Drivetime

Palestinian ambassador Hanan Jarar visits Cape Town

Palestinian ambassador to South Africa Ms Hanan Jarar is on a tour of Cape Town where she has visited Bo-Kaap to learn more about the Muslim community. The ambassador now joins us here in studio.

13 Nov 2020 9AM 20 min

Ace Magashule appears in court

ANC Secreatary General Ace Magashule has appeared in the Bloemfontein magistrate court after handing himself to the Hawks authorities. Magashule is facing corruption charges related to the Free State asbestos scandal. So does the Hawks have a water tight case against Magashule? On line is State Counsel and Head of…

13 Nov 2020 9AM 9 min

Covid-19 cases surge in Eastern Cape

South Africa has seen a rapid increase in Covid-19 cases especially in the Eastern Cape, raising fears of a second wave of the pandemic. Scientists are attributing the surge to super spreader events. As the world focuses on the second wave of infections sweeping across Europe, there are concerns that…

13 Nov 2020 8AM 8 min

Unemployment rate increase by 30.8%

According to Stats SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey( QLFS) release today, a large number of persons moved from the other not economically active category to employ status between quarter two and quarter three of 2020. On line is Statistician General Mr Risenga Maluleke.

13 Nov 2020 7AM 9 min

What are the legal and ethical aspects of Covid-19 tracing app?

During Covid-19 pandemic, emerging technologies are being repurposed to help trace whoever has been in contact with an infected person. The South African government recently introduced a mobile application, Covid-19 Alert SA, to help people notify their close contact if they are infected. But what are the legal and ethical…

13 Nov 2020 7AM 9 min

Weekly Middle East Report

In this week's Middle East Report in partnership with the London based Middle East Monitor, we look at the following. -Turkey congratulates US president elect Joe Biden -US imposes Iran-related sanctions on individuals and companies -Palestinian Authority says it is ready to resume peace talks with Israel. Follow stories at…

13 Nov 2020 7AM 18 min

Ethiopia's troubled history: Is civil war imminent?

Ethiopia's government, under prime minister Abiy Ahmed, is carrying out a military offensive in Tigray in the northern state. A six month state of emergency has been declared in the region as mounting political tensions continue. There is a possibility that an all out civil war could could begin and…

11 Nov 2020 10AM 15 min

Pfizer rolls out new Covid-19 vaccine

The Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer prevented more than 90% of infections in study of tens of thousands of volunteers. The findings are based on an interim analysis conducted after 94 participants contracted Covid-19. So how effective is this vaccine? On line is Nathan Scott Kieswetter, Infectious Disease researcher…

11 Nov 2020 9AM 12 min

ANC SG Ace Magashule faces arrest

ANC top six met last night following news that the Hawks have issued arrest warrant for ANC secretary General Ace Magashule. Magashule is facing allegations of fraud relating to the controversial multi-million rand asbestors contract in the Free State during his time as premeir of the province. But could Magashule's…

11 Nov 2020 9AM 8 min

Mynamar's ruling party claims victory in election

Mynamar's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party has claimed a resounding victory in Sunday's general election, the second since the military began to withdraw from civilian politics in 2011. Sunday's victory was viewed as a referendum on Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD's fledging democratic government, which remains…

10 Nov 2020 10AM 16 min

Weekly Economic Report

In this week's world economic report, we look at the following: -Government sets R1.2 trillion as investment target. -Africa Free Trade Agreement to be rolled out in January -Asian shares extend rally on Covid-19 vaccine hopes On line for comment is Senior Researcher, Department of Political Sciences at the University…

10 Nov 2020 9AM 11 min

UCT Research team win prestigious Newton Prize award

A UCT novel research into using renewable eneragy in off-grid informal settlements in South Africa has won the chair's Prize at the prestigious Newton Prize awards. The team has developed a new approach to providing power to communities in informal settlements that rely on burning paraffin or wood to cook…

10 Nov 2020 9AM 7 min

Veteran Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat dies

Saeb Erekat, a veteran negotiator and prominent Palestinian spokesperson for more than three decades has died following a coronavirus infection. He was 65. Erekat was involved in nearly every round of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians going back to the landmark Madrid conference of 1991. On line for…

10 Nov 2020 9AM 6 min

Will Joe Biden alter US policy in Middle East?

US president-elect Joe Biden has left no doubts about his plans to bring a paradigm shift in policy on the international stage. The world according to Trump has been one of “America first” nationalism, ditching international agreements that he believed gave the US a raw deal. But what could change…

9 Nov 2020 10AM 20 min

Is standardisation compliance an effective way to tackle corruption in SA?

In an update before parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts, over 6,000 government officials had claimed more than R41 million in UIF TERS Covid-19 benefits despite the fund having been intended for unemployed people during pandemic. This came on the back of warning by the Auditor General that poor financial…

9 Nov 2020 9AM 14 min

Muslim ban set to end on day one of Biden presidency

President-elect Joe Biden intends to rescind Donald Trump's travel bans on travelers from 13 countries, most either majority Muslim or African nations. Shortly after taking office in 2017, Trump issued an executive order that banned travellers from seven majority Muslim countries from entering the United States. But the ban could…

9 Nov 2020 9AM 8 min

Book Review: “Going to Ground” by Nick Norman

In this week's book review, we speak to Nick Norman, author of “Going to Ground”. From his days of working as a geology student in the Sperrgebeit coast of Namibia, the author tells how his experience of the wild parts of the continent developed into a love affair with Africa…

6 Nov 2020 10AM 20 min

Webinar: Is South Africa complicit in Turkish War crimes?

The International Labour Research Information Group (ILRIG) yesterday hosted a Webnar on global issues. Among the participants were represantatives from the Kurdish Human Rights Action Group and the Rojava Internationalist Commune. But on line for comment is World Beyond War Founder, Terry Crawford Brown

6 Nov 2020 9AM 7 min

How does the US democracy model compare to China?

Rivals and enemies of the United States have come together to revel in the messiest US election in a generation, mocking the delay in vote processing and Trump's claims of electoral fraud. Washington's fiercest critics have declared deep concern about the US elections and the State of the country's democracy…

6 Nov 2020 9AM 13 min

Middle East Report with Middle East Monitor

In this week's Middle East Report in partrenership with the London based Middle East Monitor, we look at the following: -US presdiental running mate Kamara Harris says the Biden administration will reverse Trump-era policy and restore relations with Palestine. -Muslim- American congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rasheida Tlaib retain Senate seats…

5 Nov 2020 10AM 14 min