Drivetime

African winner for the commonwealth prize

South African writer Faraaz Mahomed has been named the Africa Regional Winner for his short story “The Pigeon”. Mahomed is a clinical psychologist and human rights researcher based in Johannesburg. The story is about a young man struggling with his own guilt and ambivalence about an affair, told through the…

6 May 2016 10AM 6 min

Photography exhibition : Promises and lies : The ANC in exhile

A photographic exhibition of the ANC in exile in Tanzania and Zambia will open at the Michaelis Gallery on May 12. Promise and Lies: The ANC in Exile investigates the historical and contemporary meanings of the ANC in exile by taking Sparham’s images as a starting point. Guest: Sian O'…

6 May 2016 10AM 7 min

Racism action plan national consultative dialogue

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development launched the national consultative dialogue event to mark the commencement of the public consultation process on the National Action Plan to Combat Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. South Africa is mandated to produce a National Action Plan (NAP) to Combat Racism,…

6 May 2016 10AM 12 min

The role of the African Middle Class

On a continent once synonymous with war, famine and poverty, a middle class has started to emerge, propelled by growth and urbanisation. Its rise has much to do with the spread of democracy and greater rule of law—countries with such attributes tend to generate more economic opportunities than those where…

5 May 2016 11AM 15 min

The Illusion of Education for all

South Africa's education system has been described as dysfunctional and 'a national disaster' that performs poorly and lags far behind systems of much poorer neighbouring African countries that spent much less on education. Dr. Moeketsi Leketsa sets this against the backdrop that South Africa boasts of a constitution that is…

5 May 2016 10AM 13 min

The dangers of using Ideology as counter-terrorism

According to CAGE Africa the South African government’s counter-extremism strategy as outlined by South African Minister of State Security David Mahlobo statements in his recent Parliamentary speech has a higher likelihood of pushing people towards political violence rather than countering it, and poses a danger to civil society. The minister…

5 May 2016 10AM 14 min

Mbalula is right about transformation

If one ever wants a demonstration of how little our society has transformed since 1994, one only need look at our national rugby and cricket teams. It is so obvious that they are white-dominated – that it is easier for white people to reach the top in those fields only…

4 May 2016 11AM 14 min

Update on Yemen

After a year of the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen, parties to the conflict have been meeting in Kuwait this week, in the latest effort to resolve the conflict. Despite sporadic violations, a fragile truce brokered by United Nations envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed that went into effect on April…

4 May 2016 11AM 17 min

The ‘citizen budgets’ of Africa make governments more transparent

“Citizen budgets” are often created as a collaboration between civil society groups and government departments, where the fiscal process is made more understandable to the general public by producing abridged and user-friendly versions of the budget. According to the Open Budget Index,the most comprehensive international budget transparency survey, some of…

4 May 2016 10AM 12 min

Ideologies will give way to reform

Transformation seems to be high on the agenda in South Africa. In the past week or so, the labour minister threatened to fine firms that do not meet unrealistic racial equity targets; the mineral resources minister announced to draft new black ownership requirements for miners that threaten the viability of…

4 May 2016 10AM 7 min

Syrian refugees in Lebanon are falling into slavery and exploitation

Syrian refugees in Lebanon are falling into slavery and exploitation Five years after the beginning of the Syrian conflict, Syrians now make up the largest refugee population in the world. Of the 5m women, men and children who fled Syria, more than 1m sought protection in Syria’s neighbour and former…

3 May 2016 11AM 18 min

Update on Aleppo

Aleppo has come to symbolise the devastation wrought on Syria and its population, having witnessed the worst violence of the conflict and unimaginable levels of human and physical destruction. For years, the city has been physically divided between regime- and rebel-aligned forces and thus mirrored the larger military stalemate throughout…

3 May 2016 10AM 12 min

Corruption in Middle East and North Africa -Nearly 1 in 3 paid a bribe in Middle

Reporters Without Borders’ latest World Press Freedom Index shows two interesting things. Namibia, ranked number 17, has the most improved press freedom environment in the world. And Africa, with the exception of North Africa, came second in rankings on the most improved media environment since 2015. But a historical perspective…

3 May 2016 10AM 12 min

Don't expect change after elections

Political parties have spoken and now it's up to voters to decide what's best for South Africa. But should the public take heed of the talk? “Will voters defy the contention that the main problem for the DA and the ANC is the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)? Having listened to…

3 May 2016 10AM 12 min

MODERN SLAVE TRADE

The 4-6 pm current affairs Drivetime Show is hosted by veteran journalist Shafiq Morton, winner of two Vodacom Awards, and an AfriCAN author’s award. Analytical and thought-provoking, Morton brings his decades of experience as a photo-journalist, historian and broadcaster to the show, added with his unique brand of humour and…

1 May 2016 6PM 16 min

Face to Face With Roelf Meyer

The 4-6 pm current affairs Drivetime Show is hosted by veteran journalist Shafiq Morton, winner of two Vodacom Awards, and an AfriCAN author’s award. Analytical and thought-provoking, Morton brings his decades of experience as a photo-journalist, historian and broadcaster to the show, added with his unique brand of humour and…

29 Apr 2016 11AM 21 min

Hospital bomb in Syria

Air strikes in Syria have killed at least 30 people in rebel-held areas of Aleppo, sources in the city told Al Jazeera. The attacks yesterday came within hours of a strike on a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which killed Dr Wasem Maaz, the last remaining pediatrician in…

29 Apr 2016 10AM 8 min

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng recieves the National order award

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng is the first black woman to obtain her PhD in Mathematics Education. A Wits alumna and former associate professor at Wits, She is the founding director of the award-winning Marang Centre for Maths and Education at Wits and has been named the “most influential woman in education…

29 Apr 2016 10AM 11 min

The High Court Throws Out Former ANC MP's Decision

The 4-6 pm current affairs Drivetime Show is hosted by veteran journalist Shafiq Morton, winner of two Vodacom Awards, and an AfriCAN author’s award. Analytical and thought-provoking, Morton brings his decades of experience as a photo-journalist, historian and broadcaster to the show, added with his unique brand of humour and…

29 Apr 2016 10AM 9 min

Wilting Ceasefire in Syria, hostility continues

Position: Journalist for the Associated Press based in the West Israeli forces on Wednesday shot and killed a pregnant Palestinian woman and her 16-year-old brother after they allegedly attempted to carry out a stab attack on border police at Qalandiya military checkpoint near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, police…

28 Apr 2016 11AM 14 min