Tshwane University of Technology Guest: Sandile Swana – Political Analyst and Lecturer at Wits Business School

The problem of substance abuse seems very hard to deal with as more and more young people introduce themselves to new concoctions with very devastating effects on families and communities. In light of this, the Department of Social Development and the Central Drug Authority will from tomorrow (Tuesday) host the 3rd National Summit on Substance Abuse and Illicit Trafficking under the theme: “Towards sustainable, coordinated and impactful strategies for national drug and substance use in South Africa”. They are trying to find ways to realise a country free of substance abuse through various interventions.  GUEST:  Siza Magangoe - Chief Director for Social Crime Prevention Programme and Anti-substance Abuse Programme GUEST: Itumeleng Selepe - Former Drug Addict and founder of Word On The Street, a substance and drug-free society movement (cocaine and CAT for 11 years) GUEST: Shaun Shelly - Researcher and chairperson of the South African Network of People who Use Drugs

Mamakie Motlogelwa, an award-winning musician from Itsoseng in the North West Province takes us to the weekend with her smooth Afro-soul traditional Setswana sounds. She’s nominated for the South African Traditional Music Achievements Awards this year… Guest : Mamakie Motlogelwa - Vocalist and award-winning songwriter

Dr Stavros Nicolaou joins us in studio today to talk on the work he has been doing around corporate citizenship. He was recently awarded the prestigious Hellenic ARGO Award in the Public Service category, by Greek President H.E Katerina Sakellaropoulou, in Athens-Greece. This was in recognition of his on-going humanitarian efforts. Dr Nocolaou is very outspoken on corporates leading the way when it comes to impropeople’s lives and citizen activism. Let me welcome his to talk about his journey and passion for reaching out….   Guest(Studio): Dr Stavros Nicolaou - Senior Executive for Strategic Trade Development at the Aspen Pharmacare Group

Since we’ve started the Municipal Watch feature a few years ago, we’ve spoken to Mayors, Municipal management, residents, business people and residential forums about some of the problems they face under municipalities. So today we’ve invited unions that have members in these municipalities to get their perspectives on what is going on inside municipalities and what solutions they may have to turn municipalities around?  Guest: Queen Mbatha - Deputy President at the  Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU) Guest: Cathi Nel - Deputy General Secretary: Operations at the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union Guest: Dumisane Magagula - General Secretary: South African Municipal Workers Union

We end the show now by talking to the Budget Justice Coalition. They are have submitted what they say is a comprehensive response to the 2023 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement. They go on to say that they are pressing for the need to have a transformative economic framework that addresses inequality, poverty, and the declining quality of public services in the country.  Guest: Andile Zulu – Member of the Budget Justice Coalition Steering Committee  

We continue our 10-series interview in partnership with the Central Energy Fund. The series features various stakeholders in the energy sector unpacking relevant issues within the sector, and provide insight into what South Africa collectively needs to do to ensure power security for all. Today we turn our focus on PetroSA to find out what their mandate, vison and mission is?  Guest: Sandisiwe Ncemane - CEO of PetroSA 

November being National Diabetes Month, we thought to revisit the subject as medical reports indicate that diabetes is South Africa’s second biggest killer after tuberculosis. It is said to affect 12% of the adult population leaving a devastating loss of income for many families as it’s mostly to be the provider who dies from the disease.  Guest: Dr Patrick Piotie - Senior Programme Manager at University of Pretoria’s Diabetes Research Centre

SAfm, the country’s leading national talk radio station as well as current PBS radio station of the year is excited to once again launch its popular drama playwriting competition, with the aim to promote literacy and ignite the love for sharing our South African stories.  Writers are invited to explore the medium of sound and the Theatre of the mind! -by writing a one hour play radio in South African English. To talk to us about the thinking behind the completion and what they are hoping to achieve, also what is it you should know should you be interested in the competition, we are joined by… Guest(Studio): Geoffrey Matenji – Drama Producer on SAfm Guest(Phone): Dr Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha - Head Judge of the competition

Last week we received a call from Sipho in Margate sharing his experience around the frustration of having a criminal record and how it cost him his job. He tried very hard for many years he says to get his criminal record expunged. Let’s take a listen to what he had to say…. Guest: Steve Ralekwa –Head of Legal Services in the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development  

Tributes are still pouring in for the late co-founder of Cape Town's District Six museum, Noor Ebrahim. His family announced his death on Saturday at the age of 78. Ebrahim captured District Six through photographs that are now exhibited in the museum. The apartheid regime had forcibly removed him and his family from the area. The current issue in court is that of a mediation process underway to determine whether the families residing in six cottages in Searle Street in District Six will be evicted.  They survived the forced removals during apartheid and have been living in the cottages for three generations since the 1920s. The property was bought by a Gauteng investor. So we thought to use this opportunity to remind ourselves of the history of District Six and how they got to where they are today and also what they feel is outstanding for them.    Guest: Dr Jonty Cogger - Attorney at Ngifuni Kwazi Guest: Zahrah Nordien - Chair of the District Six Working Committee Guest: Chrischene Julius - Manager of District Six Museum

This morning Bryan warns us not to scrutinize the market every day or month or even quarterly if you are in for the long term…. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

According to a report released recently by World Without Genocide, since 1996, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been embroiled in violence that has killed as many as 6 million people. The conflict is said to be the world’s bloodiest since World War two. Fighting continues in the eastern parts of the country, destroying infrastructure, causing physical and psychological damage to civilians, and human rights violations on a massive scale. Rape is also reported as being used as a weapon of war, while large-scale plunder and murder occurring in efforts to displace people from resource-rich land.  At the back of this recent report, we take a moment to dissect the genesis of the genocide in the DRC and the continued consequences of these atrocities by the Congolese people as we welcome GUEST: Claud Gatebuke – Survivor of the Rwandan genocide and human rights activist (He lived in the DRC when the killings started) GUEST: Nixon Katembo – Africa Affairs Analyst at Channel Africa

There’s been mixed reaction to the release of the Census 2022 results which were released by StatsSA last month. Some people questioned the accuracy in portraying the true population dynamics. The Census revealed that the country’s population and urbanisation at a very high level. The amount of people grew by 20% from 2011 to 2022 which translates to an increase of 10.3 million people. Guest: Risenga Maluleke – South Africa’s Statistician-General  

Department of Public Works and Infrastructure property sector conference interview (s) continue

Guest: Sihle Zikalala, minister of Public Works and Infrastructure The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala is hosting the property sector conference at the Durban Olive Convention Center today. This is the KwaZulu-Natal leg of the engagement with the property industry.   The provision of accommodation to national government departments is one of the key mandates of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI). All government services and operations are rendered from within these assets (i.e. land and buildings) serving mainly as offices, courts, police stations, correctional centres, military bases, landing strips, railway sidings, forensic laboratories, and communication towers.  Guest: Sihle Zikalala, minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

As South Africa wraps-up Social Development Month, which is themed: “Working together to build caring and sustainable communities”, we take a look at how organisations are reinforcing their commitment to fostering public-private partnerships to drive achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through transformative projects that boost local economies and empower communities.  In the Sustainable Development Goals context - How are PPPs in South Africa contribute to achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Analysing specific PPP projects in South Africa to understand their successes, challenges, and impact on social development Guest:  Professor Patrick Bond  

