The Daily Discourse

As unrest continues in Ethiopia for almost a year now, the country’s government has reportedly ruled out holding new elections to address the grievances behind protests. The riots started late last year when government decided to expand the capital, Addis Ababa into the surrounding farmlands in the Oromia region. Is this really about the expansion or is there more to it? Prof Mammo Muchie - Resear...

Mike Mlingana - DG in the Department fo Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Ismael Motala - President of the African Farmers Association of SA in the Western Cape

Last week along list of children in need of foster care circulated in the media with please to the public to adopt or give financial aid. The list stated different reasons including unknown whereabouts of the biological parents. Looking at the list, one wonders why would so many children be abandoned? What are some of the reasons behind this and how bad is the situation in the country?

Swiss caregiver platform, STUWARD with the blessing of Dementia SA has come up with an online interactive support for caregivers looking after patients or family members suffering from Dementia. The platform is said to be a useful tool for caregivers to go to when they need guidance. For a country like South Africa where not everybody has internet access, how will it work?

Last week saw the final debate between U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Trump said he would accept the result of the Nov. 8 election - "if I win" - fueling Republican concerns his stance would make it harder for his party to maintain control of Congress. Clinton referred to the comment as horrifying. Well with just a few days to go before...

Psychological matters with Joanna Kleovoulou’ - “Is arguing a natural part of every relationship”

As the debate on the decolonisation of knowledge continues. This morning we look at the discipline of mathematics and assess where it fits into the debate. Our guest argues that it’s not obvious how mathematics can be decolonised at the level of content; however she firmly believes that it can be decolonised.

Last week we spoke to Douglas Gibson, South Africa’s former Ambassador to Thailand who spoke about the state of healthcare in South Africa. Gibson was reacting to the latest Global Competitiveness Index by the World Economic Forum which ranks South Africa as 123rd out of 138 countries in the health and primary education category. This is what Gibson said regarding waiting periods at public hospita...

Over the centuries the African continent has been a focal point for western powers in terms of mineral resources which led to colonisation. Over the years many countries managed to liberate themselves. But then issues of development remain critical as many countries are still behind. How then can the continent move forward in achieving goals that will lead in the right direction?

As the year comes to an end, for those in school or university are heading towards exam time. Experts are already encouraging them to take it easy so that they don’t stress too much during the exam. But then where does one start to prepare? Is it better to start with the year or rather do it around this time? What is the best way to go about preparing for an exam?

Over the years we have been told that the Khoi people are the first indigenous people of South Africa. Now with the discovery of Mapungubwe, Commissioner Neluvhalani Nemapungubwe says this is not true and that we may also have to rewrite history. What is the true history as far as he is concerned?

Future Nation Schools which is part of the Sifiso Learning Group is bringing to life what they says is a new and experiential model of learning for 21st century scholars. They go on to say that their model makes schooling relevant to the continent of Africa while leveraging technology and the needs of the surrounding communities. Just how different is it from what is already out there?

Dr Alice Evans argues that in order for the world to amplify ongoing progress towards gender equality, we need to increase exposure to both women as professionals and men as carers. But how can it be achieved and why men don’t do as many household tasks?

The role of Chief Financial Officer is slowly becoming threatened as many computer software does what accountants do. This is of particular concern for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. As far as they are concerned, what does the future hold for CFO’s and how can they stay relevant?

Lately we’ve seen how major cities are investing in tourism initiatives, this time it is the City of Tshwane. The city’s Tourism Association launched its comprehensive tourist map for the metropolitan area. What sort of interesting information does it contain and also what are some of Tshwane’s tourism attractions?

Many of us often wonder how the brain of a child functions and also the difference between the left and right brain - also why certain people use their left brain while others use the right. Well an interesting programme called SYNC which is targeted for children between 5-14 promises to make children use their full brain function. How exactly does it work and what sort of strategy is it using?

SMME’s have become a strategic way of dealing with unemployment in many countries. The sector has become key in contributing to the GDP. But many entrepreneurs will tell you just how difficult it is to stay afloat due to economics and other factors like funding and skills. What is it exactly that’s making it difficult? Is it funding and skills or is there more to it?

We dissect the objectives of the annual psychology congress (currently underway at Emperors Palace). This year’s congress will take a critical look at the profession’s ability to respond to context and to wider social needs. So this morning we ask, are psychologists making the appropriate contribution to present-day social needs?

A Dutch NGO called SPOTS which is based in the Netherlands is putting pressure on their travel agents to respect guidelines which they lobbied for when it comes to tourism that involves animals. One of the guidelines is that petting/taking pictures and or walking with animals like lions, is unacceptable. They are strongly trying to educate the international public about the harmful practice of can...

Last week Meisie Nkosi, owner of Bella Bonni Guest House was recognized as the Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year. She owns a four-star graded Guest House, based in eMalahleni (Witbank) which encompasses 18 rooms. Under the trying economic climate, how did she manage to stay afloat and also what can she tell us about overcoming obstacles in her industry?

Violence and abuse against women is widespread in South Africa and internationally. This despite several awareness campaigns by government and civil society organisations, like trade unions. This morning we ask, are our trade unions doing anything, let alone enough to support the struggle against women’s oppression in society?

Universities are often criticized for not keeping up with developments in the workplace which can help them align their qualifications with industry. In light of this, the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Engineering and Build Environment (FEBE) will roll out its approved three year BEngTech and Built Environment Bachelors qualifications next year in order to further align the University’s...

Ever wondered how export credit and investment insurance works? The Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa is a company that provides insurance solutions to local exporters and puts then in a favourable light to the international market. How exactly does this work and what sort of risks do they cover?

International experts gathered in Cape Town on Friday to discuss curbing industry marketing of harmful products to young people. Some of the arguments that were made were on how governments should deal with companies that manufacture these products. But then how much more can be done to punish the companies involved and is it fair to point the finger at these companies?

Women in Electricity under the Association of Municipal Electrical Utilities this week held their first conference under the theme: Women powering smart cities. This they say echoes the milestone event of 1956 where women stood together to achieve a common goal. What lesson are they taking from this theme?