The Daily Discourse

We speak now to Wits University as they are one of the institutions doing something about the issue of youth unemployment. Their division for Enterprise had a positive response a day before orientation. They highlight issues of access to funding for those interested in entrepreneurship and also access to institutions of higher learning. Basically, they are painting a heartbreaking picture of the h...

A new Mastercard and Deloitte Africa report says that the financial services sector in South Africa is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. It goes on to say that rapid developments in digital technologies are both disrupting and enabling change in previously disconnected sectors, such as banking, telecommunications and retail. For a perspective on this, GUEST: Paula Buchel - Financial Serv...

Last week the Office of the Registrar of Labour Relations issued a notice regarding the requirement of the amended labour laws that trade unions and employers need to have secret ballots of their members before embarking on industrial action. There was an immediate outcry from unions, especially SAFTU and its largest affiliate, NUMSA. However, there is also a debate regarding the interpretation of...

The Equality Court yesterday (Tuesday) ruled that AfriForum deputy chief executive Ernst Roets was not in contempt of court when he tweeted an image of the offensive apartheid flag. You may remember that Roets posted the image on Twitter soon after the Equality Court, sitting at the South Gauteng High Court, declared that the gratuitous display of the apartheid flag amounts to hate speech. But the...

Yesterday (Tuesday) we held a discussion around security at institutions of higher learning where we’ve recently seen incidents of crime aimed at students. One of the missing elements was the role of the police in keeping students safe. What is their role in it and what sort of assistance are they giving in protecting the students? GUEST: Lirandzu Themba – Spokesperson for Police Minister Bheki Ce...

Over the years many people who won their land claims were often accused of not knowing what to do with the land. Even currently with the ANC having taken a resolution to take the land back, the questions is still being asked as to what people will be doing with the land? Well, let’s talk now to someone who has been assisting those who won their land back GUEST: Peter Setou - Chief executive at Vum...

This past weekend saw how African leaders united in praising former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe for the role he played in fighting colonial powers. The question then arises over where these leaders lost it? If they could stand together in fighting a common enemy, why can’t they stand together in fighting economic hardships? Why can’t they rebuke each other for human rights abuses? Where is...

We often talk about life assurance, with our focus on protecting families in the event of premature death. There are many other reasons why one buys life assurance. GUEST : Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

Amnesty International is calling on political parties running for the October 15 general elections in Mozambique to respect human rights. The call comes as a reminder of attacks on civil society leaders, activists and journalists over the past few years. They go on to say that political parties and candidates running for elections have to commit to a culture of respect for human rights. To get a s...

Students from the University of Zululand on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal yesterday (Monday) marched against the high levels of crime at their institution and off-campus student residences. The students say they feel that the university is being neglected because it is based in a rural area. Earlier this month, the issue was also raised by students from the University of Cape Town following the...

Many South African male celebrities and ordinary citizens have dismissed accusations of rape and sexual assault leveled against them on Twitter. The men were implicated in a controversial Twitter thread, where sexual assault victims anonymously shared their stories including the names of their alleged rapists and sexual assault offenders. GUEST: Gert van Der Merwe

There's been a mixed reaction to last week's release of the national crime stats from different organisations. The highlights were mostly on murder and gender based violence. But then something that seems to have slipped off the public's radar due to the current situation is that of business robberies. According to Richard Phillips, joint CEO of Cash Connect says that South African businesses are...

The National Union of Mineworker and other stakeholders gathered in Welkom this past weekend (Saturday) to celebrate world Literacy Day under the theme “Thuma Mina through Adult Education and Training to the 4th Industrial Revolution”. With some of the mining companies, they are placing greater efforts to promote adult learning. Why have they decided to go this route and how important would they s...

Over the weekend African leaders paid tribute to former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Many of them remembered him for the role he played against fighting colonial powers and assisting other liberation movements. But Mugabe is also being blamed for leaving Zimbabwe in a terrible economic state. How did the country get here and what is the future looking like? GUEST : Peter Ndoro - SABC TV anc...

The South African National Editors' Forum says it will formally approach the leadership of the Economic Freedom Fighters in another attempt to resolve the party’s "ban" on certain media attending their events. Sanef held its September council meeting on Saturday where they discussed several issues, including the EFF’s “banning” of amaBhungane, Scorpio, and Daily Maverick from attending their party...

Time now for the Friday Music Wind Down, this morning we profile Soweto-born, Award winning artist, Gloria Bosman. Gloria is also a theatre performer, a Jazz, House, Gospel and Soul Singer. Gloria Bosman and the University of Johannesburg Choir will be hosting a concert today at the UJ Arts Centre, UJ Kingsway Campus, in Auckland Park this evening (13/09/19) to celebrate its rich arts and culture...

As the fourth industrial revolution is taking over all industries in the world, we turn our focus on the tourism and hospitality sector. How is it going to impact the industry and as a country, are we ready? To help us navigate this subject, we are joined on the line by… GUEST: Dr Diane Abrahams – Director, School of Tourism and Hospitality

Last night the National Research Foundation hosted an award ceremony to acknowledge those who make a difference in the world of research. The awards celebrated excellence among the South African research and academic community. We use the opportunity to talk about the state of research in the country. How are we doing since we are not the highest ranking nation when it comes to maths and science?...

Civil society groups continue to raise their voices against gender based violence in the country. We as a country are trending for the wrong reasons. These past two weeks have been the heaviest as we so too many young girls are being killed by either their partners or just plain criminality. The focus is shifting towards men to do something. But then are the men coming forward and what is it they...

Women across South Africa have mobilized to march against sexual, gender-based violence and Femicide under the hash tag SandtonShutdown. The march started at three this morning, the women say the JSE will be shut down during this demonstration. GUEST: Koketso Moeti, Founder of Amandla Mobi, a mobile platform that empowers marginalized communities to take collective action on issues ranging from pu...

The Kwazulu-Natal government is set to launch a massive crops planting programme this week. This in effort to create vibrant agricultural communities and improve food security in the province. The multi-million rand province-wide planting programme will be launched in the Mkhanyakude District Municipality. For more on this we are now joined on the line by Mr Sihle Zikalala, the Premier of KwaZulu-...

On Tuesday South African Breweries, SAB & Anheuser-Busch InBev, World's largest brewer, hosted a roundtable discussion on the importance of localisation and creating Black Industrialists in South Africa, as part of an update on the Enterprise Development pillar of the Public Interest Commitments (PIC) agreements made to government and which are aligned to National Government Agenda. This morning f...

As South Africans celebrate Heritage Month; events around the attacks against foreign nationals are putting strain on the celebrations. How then do we as South Africans celebrate while this is going on in our country and how do we forge a common heritage as one Africa to preach a message of unity? Where is the Ubuntu principle and how do we revive it under these circumstances? GUEST: Professor Pit...

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) says it is concerned about the lack of consequences from almost all the municipalities that appeared before the committee on Tuesday. Scopa met with six municipalities who had failed to obtain a clean audit for three consecutive financial years. The committee wanted to understand from the municipalities what has led to the near collapse of financia...

New research warns that African consumption of illegal drugs is projected to become a public health emergency. According to the study by ENACT - a European funded project, it is anticipated that by 2050 there will be a total of twenty-three million drug users in Sub-Saharan Africa. The continent's looming drug crisis is said to be fuelled by organised crime and poor policy. For more on the finding...