One of the key sessions of this year’s symposium is value-based healthcare and how this concept would advance health equity.  Guest: Dr Vuyo Gqola - Chief Healthcare Officer at the Government Employees Medical Scheme

The Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) is holding its symposium to assess the health status of the nation, unpack some of the social challenges facing the healthcare system and how to work towards health equity.  Guest: Dr Phumelela Dhlomo - Chief Marketing Officer at the Government Employees Medical Scheme

At the symposium, one of the key sessions will be unpack the policy interventions addressing the social determinants of health and what are the best practices that can be implemented to address inequity when it comes to access to healthcare.  Guest: Dr Stanley Moloabi - Principal Officer at the Government Employees Medical Scheme

As part of SAfm’s conclusion of Breas Cancer Awareness Month, we are coming to you live from Misty Hills in Muldersdrift. We are using the opportunity to speak to some of the women who are survivors of breast cancer and those who are involved in the health side of things. Breast cancer is said to be one of the most common cancers affecting women in our country and we thought to look at the support, healthcare, societal aspects and getting to understand how families can better understand how to deal and help those who are affected. We will be joined by some of the women as the show progresses who will be sharing their experiences on the painful journey.  Guest: Noelene Kotschan – Founder & Director and CEO – PinkDrive Guest: Professor Carol-Ann Benn -  Head of the Breast Care Centre of Excellence at Milpark Hospital Guest: Ntombi Mcoyi - Founder and managing director of In Rise Consulting  Guest: Josie Thekiso – Breast Cancer survivor Guest: Refilwe Sedumedi – Breast Cancer survivor

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is expected to deliver a gloomy budget, in light of poor economic  performance, brought about by record high loadshedding and the South Africa being grey-listed. And there are fears that taxes will be increased to fund the 350-rand social relief of distress grant. As you know that we’ve just received results from the latest census and thought to get an understanding of how the information obtained helps the Finance Minister allocate funds for the different projects and services government will be rendering to the nation and also how he can navigate a difficult economy where we currently find ourselves.  Guest: Dr Pali Lehohla – Former Statistician-General 

Richard Spoor Inc is at it again, this time running after Anglo American companies for claims of health damage to coal miners. Last week they filed papers in the Gauteng High Court for certification of a class action suit on behalf of mineworkers who were allegedly exposed to unsafe levels of coal dust by the mining company for years. Richard Spoor Inc is well known for many years for filing such class actions and we thought to invite them to explain what informed their reasons behind this current action, but also for you or a relative who may have suffered while working at these mines to understand how you can be part of this. Also how far back are they going to claim as many people may have passed on by now.  Guest: Chloe Hoffmann - Associate at Richard Spoor Inc   

Today being the last Tuesday of the month, Bryan deals with all you’re the questions he received from you of a similar nature. You are also more than welcome to ask him any financially related question you may have. Guest(Phone): Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

The University of South Africa is back in the news and again for all the wrong reasons. This time they’ve decided to approach the court to challenge Mister of Higher Education Dr Blade Nzimande’s decision to put the university under administration. The Minister’s decision was informed by an independent assessor in March and the 2021 report by the ministerial task team which found corruption and maladministration at the institution. Also on this show, we’ve received a lot of complaints from those studying through UNISA about wrong exam marks, staff not answering their queries, frustration around registrations and the so on.  Guest: Mametlwe Sebei – Lecturer in the Department of Jurisprudence at Unisa Guest: Ishmael Mnisi – Spokesperson for Dr Blade Nzimande Guest: Nkosinathi Mabilane – SRC President at Unisa

This weekend’s rugby victory has again put our country on the global map for all the right reasons. International media reminded us of the unity we had when Madiba handed the Webb Ellis Cup to Springbok captain Francois Pienaar following a tense 15-12 win against New Zealand in 1995. Pienaar takes us back to that day and how Madiba surprised them by wishing them luck in the change-room and what it meant to them as the team  Guest: Terry Oakley-Smith - Founder and CEO Diversi-T Guest:  Brian Mhlanga – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion specialist, speaker, mediator and facilitator   Guest: Dr Joy Owen – Head of department of anthropology at Rhodes University

We take you back to the City of Ekurhuleni this time looking at the dismal financial situation the Metro finds itself. Reports have emerged over the past few months that the municipality is on a brink of total collapse. The DA said in June that the city’s cash flow was sitting at R438m, representing less than 13 days of cash on hand. The EFF’s MMC for Finance, Nkululeko Dunga has denied all the reports in the media saying they are unsubstantiated. The Council is sitting today (Thursday) to debate the issue. Meanwhile, the Ntiyiso 2029/20 Municipal Revenue Maturity Benchmark Report warned about the situation the municipality is finding itself in today which showed that levels of revenue maturity were declining. To explain this further and the impact this will have on service delivery, we are joined by.... Guest: Miyelani Holeni - Chief Group Advisor at Ntiyiso Consulting Guest: David Barr – Vice chairman at the Primrose Ratepayers Association Guest: Jongizizwe Dlabathi – ANC Caucus Whip in the City of Ekurhuleni Guest: Cllr Fanyana Nkosi – DA Spokesperson for Finance in Ekurhuleni (Former MMC for Finance at Ekurhuleni)

We use this segment now to educate ourselves about the services of the Community Schemes Ombud Services. Living in community schemes like townhouses and so on know some of the problems that comes with living there. Be it problematic body corporate or unruly neighbours, what then are some of your rights and how do you approach the Ombuds office to get your problem solved? To educate us more on this, we are joined by...   Guest:  Thembelihle Mbatha - Acting Chief Ombud at the Community Schemes Ombud Services  

Dr Blade Nzimande Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology gives a round-up of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, launching its technology commercialisation enterprise known as CSIR C Cubed….. Guest: Dr. Blade Nzimande - Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology

Health experts say that the number of menopausal women worldwide estimated to reach 1.1 billion by 2025. Environ Skin Care conducted a survey with over 800 female respondents between the ages of 45 and 59 years old to find out the physical effects of menopause on the skin. Some of the results revealed how that women are experiencing burden of societal stigma and miscommunication.  On our health feature this morning we thought to look at the impact menopause has on a women’s skin as we welcome… Guest: Dr. Mpume Zenda - (Aka Dr Gynae) Highly experienced OB-Gynae & Sexologist Guest: Sole Jourbet - Global Brand Education Manager for Environ Skin Care

We are coming to you live from the Inanda Club in Sandton where the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, also known as the CSIR, is launching its technology commercialisation enterprise known as CSIR C Cubed. CSIR C Cubed is a fully owned CSIR company that will have a dedicated capacity to drive all aspects of technology commercialisation, providing adequate financial resources along the technology de-risking process through to commercialisation. The standalone entity will hold all CSIR IP and act as an incubator for the commercialisation of start-up enterprises underpinned by strong technical and non-financial support. Guest: Vuyani Jarana -  Newly appointed CSIR Board Chairperson Guest: Dr Rachel Chikwamba Group Executive: Advanced Chemistry and Life Sciences  Guest: Dr Motodi Maserumule Group Executive: Advanced Production and Security

