The Weekend View

The phenomenon known as "Blesser" has hit social media like a storm. Health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi in his budget speech this week also addressed the issue, outlining a plan to empower young women to keep them away from so-called blessers or sugar daddies. Spokesperson for the Blesser-find website, Ditsego and Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, Chairperson of the Moral Regeneration Movement speak to...

Head of the ministerial committee established to deal with Vuwani in Limpopo, Des Van Rooyen, says some Grade 12 learners from Vuwani and surrounding villages will be provided with tablets. Stationery and some school records have been destroyed at 24 schools that were torched and vandalized in the area during demarcation protests. Chief Mbangiseni Masia and Limpopo MEC for Education, Ishmael Kgetj...

A recent study by Municipal IQ has shown that South Africa has seen 70 protests affecting the country up to April this year alone. Municipal IQ believes that 2016 could see a record for protest action not seen in the past 10 years. SALGA's Executive Manager, Seana Nkhahle and Political Lecturer at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and PHD candidate, Thando Nomarwayi spoke to Elvis Pressli...

With the local elections coming in less than three months' time, service delivery protests are on the increase. This is according to data collected by Municipal IQ, an organisation that specialises in research on service delivery protests. In a statement, Karen Heese, who is an Economist at the Municipal IQ has expressed concern about an increase in service delivery protests just before elections....

Jovial Rantao,Dominic Mahlangu,Rudzani Bologo looking the top stories of the week with Elvis Preslin

CASAC Exec. Director Lawson Naidoo says our constituition allows the nation to have robust discussion and an amendment can be done if people ask for it. Elvis Preslin spoke to him about this

Dr Leon Wessels is a former deputy chairperson of the constituitional Assembly in 1996 he helped draft the constituition. Elvis Presslin ask him if the constiituition has assisted us to safeguard our democracy..

As the country continues to ride the wave of economic challenges, labour union Solidarity has warned that the jobs of approximately 60 thousand employees in various industries across the country are hanging the balance due to large-scale retrenchment processes. We spoke to Gideon du Plessis, General Secretary of Solidarity on their report on looming job losses....

This week on the Person I am, we featured retired presidential spokesperson and anti-apartheid activist Mac Maharaj who bestowed with the Luthuli Order at this year's National Orders Ceremony this week. Born Sathyandranath Ragunanan Maharaj, Mr Maharaj fell in love with politics at a young age and was later charged with sabotage and sentenced to the historical Robben Island prison where he would s...

The country's 3rd biggest party is launching its election manifesto today aiming big. The Economic Freedom Fighters will be at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto gearing up for the August 3 municipal elections. The elections are seen as a major test for the party - as it will be contesting local government elections for the first time. We spoke to the University of Pretoria's Political Analyst, Profess...

The National Credit Amendment Act (NCAA) has introduced affordability assessment regulations with an aim of helping credit providers, effectively assess the consumer's ability to repay credit and also protect consumers from reckless lending practices. Prior to these regulations, the National Credit Act (NCA) was not prescriptive on how affordability assessments should be conducted. We spoke to Lou...

Deputy editor for the Times Newspaper and News editor at the Mail & Guardian, Beauregard Tromp discuss their top stories this past week with Elvis Presslin

Civil society groups are urging South Africans to use Freedom Day to reclaim its freedom. Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa has encouraged South Africans to use the celebrations of Freedom Month to strengthen solidarity, tolerance, national identity and social cohesion. A 50-minute documentary, "The People vs The Rainbow Nation" has questioned South Africa's "rainbow nation". Film maker/dir...

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane officially starts the party's race for the local government elections as he launches his party's manifesto at the Rand stadium, south of Johannesburg today. We spoke to Head of Political Economy at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, Ralph Mathekga and Researcher at Media Tenor, Jordan Griffiths...

Political Parties in Parliament have expressed mixed views on whether the debate on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) should be reopened. We spoke to former TRC commissioner, Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza and Doctor Marjorie Jobson of the Khulumani Support Group ....

This week's Person I am is the first Black woman to be awarded a doctorate in the Discipline of Town Planning at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Hangwelani Hope Magidimisha. Born in Ngudza village in Limpopo, Dr Magidimisha says her biggest motivation as a child came from her uneducated parents who, despite not having had the opportunity themselves, encouraged her to be all she had the potenti...

The Benchmarks Foundation has kicked off a rolling action campaign aimed at highlighting the lack of adherence by mining companies, to the fundamental principle of Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), which is endorsed by the World Bank and United Nations. This action is particularly directed at Australian-owned Mineral Resource Commodities (MRC) and Transworld Energy's (TEM) for their role in...

Recent reports about the alleged collapse of suspected Ponzi scheme MMM have brought the issue of the over stretched middle class to the fore. This as the majority of the working class are reportedly investing in the scheme to supplement their income. A recent study by Momentum and the University of South Africa found that the real net wealth of South African households decreased in 2015. Accordin...

The governing party officially kick starts its municipal elections campaign today with a launch of its election manifesto. The African National Congress is hoping to win back lost voters across the country and stay in control in the country's seven out of eight metros. At its October National General Council - the party was worried about the loss of the support from black middle class, especially...

The South Africa Revenue Service (Sars) has warned dishonest taxpayers that they will turn up the heat on those who try to cheat the system. This as SARS collected over a trillion rand for the 2015 / 2016 tax year. Despite this, there are some tax payers who have lodged complaints with the office of the Tax Ombudsman regarding discrapancies in how they have been taxed. Last year the office tabled...

Krivani Pillay, Safm executive producer and editor at the Star Newspaper, Kevin Ritchie discuss their top stories for the week with Stephen Kirker

The newly formed Zimbabwe political party, People First (PF), is organising a march in Pretoria demanding that diaspora-based nationals vote in their country's next elections in 2018. The party, formed by the Zimbabwe's former vice president, Joice Mujuru, has been drumming up support in the country in recent weeks. Its supporters will march to the Embassy offices in Pretoria on April 14 where the...

Logan Wort, executive secretary of the African Tax Administration Forum talks about the meeting between tax experts from Africa and the world in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg from Monday to discuss the Taxation of Extractive Industries...

In our consumer conversation this week, we look at the issue of the price of milk which is set to rise next month as milk producers face production shortages following an ongoing drought in the agricultural sector. Economists say this rise comes on the back of recent rises in the prices of white maize which is the staple crop for some lower-income households and that of yellow maize which is used...

The IEC has appealed to voters to use this weekend's last voter registration to update their addresses. The Commission has taken a number of measures including an SMS campaign and special forms to ensure that all eligible voters participate in the August 3 municipal elections.