NIGHT FALL

The Minister of  Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) today addressed a press conference regarding the  Cabinet’s approval of South Africa’s Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy, as well as the approval for the publication of the Mineral Resources Development Bill (MRDB) of 2025 for public comments. Guest: Kagiso Menoe, Director Beneficiation Economics -...

Judy_Marie van Noordwyk wrote for her PhD dissertation a very interesting research titled “Confronting heritage of shame: Approaches to cultivating anti-racist praxis among younger generations of white Afrikaans speaking South Africans’. Guest: Judy Marie van Noordwyk, Researcher - Nelson Mandela University

Bhuti Manamela - Deputy Minister of Higher Education

Velenkosi Hlabisa - Minister: Cogta

 Siphumelele Zondi - Technology expert and lecturer

Masela Nhlapho - Chief Executive Officer of the African Rail Industry Association

Guest: Neri Singh, Women’s Space Project Co-ordinator - Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa

Guest: Prof Anthoni Van Nieukerk, Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs.  

Guest: Solly Molayi - Acting DDG for Population and Social Statistics - Stats SA  South Africa’s official unemployment rate increased by one percentage point to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025. The data shows an increase of 237 000 in the number of  unemployed people , bringing the total to 8.2 million

Nonhlanhla Mtshali - Legal analyst

Zaid Kimmie - Executive Director: Foundation for Human Rights.

Kamogelo Theledi - Journalist lecturer and a PhD student

Thabang Bogopa - Crime researcher - UNISA

Annabel Fenton - Research Communications Officer at the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, LSE

Paseka Letsatsi - SASSA spokesperson

Nduduzo Makhathini - Pianist, composer, Researcher

Dr Oscar van Heerden - International relations expert: UJ

Leeto Ntoba - Political analyst

Mpumelelo Zikalala - Legal analyst

Gen Z, politics and polarisation Guest: Tara Ross, Politcal analsyt and Unesco Youth ambassador   

President Ramaphosa was in Nelson Mandela Bay in the past two days alongside some ministers. He engaged the Eastern Cape provincial government. The civil society organisations in Gqeberha were hoping they could address some of their grivances with the President (which never happened). Guest: Zukile Madikane, Member of Nelson Mandela Bay Civil Society Coalition

Commissioner at the The SA Human Rights Commission responsible for land reform, food sovereignty and the national preventive mechanism Philile Ntuli argues in her recent piece that a time has to really reconsider the role of tenure trusts in South Africa. Guest: Philile Ntuli, Commissioner - SA Human Rights  Commission

The Free State asbestos case involving, among others, former Free State premier Ace Magashule and businessman Edwin Sodi. Sodi pleaded not guilty. Guest: Karryn Maughan, Jounalist - News 24

Various groups have raised concerns regarding the Minister of Public Works Dean McPherson and the issues with the Independent Development Trust with some accusing him of targeting black executes. He has instituted a number of investigations. Guest: Kganki Matabane, BBC CEO

Former deputy Finance Minister and MTN chair Mcebisi Jonas has been appointed as South Africa’s envoy to the United States. Guest: Prof Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, International relations expert - Wits University