Security experts at a conference on transnational organised crime which was organised by Good Governance Africa have painted a very bad picture of how explosive-based crimes are costing the country billions on rands. Cash-in-transit heists, illegal mining and ATM bombings all use smuggled explosive to commit their deeds. The conference was told that the demand is so high that syndicates are smuggling explosives, detonators and skilled blasters into the country. To tell us more on this and why South Africa has become so lucrative to these criminals,  Guest: Willem Els - Veteran police bomb disposal expert currently working at the  Institute for Security Studies  Guest: Brigadier Athlenda Mathe - National Police Spokesperson

Today Bryan talks about becoming financially more organised. Guest(Studio): Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

Universities South Africa which is an umbrella body representing public universities has welcomed the decision by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s controversial direct payment system, eZaga. You may remember how disastrous this system was and how it left many beneficiaries without funding which led students around the country taking to the streets in protest. Last week Thursday, the scheme’s board gave Andile Nongongo who is the CEO until today (Monday) to plead his case with them. As much as action is being taken, where does this leave the beneficiaries? We’ve invited NSFAS this hour to address some of your concerns seeing that there are still students who were unfunded and also we are a few months away from the new year. What is it that new applicants should know for the new year and what happens to those who are above the threshold?  Guest: Slumezi Skosana – National spokesperson at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme

In the last three years, the Political Party Funding Act has been delivered 9 quarterly reports disclosing the donations and funding activities of political parties in the country. The report is also meant to provide transparent outlook on the disbursement of public money to these parties through the seats they hold at provincial and national Legislature. The report has provided insights on who are the major stakeholders when it comes to the donors who have given over R100 000 to these associations. So far 8 major donors have been consistently donating across the political landscape. In most recent report, there have been questions raise surrounding one of a donor making a hefty donation behind a single political party and whether their affiliation to a popular financial institution doesn't blur the lines for consumers who do not affiliate themselves with the political party who received that donation. There are also new donors emerging who are back new opposition parties vying for seats in power in the upcoming election.  Out next guest will help us navigate funding that goes into political parties and unpack the big question: who is funding who? Guest: Robyn Pasensie - Party Funding Researcher at My Vote Counts

Last week residents under the AbaQulusi Local Municipality raised their frustration at the lack of service delivery and high municipal rates. These residents come from Mondlo and Vryheid which fall under this municipality. They go on to say that they are tired of promises and would like to see some action that will improve services.  Guest: Cllr Khehla Mkhwanazi – Mayor at the AbaQulusi Local Municipality Guest: Eckhart Meyer – Vryheid Resident under the AbaQulusi Local Municipality Guest: Karlien Grobbeller – Journalist at the Vryheid Herald 

We end off the program by talking about using the arts for social activism. It’s a festival called Infesting the City which musters the collaborative strengths of the University of Cape Town’s Institute for the Creative Arts (ICA) with venues, institutes, and organisations across the City of Cape Town to deliver what they say is a partnership that places the Keys to the City in the hands of its artists and redefines the ambition of what a smart city can be.  Guest: Prof Jay Pather – Director at the University of Cape Town’s Institute for the Creative Arts

We continue our 10-interview series in partnership with the Central Energy Fund which features various stakeholders in the energy sector. The series unpacks relevant issues within the sector, and provide insight into what South Africa collectively needs to do to ensure power security for all. Today we turn our focus on the African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation. It is a state-owned mining company established to secure South Africa’s energy supply primarily through the mining and supply of coal for the generation of electricity, as well as other resources that will provide energy for the future. Guest: Lemogang Pitsoe – CEO at African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation

The Media Freedom Festival is set to explore the media landscape in the digital era and is taking place as we commemorate Black Wednesday in South Africa. The Media Freedom Festival is in partnership with the SABC. Set to kick off today, the festival will be interrogating the threats and opportunities facing South African media today, what role of Artificial Intelligence in shaping the outlook of the industry and how it will impact the upcoming 2024 National Elections.  Guest: Thandi Smith - Head of Programming at Media Monitoring Africa Guest: Prof Justine Limpitlaw – From the Link Centre Wits and electronic communications law consultant

It is estimated that more than 400 million people worldwide suffer some form of mental illness. Across the world, many organizations are calling for mental health to be considered an universal human right. As we commemorate mental health awareness month at home, we focus on the mental health of our healthcare practitioners and how are they coping in work environments beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. How do we protect the people behind the professionals?  Guest: Dr Justin August - Chairperson of the Professional Board for Psychology at the Health Professions Council of South Africa

Before we start today’s conversation, Bryan had two carry-overs from last week. One being: What percentage of people have extended their term of their bond – is it a small or large percentage. The answer to the first question is that this data is not readily available or publicly released. The government programme allowing first time buyers certain subsidies. It is called the first home finance and for more information they can go to [email protected] or call 010 825 2199. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

The South African National Council for the Blind last week held its 44th National Conference in Polokwane under the theme: Strengthening the voice of the blind and partially sighted. The c9onference brought together key role players of government, interest groups, provincial and national member organisations. Some of the items they discussed were empowering blind and partially sighted persons to promote and defend their rights and also access to quality education.  Guest: Lewis Nzimamnde – National Director at the South African National Council for the Blind  Guest: Mamogoto Jan Mokoala – Newly elected chairperson at the South African National Council for the Blind 

Western Cape High Court Judge, Daniel Thulare, has ruled that the original inquest into the death of Muslim Cleric and anti-apartheid activist, Imam Abdullah Haron, be overturned. Thulare read out sections of his 101-page findings, focusing on the injuries on the Imam's body. The inquest of 1970 found that no one could be held accountable for the Imam's death after 123 days in police detention. Thulare ruled that all the Security Branch Police members of the apartheid government involved in his case were guilty of murder as a result of torture. Guest: Rodney de Kock - National deputy director of public prosecutions at the NPA Guest: Fatiema Haron-Masoet – Daughter of the late Imam Abdullah Haron Guest: Professor Muhammed Haron – Son of the late Imam Abdullah Haron  

Professor Thabo Ditsele penned an interesting article pointing out that a people can practice their culture without necessarily speaking their native language. He sights many examples of how the different groups have seen their languages evolve into a dialect only they would understand. Afrikaans is a classic example of how it transformed from Dutch to what it is today.  Guest: Prof Thabo Ditsele - Associate Professor of Sociolinguistics and Linguistic Anthropology and an NRF-rated researcher at Tshwane University of Technology

Guest: Dumza Masawana - Award-Winning Jazz Artist. 

