The Weekend View

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to appoint his deputy president, ministers and their deputies soon. Ramaphosa has begun consultations on the appointment of a new cabinet after agreeing to form a broad coalition with opposition parties. The Government of National Unity (GNU),  includes parties such as the DA, IFP, Patriotic Alliance (PA), GOOD Party, the PAC FF Plus and on Friday the UDM beca...

As we celebrate Youth Day, it's a sharp reminder that South Africa has one of the highest youth unemployment rates globally, with 61% of those aged 15-24 and 40% of those aged 25-34 being very vulnerable. Young people face unique challenges when it comes to finding their place in the world.  Some of the challenges youth in South Africa face include high levels of unemployment, limited access to qu...

The Healthy Living Alliance - HEALA - is warning that the obesity epidemic facing the youth of South Africa, inadvertently places them at risk of major non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, pulmonary diseases, strokes, certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes. According to Discovery's 2023 ObeCity Index, more than 20 million South African adults (20 years and older) are obese, with 13...

Research conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council in 2022 found that 30% of South Africans between the age  16 and older consumed alcohol. However, 90% of these drinkers engaged in binge drinking, meaning they sometimes consumed four or more drinks in one sitting. Meanwhile, non-profit organisation,  Aware.org says 50% of teenagers in South Africa drink alcohol.  One of the organisation's...

A new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has revealed that elephant poaching is on the decline.  The reduction of cases has been linked to the closure of key domestic ivory markets which has significantly reduced demand . On the supply side, the conviction of high-level traffickers across Africa and Asia has limited the flow of illegal ivory.   Wildlife organisation - Wild Af...

For some analysis  on the new Cyril Ramaphosa GNU , Bongiwe Zwane spoke to  political analysts Sandile Swana and Dr Fikile Vilakazi...

Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected President of South Africa. He beat EFF leader Julius Malema by 283 votes. Malema received 44 votes and was nominated by the UDM. Ramaphosa was nominated by the IFP. The win paves the way for Ramaphosa to lead an ANC led government of national unity. The leaders of parties that constitute parliament following the 29 May have also congratulated Cyril Ramaphosa on...

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo will TODAY preside over the swearing in of the permanent delegates in the National Council of Provinces - NCOP. This follows YESTERDAY's swearing in ceremony of  the hundreds of Members of Parliament at the Cape Town International Convention Centre during the first sitting of the National Assembly of the seventh Parliament. To walk us through today's process Bongiwe Zwa...

The Don Consultancy Group Chief Economist, Chifipa Mhango says the South African 2024 Election results have transformed the political landscape, and the challenge remains on transforming the economy.   The new South African government faces enormous domestic challenges, which are stimulating economic growth, job creation and confronting structural inequality. To unpack this Bongiwe Zwane spoke to...

At least six political parties have written to Chief Justice Raymond Zondo asking him to appoint a retired judge to facilitate talks on the formation of a Government of National Unity. The UDM, ACDP, ATM, PAC, UAT and BOSA say the 18 political parties that secured one or more seats in the National Assembly should be allowed to decide the make-up of government after no party garnered enough votes t...

As consultative talks to set up the 7th administartion under a government of national unity continue THIS WEEKEND, some political parties have expressed support for the ANC proposed idea while some have outright rejected the suggestion and announced they will not be part of the project. ANC alliance partner, COSATU, has openly opposed any coalition that involves the DA. To hear what the other fede...

Over 20,000 runners from South Africa and other parts of the world have set off in the 85-km Comrades Marathon, regarded as the richest race on the African continent. The cash price for this year's race is over R4 million. .. This year's Up Run started earlier THIS MORNING at Durban's City Hall and will end at the Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg. It usually takes a year fo...

As a way of laying the ground for a stable and sustainable GNU, the ANC has also called for a national dialogue to help rebuild social cohesion. To help us understand what the national dialogue would hope to achieve Bongiwe Zwane spoke to political analyst, Dr Ongama Mtimka 

As consultative talks to set up the 7th administartion under a government of national unity continue THIS WEEKEND, some political parties have expressed support for the ANC proposed idea while some have outright rejected the suggestion and announced they will not be part of the project. .The Democratic Alliance (DA) and Inkatha Freedom Party (IPF) say they're not opposed to the idea of a governmen...

INTRO: On FRIDAY Bafana Bafana secured an important point with a 1-1 draw against bitter rivals Nigeria in their World Cup Group C match at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. The Super Eagles,  initially favourites in Group C, had draws in their first two qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Hugo Broos' side began with a win over Benin but suffered a surprising defeat to Rwanda. Meanwhile th...

For the first time in history, a cricket World Cup starts on American soil today after America and West Indies won the joint bid to host the event in 2021. Action begins when the United States host Canada in Dallas and will conclude with the final on the 29th of June at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. The Proteas' opening match takes place tomorrow at 16:30 (SA time) when they face Sri Lanka at t...

Political parties can raise objections but threats to the IEC are unproductive: Analyst

As talks on establishing coalition governments will soon start between political parties, some are expressing concern that the disfunction experienced in municipalities dogged by unworkable coalition arrangements will soon filter to provincial and national government. For their perspective on this issue we spoke to Zukiswa Kota, Head of Monitoring and Advocacy Programme at the Public Service Accou...

Writing on the wall for political parties as vote counting nears conclusion

So what process awaits in Parliament after all votes have been counted, declared and seats allocated? To tell us more we are joined  by Advocate Modibedi Phindela, Secreatry to the National Council of Provinces, NCOP.

#HOPE4SA is a small political party launched ...months ago and participated in the 2024 election. The party, which campaigned on the hope and a promise for change in South Africa's political landscape, has so far garnered  just above 26 000 votes or 0.17% of the national vote. To tell us about their experience we spoke to #HOPE4SA National Secretary, Dianne Kruger...

The Elders group of world leaders has said "no country is above the law" and Israel's "unlawful approach" to its war on Gaza cannot continue following the ICJ's order to halt military operations in the Rafah area. This comes as the ICJ on FRIDAY called on Israel to end its operation in Rafah. Over the last two weeks, Israel has reduced entire neighborhoods in Rafah to rubble and forcefully displac...

The Department of Justice says it will hold engagements with officials in India following the arrest of Ajay and Anil Gupta on Friday for their alleged involvement in the death of a man in that country. Speaking to journalists at YESTERDAY's ANC rally at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola clarified that Gupta family members had indeed been arrested in India, but they were...

The drive to Wednesday's national and provincial elections goes a gear up with over 1.6 million voters who applied for special votes casting their ballots TOMORROW and TUESDAY. According to Electoral Commission of South Africa - IEC -, a little over a million special voters will visit voting stations where they were registered, while the remainder will be visited by the IEC's officers at their hom...

Part of the folklore of politics is that being first on a ballot paper is worth at least some extra votes in any general elections. Nkosikhulule Nyembezi , Policy Analyst and Researcher at Election Monitoring Network says for decades, specialists in voting mechanics have studied whether the order in which voters see candidates on the ballot impacts election results and that they have long recognis...