The Daily Discourse

Today (15 June) being World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we use the opportunity to learn more about the plight of elderly people in our country. What is their situation like and also do we show appreciation for the elderly? Is the situation so bad that we should even dedicate a day to their plight?

Newsmakers and Guest Experts offer their insights and perspectives into the national and global discourse on politics, economics, education, social matters and comprehensive dialogues on cultural diversity and other essential issues of public interest like, poverty alleviation, unemployment rate and health related issues.

This week Thursday marks exactly 40 years since the June 16 Soweto uprising. A tragic event that made international headlines where school children were shot and killed by the apartheid police while protesting against the use of Afrikaans a medium of instruction. This morning we speak to Letepe Maisela who published a novel called ‘The Empowered Native’ which is based on the activities of the 1976...

It is public knowledge that South Africa has one of the worst youth unemployment problems in the world. So this morning we are joined by Mpho Mothubi to tell us about his various initiatives which are geared towards motivating and assisting unemployed young people of this country.

Devamrita Swami who is an educator and author in the Krishna bhakti tradition is in the country to attend the Ahmed Kathrada memorial lecture. This morning we talk to him about one of his books entitled “Hiding in Unnatural Happiness”. In this book he gives his perspective on the quest for happiness. With so much unhappiness in the world even among rich people, how should humanity find that happin...

Psychological matters with Joanna Kleovoulou’

Focus: An Monday we brought you an interview about the private sector meeting with government and the SMME sector at Constitutional Hill about a way forward for how companies can assist in resolving challenges faced in our economy while also scoring BEE points. Well one of the solutions that came out from it was the Inyosi Supplier Development which is aimed at giving black owned suppliers access...

Focus: As we start off Youth Month today, we turn our focus on the challenges we always hear about regarding young people in the country. This year marks 40 years since the uprising and often a picture is painted about just how they are not showing interest in their future. Looking back to what those in the 70’s did to shake the country, are we expecting too much from the youth of today? Guest: Nt...

Focus: We discuss how cleanliness and punctuality can positively affect development on the African continent. Our guest argues that when you look at African cities you see dirt, unkempt gardens, unkempt fences, chaotic traffic. And these cities according to him run on “African time”, itself a discredited concept. As Africans what do we need to do to change or modify our attitudes? Guest: Sandile S...

Focus: The Mineworkers Investment Company and Stella Credit together with government, private and SMME sector are tomorrow (Tuesday) holding a debate on how companies can assist in resolving challenges faced in our economy while also scoring BEE points. The debate will also focus on solutions for the SMME sector which government see as one of the solutions for the unemployment challenge we are fac...

Focus: former Prime Minister of Australia Mr Kevin Rudd shares his views and thoughts on South Africa’s role in the multilateral system. Rudd is currently visiting South Africa to discuss the ICM’s evaluation of the current multilateral system and how it can adapt to address key global challenges. Guest: Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia, now Chair of the Independent Commission on Mul...

Focus: Extraordinary Professor, Henning Melber dispels the myths about Africa’s rising middle class, he argues that if we are serious about the need for social change and transformation, we should be as serious about class analysis. Guest on the line (Germany): Henning Melber, Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria

Focus: For many years governments around the world have been trying to deal with the problem of illegal brewing. The strange thing about this is that it has a high demand while impacting on formal manufacturers, government revenue and people’s health. Some experts say Tax stamps are becoming more widely used by governments to deal with this problem. How exactly do they achieve success and what are...

South Africa made international headlines over the xenophobia attacks which brought a lot of shame on the country. Government came up with various initiatives aimed at teaching South Africans to embrace other nation’s cultures. On a day like this, have we learnt how to embrace and not to discriminate against our fellow Africans and what will it take?

South Africa is said to have an incredibly rich biodiversity, third after Brazil and Indonesia. It is also the only country to contain entire floral kingdom which is said to provide a wide range of products and services for both commercial and subsistence purposes. To celebrate International Biodiversity Day, the South African National Biodiversity Institute has come up with different educational...

As we continue to celebrate Africa Month in different aspects, this morning we get to understand what the African Peer Review Mechanism is all about. The APRM was initiated in 2002 and established in 2003 by the African Union in the framework of the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). The objectives of the APRM are primarily to foster the adoption of policies, s...

Today we discuss “Childhood Stress’ – signs to look out for and tips on how to manage it”

We turn our focus on colon cancer trying to understand what it’s all about and also assess some of the symptoms associated with it and find out what is involved in treating it?

As the American race to the White House seems to be between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, we turn our focus on Clinton’s political trail. In his latest book entitled “The Global Hillary”, Dr Dinesh Sharma asks whether Clinton can advance American leadership and women's development worldwide?

We learn more about Civics Academy (due to be officially launched today) a new online education initiative that aims to strengthen democratic values and inspire active citizenship among the youth.

Prospects for a post Mugabe era. The principal argument that our guest advances this morning is that there have been human rights abuses under President Mugabe’s presidency and the task of addressing the country’s traumatic past can be effectively executed through the mechanism of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). But can it work in Zim? What can Zimbabweans learn from other countries a...

Education has become a priority concern for the country as a whole in both private and public schooling. Last week, Cambridge International Examinations held its schools conference under the theme ‘Leading Learning’ which focuses on the importance of everyone in a school - the principal, teachers and students alike - as leaders of learning. How does this help in enhancing learning and what is it t...

The African continent is mourning its own loss after Congolese music legend, Papa Wemba died at the weekend. The 66-year old collapsed on stage in the Ivory Coast while performing at a festival. Wemba, whose real name was Jules Shungu Webadio, shaped Congolese music in the 1970s and 80s, making soukous music the most popular sound in Africa. What is it we will remember the most about Papa Wemba? G...

The Zika virus in South America has left some pregnant women with a tough decision of whether to abort or run the risk of their babies being born with Microcephaly, a birth defect where a baby is born with an abnormally small head and a short life expectancy. Experts say what started out as a question about containing the virus and the causal relationship between Zika and microcephaly, has now esc...

Focus: Over the years we have seen more and more international franchises opening in the country even now with the negative perception that is being created about our economy. Experts in the business sector say this is a very significant development and growth for the economy. What should we read into this and also is franchising a viable business option for entrepreneurs? Guest: Christo Botes – E...