Guest: Bronwyn Williams - Partner at flux Trends Guest: Jermaine Christians - Founder of the 7deLaanMyNou fan base community of half a million followers and the one who created the petition. Guest; Phill Mphela - Entertainment Commentator 

To close off our coverage of this conference, we speak to the Chief Executive Officer of the Road Accident Fund to unpack the institution's medical strategy and the challenges it has faced when it comes to accounting for clinical services of claimants. He will also discuss the recent agreement the institution has signed with neighboring countries Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland. We are joined by... Guest: Collins Letsoalo - Chief Executive Officer of the Road Accident Fund  

In this panel, we discuss the purpose of the medical conference and hwo the outcomes of this conference will help road accident victims. Some of the stakeholders that are attending this event are sharing their expertise, research studies and best practice policy surrounding the management of cases. It will also look into clinical services that road agencies can provide, particularly focusing on rehabilitation. To tell us more about this, we are joined by... Guest: Sylvia Shakwane - Senior Manager of Medical Advisory at the Road Accident Fund Guest: Slindile Gcabashe - Claimant Guest: Matthew McKelvey - Claimant

Some residents of the City of Tshwane metro have threatened to boycott payment of their municipal rates. Their complaint is that the delivery of basic services in the area,especially in townships, is poor. The residents say they do not see the need to pay as thei labour disput between City and SAMWU enters its fourth month.  Guest: Tshepo Mahlangu, Chairperson of Lotus, Atteridgeville, Saulsville Civic Society

Tomorrow (Thursday) is World Sight Day and one of the highlights will be on removing cataract. South Africa is said to have an estimated more than 250,000 blind people due to cataracts and 40-60%. It is also said that of those who are visually impaired, they experience vision loss as a direct result of cataracts. To find what exactly it is and what some of the signs are and also the ages that are most affected, we are joined by… Guest: Dr Bayanda Mbambisa - Chairperson of Right to Sight (Ophthalmologist)

The issue of alcohol abuse and destruction is a major one that our country is still battling with and researchers in the field warn that more needs to be done to stop the scourge. The Department of Social Development and the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance is trying to build traction towards their conference themed: “Investing in people before profits: building momentum towards the Framework Convention on Alcohol Control. They will be looking at the impact of alcohol on gender-based violence, drunk driving on the road, regulating digital marketing of alcohol to name a few. So we are using this opportunity now to look at the painful effect of alcohol abuse in our country and the need to tighten regulations. But will is help? To discuss this, we are joined by…. Guest: Prof Charles Parry - Chair of local organising committee for the Global Alcohol Policy Conference and Director for Mental Health, Alcohol, Substance Use and Tobacco Research Unit & Chair at the South African Medical Research Council Guest: Siza Magangoe - Chief Director, Victim Empowerment, Alcohol, substance abuse and social crime  

This morning Bryan talks about ways to save on your bond repayments… Guest(Studio): Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

We are coming to you live from the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. We are exploring some of the biodiversity and wildlife that can be found in our country. Also what are some of the features you and your family can enjoy while visiting this park?  Guest: Peter Gordon - Park Manager  Guest: Vusumuzi Nhlabathi - Hotel Manager Guest: Moipone Mofokeng - Socio Economic Transformation Officer

Last week on Wednesday Kagiso Capital in partnership with Kagiso Trust and FirstRand Empowerment Foundation hosted a seminar looking at the efficacy of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment. The seminar held under the theme: under the theme “Beyond the Façade – The Bittersweet Reality of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment” featured some of the country’s leading commentators and role-players to share their views on policy.  Guest: Mr Kgotso Schoeman, CEO Kagiso Capital Guest:  Konehali Gugushe – Head of Social Investing at FirstRand Limited Guest:  Ernst van Zyl – Head of Public Relations at AfriForum

70 organizations representing civil society and academia are calling for the extension of the Presidential Employment Stimulus. The funding is set to end in March 2024. The Stimulus is at risk of not being renewed, with the final decision will be announced during the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement next month. Evidence shows the national impact of the programme in only three years of implementation- in a short time frame, PES has become South Africa’s ace up its sleeve to building a society that works. It will take decades to solve youth unemployment; but losing the PES would mean reverting back to small-scale impact, instead of population-level impact.  Guest: Kristal Duncan - Project Lead at Youth Capital Guest: Prof. Lauren Graham - Development Sociologist and Director of the Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg

Xowla also known as Stallion is a very popular music producer having worked with Big Zulu, Mduduzi Ncube and Lwah Ndlunkulu. He’s also feature in the hit song ‘’Ivolo volo”.  Xowla ventured into a solo career where he released hits like Gibela featuring DJ Tira and Intando to name a few.  Guest: Xowla, aka Stallion - South African music producer  

Tuesday the 3rd of October marked the 10th annual Lot Ndlovu Lecture under the theme: Key lessons on leadership and transformation from the life of Lot Ndlovu. Mncane Mthunzi Delivered the lecture where he mentioned some of the qualities Mr Ndlovu brought to the Black Management Forum. His key pillars to the organisation were, fairness, equity and justice. Guest: Monde Ndlovu - Consultant at African Leadership Development and the son of the late Lot Ndlovu Guest: Dr Sibongile Vilakazi – President of the Black Management Forum Guest: Prof Wiseman Nkuhlu – Chairperson of Maduke Lot Ndlovu Legacy Trust and former president of the Black Management Forum  

We continue with our 10-interview series in partnership with the Central Energy Fund. We feature various stakeholders in the energy sector. To unpack relevant issues within the sector, and provide insight into what South Africa collectively needs to do to ensure power security for all. This morning we focus on how the petrol price works and to explain it all, we are joined by...   Guest: Robert Maake - Director for Fuel Pricing Mechanism at Department of Mineral Resources and Energy

This morning we speak to Mxolisi Kaunda who is Executive mayor for the City of eThekwini. He held a press briefing on Monday announcing various measures he will be applying to improve conditions for those living under the metropolitan. He spoke about his plans to reclaim hijacked buildings, dealing with the water crises and the financial state of the metro. On a positive note, the City won an award this week for the top performing project at the annual Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities 69th Conference held in Gauteng on Tuesday.  Guest:  Cllr Mxolisi Kaunda – Executive Mayor for the eThekwini Metropolitan    

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola will be launching the Masters’ Deceased Estate Online Registration System next week. The department says that the system aims to bring services closer and speedily to clients across the country thereby enhancing access to justice. We all know how difficult the process and the slow pace it takes to be completed.  Guest: Adv Kanyane Mathibe – Chief Director Strategy and Policy in the Office of the Chief Master

The Commission on Restitution of Land Rights plays an important role in the processing and restitution of land in South Africa. In recent months, the Commission has kicked off its “Know the Status of your Land Claim” campaign. The campaign has called for members of communities who have lodged their land claims (cut-off December 1998) to visit the commission’s offices to check the status reports of their outstanding claims.  Guest(Studio): Ms Nomfundo Ntloko - Chief Land Claims Commissioner at the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights  

South Africa has one of the highest rates of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome in the world. The country continues to grapple with the highest FASD rates globally, with some regions in the Western Cape recording rates as high as 31% of children born with FASD, and parts of the Northern Cape not far behind at 28%. The medical condition is incurable and Our next guest highlights the importance of prevention programmes and education within communities.  Guest: Dr Angelique Coetzee - Medical Doctor and Chairperson of South African United Business Confederation's health committee

The Eastern Cape Development Agency has recently concluded their 3rd investment conference last week. This gathering brought government, business leaders and entrepreneurs together.  Guest: Ayanda Wakaba – CEO of the Eastern Cape Development Agency Guest: Vuyani Jarana – Board chairperson of the Eastern Cape Development Agency

Mandla Hermanus - SANTACO Provincial chair in the Western Cape  Hishaam Emeran -Prasa CEO Councillor Rob Quintas - Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, City of Cape Town

Bryan carries on from last week's programme when one has reached retirement, you have options regarding different types of annuities.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Amp; Associates (Pty) Limited 

Guest: Mayor Geordine Hill Lewis - Mayor of the City of Cape Town  The City is taking the lead this Transport month by hosting an Urban Mobility Summit about public transport reform.

