The Daily Discourse

On our Citizens Corner this morning we chat to African Christian Democratic Party leader Rev Kenneth Meshoe. They launched their manifesto under the slogan of service, order and safety. This year is also the year that the marks 30 years of existence and one of the messages Mr Meshoe wants the country to know is that they want a South Africa with a vibrant, healthy economy; where jobs and opportuni...

Yesterday, a four-story building collapsed in central business district of George. Disaster management teams have been working around the clock to rescue construction workers trapped under the rubble. In a media statement released this morning, George Municipality confirmed that a total of five (5) patients have been declared deceased. Twenty-six (26) patients have been removed from the rubble of...

The climate crisis is a global issue, but poses significant local impacts. It particularly affects poorer and vulnerable communities in South Africa.  Urgent action is required, but transitioning from our coal-heavy economy while leaving no one behind requires careful planning. Despite the imminent introduction of the Climate Change Bill, efforts to bolster climate resilience and shift away from f...

As we mark Worker's Month, celebrated under the month of May, we thought to turn our attention on the role unions can play in saving jobs if given a chance by employers. We've seen massive retrenchments over the years, from the mining sector, to the post office which was just recently as many of them are shutting down the different branches. Yes economists do point to the harsh economic conditions...

As we continue to take a closer look at political parties and their promises ahead of #Elections2024, we unpack the manifesto of the Abantu Batho Congress who launched three weeks ago addressing unemployment, corruption, housing, crime, basic education and primary healthcare. In their Manifesto, they have advocated that it would advocate for an independent KwaZulu-Natal in a move they call reclaim...

That was the voice of Miriam Makeba speaking before the United Nations Special Committee on Apartheid on the 21st of March in 1964. She also appealed for "quick and real action" against South Africa's racial problems accusing the then government of "trying to keep us in bondage, with the utmost brutality, against the will of the entire world". Guest:  Dr Yvonne Chakachaka - South African internati...

We continue our Friday chats with the different political parties that are contesting the upcoming elections. To we turn our focus on Al Jama-ah. On top of their list of promises is creating what they call decent jobs, clean water and crime. On a more controversial side is that they are calling on men to play their part in society where they provide for and protect women.  Guest: Ganief Hendricks ...

The Joy is a South Africa vocal group that made the country proud on the international stage by performing with American Grammy award-winning rapper Dija Cat on two of her tracks. They sang in isiZulu which was just one of the most beautiful performances.  Guest : The Joy – South African vocal group made up of Pastor (Ntokozo Magcaba), Duzie (Melokuhle Mkhungo), Guduza (Sphelele Hlophe), Sthombe (...

We end the show by looking at a very positive story regarding our economy. The PwC Economic Outlook report for 2024 which focuses on foreign direct investment (FDI) which was released on Monday. It shows that foreign investors in the country have a positive outlook of the country. One of the highlights is that the country’s economy attracted almost R100 billion in foreign direct investment inflows...

The South African Local Government Association says that the debt owed by government departments to municipalities now sits at R3 billion. Earlier in the week , Salga’s KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Thami Ntuli said that they are generally battling to collect what is owed in services because of the prevailing difficult economic conditions in the country. He went on to say that municipalities are now f...

This morning, Bryan will be unpacking your questions that you have submitted throughout the month. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

Two weeks ago, we started a conversation surrounding the right to work, job creation and the dignity of a living wage. We further expanded this discussion by unpacking if political parties have provided reasonable economic interventions in their manifestos that will address the unemployment crisis. Where we last left the conversation, a critical point had been raised surrounding the types of jobs...

In one of our final discussions for Freedom Month, we  unpack the Quality of Life surveys that have been conducted in  South Africa in the last three decades. While South African  cities have higher quality of life scores than their African  counterparts, there are still major stumbling blocks facing a citizen’s ability to access public goods, economic opportunities  and the protection of their so...

The United Nations (UN) is increasingly concerned about a possible  imminent attack on al-Fashir in Sudan’s North Dafur region and is seeking to  reduce tensions in the area, a UN spokesperson said on Friday. War erupted  in Sudan one year ago between the Sudanese army (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), creating the world’s largest displacement crisis. Al-Fashir is the last major c...

Today, we focus on the manifesto ActionSA with the party’s Premier candidate for Gauteng Funzi Ngobeni. Gauteng is one of the provinces that are highly contested with the biggest challenges. What is he and his party bringing to the residents of this province and what would he say will give them as ActionSA the advantage over other parties? Guest: Funzi Ngobeni - Action SA Gauteng Premier Candidate

We usher in the weekend with the smooth jazz sounds of Kyle Shepard. There’s just so many descriptions of him in the media, from jazz maestro, film and theatre composer while being internationally recognised for his distinctive style. One of his achievements is winning the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year for Jazz in 2014. How does he describe himself and his music in one sentence?  Guest :...

We continue our series with Miyelani Holeni talking about the different spheres of local government and how they can be improved in order to run municipalities more efficiently. This morning we turn the focus on professionalising local government. This is something many of the campaigning political parties are promising to look into. What then can we safely say is behind municipalities ending up w...

Johannesburg will be playing host to this year’s Africa Children’s Summit. It brings together children from across the African continent to share their experiences on matters of children's rights, interventions by their governments and share recommendations or solutions. This week while making the announcement, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, Dr Linda Ncube-Nkomo said that what will hap...

As we continue to coverage of political parties ahead of the 2024 National and Provincial elections, we speak to the Economic Freedom Fighters on their election manifesto that was launched back in February 2024 in Kwa-Zulu Natal. The theme of their election campaign: “Our Land and Jobs Now! Stop Loadshedding” as part of their road to victory. The 2024 manifesto has seven pillars: (1) land expropri...

Yesterday (Tuesday) during the Open Line, we played you a snippet of an interview we did last years on the 6th of December with the national Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu where he made a commitment that the people of Giyani will have their water problems sorted out by the end of 2023. As we all know, that is not the case as the people on the ground spoke to the SABC this past Monda...

This morning, Bryan is discussing the generation gap and answering the question: Are children supporting parents or are parents supporting children? What is the sandwich generation?  Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates 

The expansion of social protection has been discussed since the White Paper on Social Security of 1998. Our next guest argues that universal basic income should not been seen as social welfare but as economic stimulus. Our next guest argues that universal basic income is one of seven pillars that required to turnaround South Africa’s outlook and address the declining living standards of the past 1...

We continue with our Freedom Month coverage, we return to the conversation we started looking at the progress and challenges faced by persons with impairments after 30 years of democracy in South Africa. In part one, we explored freedom, exclusion from key rights and political representation in society. The discussion also explored the foundational policies that were put in place to advance equali...

We continue our series on discussing 30 years of our democracy and how we go to where we are today. Many of you have been touched by the opening clips of some of the stalwarts we play when we start the show. Some comments that come in talk about how bad the country has turned out compared to what our freedom fighters fought for. So this morning we take a look at history and whether it heals of ope...

Focus: Our next guest hails from the streets of Majazana in Johannesburg South. He first burst onto the scene when he won a contest on Jam Alley back in 2010. His next break would happen when his TikTok video on his take of John Legend’s “Nervous” Open Verse Challenge went viral globally back in 2022. John Legend performed and met with him in 2023.  Since then, he has released new music with hits...