The Weekend View

The country's 3rd biggest party is launching its election manifesto today aiming big. The Economic Freedom Fighters will be at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto gearing up for the August 3 municipal elections. The elections are seen as a major test for the party - as it will be contesting local government elections for the first time. We spoke to the University of Pretoria's Political Analyst, Profess...

The National Credit Amendment Act (NCAA) has introduced affordability assessment regulations with an aim of helping credit providers, effectively assess the consumer's ability to repay credit and also protect consumers from reckless lending practices. Prior to these regulations, the National Credit Act (NCA) was not prescriptive on how affordability assessments should be conducted. We spoke to Lou...

Deputy editor for the Times Newspaper and News editor at the Mail & Guardian, Beauregard Tromp discuss their top stories this past week with Elvis Presslin

Civil society groups are urging South Africans to use Freedom Day to reclaim its freedom. Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa has encouraged South Africans to use the celebrations of Freedom Month to strengthen solidarity, tolerance, national identity and social cohesion. A 50-minute documentary, "The People vs The Rainbow Nation" has questioned South Africa's "rainbow nation". Film maker/dir...

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane officially starts the party's race for the local government elections as he launches his party's manifesto at the Rand stadium, south of Johannesburg today. We spoke to Head of Political Economy at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, Ralph Mathekga and Researcher at Media Tenor, Jordan Griffiths...

Political Parties in Parliament have expressed mixed views on whether the debate on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) should be reopened. We spoke to former TRC commissioner, Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza and Doctor Marjorie Jobson of the Khulumani Support Group ....

This week's Person I am is the first Black woman to be awarded a doctorate in the Discipline of Town Planning at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Hangwelani Hope Magidimisha. Born in Ngudza village in Limpopo, Dr Magidimisha says her biggest motivation as a child came from her uneducated parents who, despite not having had the opportunity themselves, encouraged her to be all she had the potenti...

The Benchmarks Foundation has kicked off a rolling action campaign aimed at highlighting the lack of adherence by mining companies, to the fundamental principle of Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), which is endorsed by the World Bank and United Nations. This action is particularly directed at Australian-owned Mineral Resource Commodities (MRC) and Transworld Energy's (TEM) for their role in...

Recent reports about the alleged collapse of suspected Ponzi scheme MMM have brought the issue of the over stretched middle class to the fore. This as the majority of the working class are reportedly investing in the scheme to supplement their income. A recent study by Momentum and the University of South Africa found that the real net wealth of South African households decreased in 2015. Accordin...

The governing party officially kick starts its municipal elections campaign today with a launch of its election manifesto. The African National Congress is hoping to win back lost voters across the country and stay in control in the country's seven out of eight metros. At its October National General Council - the party was worried about the loss of the support from black middle class, especially...

The South Africa Revenue Service (Sars) has warned dishonest taxpayers that they will turn up the heat on those who try to cheat the system. This as SARS collected over a trillion rand for the 2015 / 2016 tax year. Despite this, there are some tax payers who have lodged complaints with the office of the Tax Ombudsman regarding discrapancies in how they have been taxed. Last year the office tabled...

Krivani Pillay, Safm executive producer and editor at the Star Newspaper, Kevin Ritchie discuss their top stories for the week with Stephen Kirker

The newly formed Zimbabwe political party, People First (PF), is organising a march in Pretoria demanding that diaspora-based nationals vote in their country's next elections in 2018. The party, formed by the Zimbabwe's former vice president, Joice Mujuru, has been drumming up support in the country in recent weeks. Its supporters will march to the Embassy offices in Pretoria on April 14 where the...

Logan Wort, executive secretary of the African Tax Administration Forum talks about the meeting between tax experts from Africa and the world in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg from Monday to discuss the Taxation of Extractive Industries...

In our consumer conversation this week, we look at the issue of the price of milk which is set to rise next month as milk producers face production shortages following an ongoing drought in the agricultural sector. Economists say this rise comes on the back of recent rises in the prices of white maize which is the staple crop for some lower-income households and that of yellow maize which is used...

The IEC has appealed to voters to use this weekend's last voter registration to update their addresses. The Commission has taken a number of measures including an SMS campaign and special forms to ensure that all eligible voters participate in the August 3 municipal elections.

This week on the Person I am we featured Senior Knight Fellow at International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and former Editor-in-Chief at weekly publication, the Mail & Guardian, Chris Roper. Roper was served as a photographer for the late award winning journalist Mandy Rossouw when she when they stumbled on the expose on a construction at the president's home 2009 and the rest as they say is his...

This week on the editors we engaged Sbu Ngalwa - Daily Dispatch Political Editor, Beaurgard Tromp - Mail & Guardian News Editor and Sbu Ngalwa - Daily Dispatch Editor on the stories making headlines this week

Struggle veteran and ANC stalwart, Ahmed Kathrada has joined the mounting calls for president Jacob Zuma to step down from office. This as analysts say the recent developments regarding the president have presented another opportunity for opposition parties to re position themselves in the country's political landscape ahead of the upcoming local government elections. President Zuma's presidency h...

There have been mixed reactions to President Jacob Zuma's apology on the Nkandla saga. President Zuma apologised to the nation for the way he handled the recommendations of the public protector that he pays back a portion of the money spent on his private Nkandla home. His apology comes on the back of the landmark constitutional court ruling that the remedial actions of the Public Protector are bi...

This week on the consumer slot we focus on the University of Stellenbosch's Legal Aid Clinic which says it is eagerly awaiting a judgement due to be made by the Constitutional Court on emolument attachment orders. Fifteen consumers earlier approached the Western Cape High Court declare attachment orders made by 13 credit providers against their salaries unconstitutional. They say clerks of the cou...

In our theme story this week we take a look at the proposed titanium mining in the scenic Wild Coast. Slain anti-mining activist , Sikhosiphi Bazooka Radebe will today be laid to rest at his home village of Mdatya in Bizana in the Eastern Cape. Bazooka was gunned down in front of his family. He was opposed to the proposed open cast titanium mining at Xolobeni in the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape....

As christians around the world gather at their respective places of worship and travel far an wide on various pilgrimages, to observe and commemorate easter, a question arises on whether this holiday has held to its christian origins. Current traditions now include having Easter eggs, the easter bunny, as well as hot cross buns. We spoke to Professor Jennifer Slater who is Unisa's systematic theol...

While gross earnings have increased above inflation over the last year due to higher wage settlements most of this will be eroded by the increasing inflation which now stands at 7 per cent way above the reserve bank's target. In addition, the higher inflation number coupled with the increasing oil price and the 30cents petrol levy coming into effect in April mean that consumers are likely to pay b...

There has been one confirmed and six suspected cases of the hand, foot and mouth disease at Ga-Sekgopo village outside Tzaneen in Limpopo. There have been several cases of the disease in Polokwane. It is caused by the Coxsakie virus and symptoms include fever, muscle pain, and sores or blisters in the mouth, feet, hands and throat. The Health department has today held an awareness campaign in the...