Guest: Nkosingiphile Seyama - Secretary General of the Swazis first Democratic Front.  Guest: Kenneth Kunene - General Secretary of the Communist Party of Swaziland 

Guest: Minister Aaron Motswaledi  

Guest: Rebone Tau - Political analyst and Research fellow of the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Conversational at UJ Guest: Prof. Lesiba Teffo -  Political Analyst and Research Director at the Democracy and Governance Program at the University of South Africa  Guest: Solly Moeng - Brand reputation management advisor and MD of strategic corporate communications consultancy DonValley and columnist.  

Ever since the KZN floods and how the municipalities there have battled to deal with the disaster, concerns have been raised at how local government responds. Climate change has become a reality and just recently even currently, the Western cape and Eastern Cape are involved in mop-up operations after being hit by floods which have claimed several lives.  Guest: Dr Gary Koekemoer – Chair of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa in the Eastern Cape  Guest: Jomo Nyambi - Co-chairperson of the parliamentary ad-hoc Joint Committee on Flood Disaster Relief and Recovery Guest: Martin Meyer - DA Member of the KZN Legislature Corporative Governance and Traditional Affairs  

This week, we have received numerous voice notes from concerned listeners of our show who are asking questions surrounding the broadcast of Springbok matches during the Rugby World Cup. According to reports, the deal reached between the SABC and Multichoice outlined that the SABC is not allowed to air the 16 games on the eMedia platform, OpenView. There are 3,2 million viewers who watch SABC channels through the OpenView platform. Guest: Ian Plaatjes – COO at the SABC

We continue with our 10-interview series in partnership with the Central Energy Fund. We feature various stakeholders in the energy sector. To unpack relevant issues within the sector, and provide insight into what South Africa collectively needs to do to ensure power security for all.  Guest: Gaylor Montmasson-Clair - Senior Economist and Facilitator of the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) says its overall audit outcome has improved compared to the prior year. This despite the Fund recording a deficit of 8.43-billion-rand in the 2022/23 financial compared to the over 400-million-rand surplus in the previous financial year. The Fund's CEO,Collins Letsoalo held a media briefing where he also outlined new measures that the fund will be applying like not paying out foreign nationals who suffer injuries from accidents on South African roads.  Guest: Collins Letsoalo – CEO of the Road accident Fund  

Often for those living with someone suffering from dementia, the journey is a very tough and difficult one. People living with alzeheimers turn to forget and say all sorts of things that can be very draining to family members. So this morning, we’ve invited a social worker to educate us about the support family members need to give to those suffering from this disease.  Guest: Welma Geldenhuys - Senior Social Worker at the Association for Dementia and Alzheimer’s of South Africa

This morning, Bryan is answering your frequently asked questions for the month of September. As always, you are more than welcome to call in with your questions for Bryan.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

Last week the South African Human Rights Commission released their report indicating that KwaZulu-Natal municipalities have infringed on residents' right to clean drinking water. Provincial authorities have blamed ageing infrastructure and maintenance failures. We then spoke to the Human Rights Commission about the report and also invited the Department of Water and Sanitation, but they asked us to allow them to study the report so that they can respond. Guest: Rismati Mathye – Deputy Director-General in the Department of Water and Sanitation

We speak now to Tracey Webster, Chief Executive of the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust. She’s says that a “seismic shift” in the education system is required to break the cycle of poverty and inequality in the country. One of the things she highlights is that South Africa is well aware of the issues that persist in the education system and has the skills and resources to address them. However, she says it will require genuine collaboration between leaders in civil society, academia, philanthropy, the private sector and government to ensure every person has access to quality education at every phase of their journey. This she revealed when launching their Education Research Report earlier this month. T Guest : Tracey Webster - Chief Executive of the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Guest : Kay Walsh - Managing Director of Nova Economics (She wrote the part of report focusing on Higher Education) Guest : Bailey Corder - Chief Operations Officer at the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (the higher education portfolio)

We close off the show with Kwaito legend Zola 7. He does not need much of an introduction. He’s been in the news for so many good reason: He was recently appointed as a "creative sector ambassador" by Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa and he has been honoured with an Ubuntu and Art of Giving Award. He was also featured on the SABC 1 documentary series, Certified Classics, on the cultural impact of his debut album: Mdlwembe and how he formed part of the blueprint of Kwaito as a genre. He joins us to talk about his journey.... Guest: Bonginkosi Dlamini – Kwaito artist, actor, writer, TV presenter, and poet

Guest: Nkululeko Dunga - MMC for Finance in the City of Ekurhuleni Guest: Thembelihle - Kwa-Thema residents This morning we turn our focus on the City of  Ekurhuleni as they went on what they call an aggressive campaign to collect revenue from companies that defaulted on their bills. On the other hand, residents in some of the areas under the municipality have gone on the rampage in protest against a lack of water especially in Kwa-Thema and surrounding areas. So we’ve invited both MMCs, for finance and water issues to talk to us and answer concerns from residents. Let’s welcome now…

Guest: Nomzwanele Mngoma – SABC journalist in the Eastern Cape (She will talk about her experiences covering the poverty stories) Guest: Corene Conradie – Gift of the Givers Coordinator in the Eastern Cape (She has been on the ground a lot, seen homes with no food, also knows about the mama who killed her children last month, hungry school children in very desperate situations) Guest: Muziki Solana - Spokesperson for the Department of Social Development in the Eastern CapeGuest: Mugwena Maluleke - General Secretary of  South African Democratic Teachers' Union  One sad province in our country is no doubt the Eastern Cape. You may remember just a few weeks ago that a mother poisoned her three children then took hr own life. This comes just a month after another mother in the same province also killed her three children and committed suicide. Police and some of the NGOs suspect this has to do with poverty and hunger. What exactly is going on in the Eastern Cape and just how bad is the hunger situation? Also what sort of intervention programmes are there from government? 

Earlier this week, the South African Human Rights Commission released a new report responding to an inquiry in relation to the KZN water crisis. Over the past year, the chapter nine institution has investigated this inquiry after receiving over 600 complaints from residents. Guest: Chris Nissen - Commissioner at the South African Human Rights Commission

PCOS is an endocrine (hormonal) condition that affects both girls and women but is often only diagnosable in women of reproductive age. Some of its signs include heavy, irregular or even absent periods, excess facial and body hair, oily skin and acne, and small cysts on the ovaries. Guest:  Karen Bester, Medical Trainee at Lamelle Pharmaceuticals

Our next guest is hosting their inaugural #WalkwithMaxeke 5km Fundraising initiative in partnership with Freedom Park Heritage Site and Museum. #WalkwithMaxeke Fundraiser will be commemorating 83 years of Mme Charlotte Maxeke’s passing with the core objective of supporting the Future Leaders, Future Farmers Initiative.  Guest: Nonhlanhla Msomi - Project Lead at the Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke Institute (CMMI)

Guest: Brian Hiersch, Personal Finance 

Director of the EPWP Vukuphile Contrcator development programme, this is one of the sub-programmes of the EPWP Guest: Thembani Mackaukau, Director of EPWP Vukuphile Contrcator Development Programme

Guest: Sihle Zikalala,Minister of Public Works Guest: Tshepiso Ramufhi, Director Construction Management at department of public works Department of Public Works is hosting an Imbizo, where the minister Sihle Zikalala will be engaging public on benefits and challenges for Women and Youth in Construction

Saturday saw the burial of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi who passed away at the age of 95. A lot of good things were said at the funerals by those who were given the chance to speak. But then as we all know that the man has a very dark history that we can’t just forget. So this morning we thought to look at the African way of remembering somebody as we are taught through history to not speak ill of the dead? Wars have been fought among different tribes, how then did they deal with the memories?  Guest: Dr Zulumathabo Zulu – African historian and author who is with the Madisebo University Guest: Mbuso Khoza - Cultural practitioner, singer and song writer and actor  

The Department of Social Development has been doing road shows consulting children on the National Strategic Plan on Gender Based Violence and Femicide. This plan is the country’s blueprint document in dealing with the scourge of GBV and femicide.  However, speaking to children on this, the department says that they (children) say that it is not child friendly and sadly it has forgotten them and men.  Guest: Lumka Oliphant – Spokesperson for the Department of Social Development

We are joined in studio this morning by Tessa Dooms and Ebony Chutel. They co-wrote a book entitled, Coloured: How Classification Became Culture. One of the most popular and common phrases used generally is that of 'Not being black enough or white enough’– If you identify as 'Coloured'. Guest: Tessa Dooms - Director at the Rivonia Circle  Guest: Lynsey Ebony Chutel - Journalist and writer   

Bongeziwe Mabandla soothes us into the weekend with his brand new album ‘amaXesha’. He will be kicking off his Southern African tour in a few days which was sparked by three sold-out album release shows in Johannesburg and Cape Town in June this year.  Guest: Bongeziwe Mabandla – IsiXhosa folk artist   

Residents under the Buffalo City Municipality have taken their municipality to court disputing the inconsistent billing they are getting from the municipality. The municipality is reportedly deducting 80% of the electricity purchase so that this amount can go towards outstanding arrears. The other complaint residents are raising is that even houses that are not occupied as the owners live oversees, the billing comes very high.  Guest: Sthandiwe Velaphi – Journalist with the Daily Dispatch  Guest: Samkelo Ngwenya – Spokesperson for the Buffalo City Municipality Guest: Leonard Ncumbese – Founder of the Community Dialogues   

Gabon's new military leader says he plans to maintain relations with France, despite Paris condemning the coup there two weeks ago. The junta-appointed Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima says there is a need to maintain the link because of the French investors involved in the country's mining and oil industries.  Guest(Studio): Nixon Kathembo - Channel Africa Producer and Africa Affairs Analyst  Guest(Texas via Zoom): Professor Toyin Falola - Professor of History at the University of Texas Guest(Gabon): Lyonel Bonbon – Gabonese politician

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been accused of nepotism after appointing his son as one of a new set of ministers following his controversial re-election last month. It's reported that Mnangagwa named his son David Kudakwashe, deputy finance minister as part of the parliament's youth quota. He also reportedly appointed his nephew, Tongai Mnangagwa, the deputy tourism minister.  Guest: Karam Singh - Executive Director at Corruption Watch  Guest: Dudu Msomi – Founder and CEO of Busara Leadership Partners Guest: Cynthia Schoeman - Managing Director of Ethics Monitoring & Management Services

DKMS Africa says that it’s leveraging its annual Sunflower Day this coming Friday  (15 September) to appeal for more blood stem cell donors. They have been engaging the media sending out stories of some of the people who paased on simply because they could not find matching donors. So this morning we thought to talk about understanding some of the blood cancers and also why it’s important for many of us to start donating.  Guest: Dr Sharlene Parasnath - Clinical Haematologist at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital Guest: Palesa Mokomele - Head of Community Engagement & Communications  

Bryan carries on from last weeks programme when one has reached retirement, you have options regarding the different types of annuities.  Guest(Studio): Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

A student activist has written to the SA Human Rights Commission to investigate the human rights violations that have taken place in the 2023 academic year by the student financial aid scheme, NSFAS. In the application, our next guest highlights the defunding of students and the implementation of the new payment system as examples of how students have been stripped of their human dignity. This is not the first chapter nine institution he has approached, he has written to the Public Protector calling for the investigation into the financial aid scheme back in July 2023. Last week, the financial aid scheme appeared before Parliament to answer questions on the dire state of affairs at the agency.  Guest: William Sezoe - outgoing SRC Vice-Chairperson at Stellensbosch University    

Last Friday the 8th of September marked International Literacy Day with initiatives from many organisations all trying to interest people in reading. The big question is how can we jointly win this battle? Could it help if we also prioritised reading in our mother tongues? Also how do we compete with children who seem to be more interested in their phones than reading books?  Guest: Dr Yanga Majola - Tshwane University of Technology lecturer at the Department of Applied Languages Guest(Studio): Yamkela Tywakadi - Author of 15 books who writes in English, Isixhosa and IsiZulu   

There has been mixed reactions to the passing of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi over the weekend. Many commentators referred to him as someone with a mixed legacy, from the conflict between the ANC and IFP in the 90s later to peacemaker. Also the leadership role he played the royal house of KwaZulu-Natal.  Guest: Dr Mosibudi Mangena – Former Minister of Science and technology also former president of AZAPO Guest: Prof Mary de Haas, Violence monitoring expert Guest: David Letsoalo – Sankarist, an activist and Law academic  

Mandla Mlangeni is no stranger to the jazz scene in our country. He and his Amandla Freedom Ensemble have been doing a lot of politically themed performances and recently released a new album entitled Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth. He now joins us in studio to talk about his offering and journey through jazz….. Guest :Mandla Mlangeni – Trumpeter Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for Jazz

Focus: During our open line this morning, an anonymous caller shared their painful experience trying to access their social grant this week. After that call, the show was inundated with callers who have been left in the same situation. We reached out to officials at the  South African Social Security Agency and Postbank to get an update on whether the payment system difficulties had been resolved, what communication platforms had been put in place to reach beneficiaries that have been affected and what beneficiaries are expected to survive until the issue is resolved.  We are joined... Guest: Dr. Bongani Diako - National Spokesperson of PostBank

Stand-up comedian David Kau marks 19 years of his Blacks Only Comedy show this year. When one speaks to comedians, they will tell you that most of their material derives from politicians. So this year, the show is themed: Coalition Pact which he say was inspired by the current political climate. He now joins us in studio to talk about the show, how they come up with material, the business side of things, and the growth of comedy in the country Guest (Studio): David Kau – Stand-up comedian

We continue with this 10-interview series in partnership with the Central Energy Fund which features various stakeholders in the energy sector. The series unpacks relevant issues within the sector, and provide insight into what South Africa collectively needs to do to ensure power security for all. Guest: Gadibolae Dihlabi – Managing Director, Liquified Petroleum Gas Association of South Africa

The South African Local Government Association this week held a National Members Assembly in Ekurhuleni at the Birchwood Hotel which was attended by leaders and stakeholders in local government across the country. The main issue of the gathering was to look at what the vision of local government was, and what has transpired over the years. Speaking at the gathering, SALGA’s President Bheke Stofile said that while remaining mindful and appreciative of the progress made by the sector, there should be a reminder that at the time of the development of the new democratic system of local government, certain policy assumptions were made as to what the system would focus on and how it would be resourced and supported.  Guest: Samkelo Janda – Chairperson: Governance and Intergovernmental Relations Working Group at SALGA

President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday (Tuesday) apologised for the delay in concluding lifestyle audits on members of the executive. He says that this was as a result of him intervening and demanding that the initial process be abandoned in favour of a more comprehensive process. He was responding to Parliamentary questions in the National Assembly where he said that the process is under way and he expects it to be concluded soon.  Guest: Reuben Maleka – Spokesperson for the Public Servants Association Guest: Stefanie Fick · Executive Director of Accountability Division at Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse  

Cervical cancer is said to be the fourth most common cancer among women internationally. In South Africa is is said to be the second most common cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age. Another fact is that more than 95% of cases of cervical cancer are caused by human papillomavirus. Doctors now say that men are not immune either and are also at risk of developing penile, throat, and anal cancer due to HPV.  Guest: Dr Jason Bennett – Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Mediclinic Tygerberg Hospital  

Today Bryan re-visits retirement planning in relation to where you are, the future build up and ultimately retirement.  Guest(Studio): Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

Last week’s fire tragedy that claimed the lives of 78 people at the Usindiso building in Johannesburg became a perfect opportunity for political blame shifting and scoring. The sad part about such tragedies is that leadership never acts before something like this happens.  Guest: Rev Dr Tshawane – Author of a book entitled: The Rainbow Nation: The vision of the beloved South African Community – It's a book based on Desmond Tutu’s legacy and principles Guest: Lorenzo Davids - CEO of the Development Impact Fund Guest: Rev Mpho Molebatsi - Social Commentator  

The scourge of gender-based violence in our countrycontinues unabated. Every day in the news we hear of storiesof women being beaten or killed by their partners. Often we aregiven stats around how many women continue to face abuse.So this morning we hear straight from two women who will besharing their experience at the hands of abusive partners. It istheir experience that lead them to start an NGO in their  neighbourhood to help women and men who find themselves in abusive relationships.   Guest(Studio): Nonkululeko Mthembu – Co-founder ofUsukulwethu Foundation Guest(Studio): Nozipho Pule - Co-founder of UsukulwethuFoundation Guest (TELEPHONE): Nomfundo Mogapi – CEO of the Centrefor Mental Wellness and Leadership    

The Human Sciences Research Council is currentlyrunning the 20th edition of the South African Social AttitudesSurvey. The national survey measures the perceptions of thepublic on a range of issues such as crime, service delivery, racerelations, poverty, etc. In it's latest round of data collection,the survey seeks to ask participants about voter participation.The questionnaire will look into the Democratic landscape andthe voting intentions of society. This data will form part of theIEC's preparations ahead of the 2024 national elections.  Guest (TELEPHONE): Dr. Benjamin Roberts - ResearchDirector at the HSRC and Coordinator of the South AfricanSocial Attitudes Survey

 A few days ago, the Health Department, Africa Centrefor Disease Control and Prevention, Africa Health Business andthe South African Chapter of the BRICS Business Council held adialogue about collaboration in dealing with future pandemics.The discussions focused on what they say is a potential African Union and BRICS framework of cooperation with regard to Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention, Response and Recovery.Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla joins us in studio to talk aboutsome of the outcomes and benefits for the country Guest (STUDIO): Stavros Nicolaou - Head of the BRICSBusiness Council

This morning we usher in the weekend with Maleh, real name Malehloka Hlalele. Very popular within the South African music scene returning with a powerful album titled Lerato Laka.  Guest (Studio):  Maleh (Real name Malehloka Hlalele) – Afro-soul musician

Jessica Mbangeni is a very popular female Imbongi who has done a lot in her career as a poet, entrepreneur and now a Bishop. She has been traveling the world lately posting on social media from different countries. Guest (Studio): Dr Bishop Jessica Mbangeni – Poet, Imbongi and entrepreneur  

The South African Local Government Association in KwaZulu-Natal has called on government to provide councillors with security in light of escalating attacks and killings. Provincial SALGA Chairperson Thami Ntuli says this follows the assassination of Msunduzi ward 41 councillor Mabhungu Mkhize last week, at Imbali outside Pietermaritzburg. Earlier this month, NFP councillor Ntombenhle Mchunu was brutally murdered at KwaNongoma. Ntuli elaborates. In the previous 10 months 17 councillors were killed in that province. Is Salga’s proposal practical seeing how councils battle with providing services to communities?  Guest: Sboniso Mngadi – Spokesperson for the KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Guest: Kwanele Ncalane – Spokesperson for the KZN Community Safety and Liaison Guest: Thami Ntuli – Chairperson of SALGA in KZN Guest: Martin Meyer - DA KZN Spokesperson on COGTA  

Our next guest Nontobeko Gcabashe says that she believes social cohesion is possible through grassroots women leaders, provided they are given the platform to showcase their capabilities. She is Programme Manager of Kagisano at Afesis-corplan and they are setting up a community development programme which they say seeks to work hand-in-hand with community structures to prevent collective violence inclusive of gender-based violence (GBV), taxi wars, xenophobic attacks, gang wars.  Guest: Nontobeko Gcabashe - Programme Manager of Kagisano at Afesis-corplan Guest: Bertha Chiguvare – Programme Coordinator at Lawyers for Human Rights (Implementing the programme in Limpopo)

Last week we spoke to Floyd Brink who is city manager for the City of Johannesburg. A question was posed to him from a listener regarding the electricity billing in Johannesburg. Let’s take a listen to the question and the response Brink gave…. Guest: Tshifularo Mashava – CEO of City Power

Health experts say that Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a condition that is often misdiagnosed. Not only that, but plagued by myths and misunderstandings, particularly regarding treatment. It is said to affect approximately 1 in 20 children and stays with them into adulthood where we see about 1-million adults in South Africa. Guest: Prof Renata Schoeman - Psychiatrist and Head of Healthcare Leadership at Stellenbosch Business School and convenor of the 4th Southern African Multidisciplinary ADHD Congress  Guest: Dr Meryn Young - Specialist psychiatrist and member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists

This morning, Bryan is answering your frequently asked questions for the month of August.  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

Climate change and energy policy affects us all on the daily basis. Last year, South Africa has committed that it would implement the Just EnergyTransition Partnership if it could access concessional loans and grants to the value of USD$1,5 trillion. Since these negotations, various non-state actors may work behind the scenes to dilute the nation’s response to  climate change or energy mix. The public has a right to know whether non-state entities are using bilateral meetings and other fora to influence public policy to protect their profits instead of our future.   Guest: Tracey Davies - Executive Director of Just Share (Non-profit shareholder activism organisation) Guest: Caroline James -  Advocacy Co-ordinator at amaBhungane (Non-profit centre for investigative journalism)

When opposition parties gathered to discuss a united front in un-sitting the ANC in next year’s elections, one of our listeners remarked that they did not see a representation of women. The Multi-Party Charter for South Africa was only presented by parties led by men. As we build-up to the 2024 elections, it seems like the future of women will again be determined by the men leading these parties. Even within the ruling party, some of the women who raised their hands form the position of president were not supported by their fellow women. In light of this, we thought to look at what has happened to the voice of women in politics. The women of 1956 marched by themselves without the involvement of men and changed the narrative. So what is happening today?  Guest: Mandisa Mashego - Project Director: South African Electoral Reforms at New Nation Movement Guest: Nomsa Marchesi – Former DA MP and now with Rise Mzansi Guest: Qaanitah Hunter - Assistant Editor: Politics and Opinions at News24     

Today (Monday 28 August) marks exactly 60 years since Dr Martin Luther King Jr made his famous “I have dream” speech in 1963. 60 years down the line, has Dr Martin Luther’s dream been fulfilled in the USA? The fact that America already had a black president and currently has a deputy who is female and black, is this proof enough that the country has transformed since Dr King made the speech was made?  Guest: Dr. Felicia Wilson Young - Education officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development Guest: Dr Dinesh Sharma - Cultural psychologist and internationally acclaimed author, one of his books being ‘The Global Obama’ 

Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited   

We are coming to you live from the Sandton Convention Centre where leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are meeting for the 15th BRICS summit to discuss closer cooperation and sustainable growth.  Guest: Busisiwe Mabuza - Chairperson of the BRICS Business Council

We continue our coverage of the 15th BRICS summit at the Sandton Convention Centre where leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are meeting to discuss closer cooperation and sustainable growth.  Guest: Lerato Mataboge - DDG of Trade and Investment at the Department of Trade and Industry

This coming Wednesday, the 23rd of August Zimbabweans will be going to the polls. Sadly though, commentators believe that there won’t be any surprises as Zanu-PF is likely to stay in power. Nelson Chamisa’s Citizens Coalition for Change is expected to gain a lot of votes, but as history has shown, many Zimbabweans on social media feel that Zanu-PF is not going anywhere.  Guest: Chris Maroleng – CEO of Good Governance Africa  Guest: Hopewell Chinono – Zimbabwean journalist, documentary film director and anti-corruption activist Guest: Nixon Kathembo - African Affairs analyst and Channel Africa Producer

As the strike by SAMWU at the City of Tshwane continues over a wage increase, residents are battling to deal with a lack of services like refuse collection and other services rendered by the municipality. So in light of this, we thought to find out what is the recourse for affected residents on the ground under such situations. We’ve invited the office of the City of Johannesburg Ombudsman to educate us as residents over some of the cases they deal with. For instance, can the municipality bill you for a period like this where services were not rendered due to a strike? Are you justified in refusing to pay for the affected month? Also what is it that the office of the Ombudsman does and what kind of cases do they deal with? To educate us on this  Guest: Adv Sbu Gumede - Ombudsman for the City of Johannesburg

It was on this day (August 17th) in 1982 that academic and anti-apartheid activist Ruth First was assassinated by the apartheid regime through a parcel bomb while working at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo. She has played a huge role in the fight against that brutal system and has been arrested a couple of times. As a journalist she exposed a lot of the atrocities committed by farmers on black labours, something the then regime would never allow to be published. Sadly, too many young people don’t know much about her today. So we though to invite her daughter and former fellow-comrade who was there when the explosion happened to share their memories of this great freedom fighters Guest: Shawn Slovo – Daughter of Ruth First and Joe Slovo Guest: Pallo Jordan – Former Minister of Arts and Culture in the Mbeki cabinet and also anti-apartheid activist

This week, the stage is set for another big meeting of political parties as the Democratic Alliance hosts the Moonshot Pact convention. Major players in the opposition benches of Parliament are set to attend the two-day gathering to discuss a pre-election Coalition agreement among the stakeholders and unseat the African National Congress in the next election. Over the weekend, reports began to surface two key stakeholders attending the convention shared their concerns surrounding the DA's intentions regarding working with the ANC in next year's elections. This is after a document was circulated on at least 15 instances where senior officials of the Democratic Alliance has hinted at possibly working with the ANC. The parties have called for all parties to sign a declaration that it would not enter into any agreement with the governing party. In this hour, we discuss what are the implications of development on the eve of the convention and consider if the convention will end with no consensus. We are joined by... Guest: Kgothatso Madisa - Political Reporter at the Sunday Times Guest: Lulu White - Founder and CEO at the Elections Management Consulting Agency of Africa (EMCA) Guest: Michael Beaumont - ActionSA National Chairperson    

Our next guest has set her sights on addressing some of the challenges that small to medium business owners face in the Johannesburg region and support their voice in the business community. She also wants to use her appointment as an opportunity to create more conducive environment for trade by overcoming some of the service delivery challenges facing the region. We are joined by... Guest: Constance Mashaba - President of the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Since the start of the new semester, campuses around the country have been protesting against the new payment system implemented this year and the defunding of student beneficiaries. This week, NSFAS held a media briefing addressing the teething problems with the new payment system and the reasons behind why they have stood behind defunding students midway through the academic year. They have also held meetings with the institutions of higher learning given the protest action. In this hour, we speak to the fund to address the queries that have been made by students and parents alike. We also speak to student representative councils on the state of campuses in the last few weeks and how beneficiaries on ground have been left stranded by these decisions. We are joined by… Guest : Keamogetswe Masike - SRC President at Tshwane University of Technology (He was suspended after the protests) Guest : Phiwokuhle Qabaka - SRC President at University of Stellenbosch Guest (TELEPHONE): Slumezi Skosana - Spokesperson of National Student Financial Aid Scheme

Our next guest has been in the music industry for the past 25 years and is a multi-award winning gospel visionary. This journey started at the tender age of 15 years old as a member of Joyous Celebration. Since going solo in 2011, she has amassed over 100 million YouTube views for her music. This morning, she joins us in-studio to talk about her latest album Guest (IN-STUDIO): Ntokozo Mbambo - Artist, Voice Coach and

We are joined now by renowned South African guitarist, Billy Monama and legendary South African artists like Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse. You may wonder why? Well, they are bring us closer to our past to help us reimagine our future during Heritage Month. They and other acclaimed South African artist will host a one-night-only limited-ticket concert called Mayibuye iAfrika: The Freedom Songs. To tell us more on this and why they deem this important, the two gentlemen now join us in studio Guest(Studio): Billy Monama – Renowned South African Guitarist Guest(Studio): Sipho Mabuse – South African internationally acclaimed musician

Today we go back to the Enoch Mgijima Municipality to find out what has happened since the last time we spoke to them in February of this year (2023). Residents were complaining about a lack of water and unreliable electricity supply. They were in the news recently when the Hawks raided their offices in connection with R15-million that was spent for an incomplete Lesseyton Sports Facility that got residents fuming. To find out about the current state of the municipality and whether services have improved, we are joined by…..   Guest: Paul Mahlasela – Chief Financial officer at the Enoch Mgijima Municipality Guest:  Cllr Mandilakhe Matsolo – EFF Councillor in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality Guest: Tokkie Deysel – Senior DA Councillor at the Enoch Mgijima Municipality

This morning, Bryan unpacks the importance of financial planning for women. But as always, he will also deal with any other financial questions you may have.... Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

In recent weeks, we have been holding a series of panel discussions focusing on democracy and our engagement in its practices. As you all know, we are a few months away from another elective cycle where we will be presented with a myriad of colourful campaign promises.Today, we turn our attention to the youth and their relationship with elections as a democratic practice. In this discussion, we look at two different perspectives on how young people could engage with the 2024 elections and if they will galvanize their power as the largest voting demographic to create change. One of my guests believes that young people should not vote and feels that it would send a message to political parties. My second guest believes that it is in our inaction that our nation will only further deteriorate. We are joined by… Guest: Tshepiso Mangano - President of South African Youth Business Chamber  Guest: Siphelele Chirwa - Chief Executive Officer of Activate! ChangeDrivers