Drivetime

Afghan Elections

Afghanistan has suddenly grown tense as presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah publicly declared himself the winner of June’s disputed run-off presidential elections on Monday. This statement came days before the announcement of audited election results, which are expected to give the election to Abdullah’s rival, Ashraf Ghani. Ghani is a Pashtun…

10 Sep 2014 11AM 19 min

Burma

This week Thein Sein, President of Burma, will be visiting The Hague, in the Netherlands. As a man with a lot of blood on his hands, you might be thinking this is long overdue. But instead of being indicted at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his involvement in war…

10 Sep 2014 10AM 9 min

Sanral wants to expand GP e-tolling

Sanral has called for the additional phases of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project to go ahead to ease Joburg’s congested roads. Sanral’s statement has come after nearly three weeks of presentations at the Gauteng e-toll panel, which have mainly been against e-tolling. The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) said…

10 Sep 2014 10AM 14 min

Committee to probe SABC chair qualifications

South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) chairperson Ellen Tshabalala's qualifications will be investigated by Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Communications. The committee decided to launch the probe yesterday after Tshabalala failed to provide proof of the Bcom she claims she holds from the University of South Africa. If Tshabalala is found to…

10 Sep 2014 10AM 6 min

Thuli Madonsela

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…

10 Sep 2014 10AM 4 min

Al Quds Delegation in SA

A delegation of five senior representatives and trustees of the al-Quds International Foundation arrived in South Africa on Friday, to participate in a host of public programs across the country. The delegation, who will be visiting from the foundations head offices in Beirut, Lebanon, will be in the country until…

9 Sep 2014 11AM 22 min

Shrien Dewani pre-trial hearing

The legal team representing British honeymoon murder accused Shrien Dewani has requested records of prison visits received by two of the hitmen he allegedly hired to kill his wife, Anni. In addition, the team also want records of when the hitmen, Zola Tongo and Mziwamadoda Qwabe, were booked out of…

9 Sep 2014 10AM 7 min

A big, fat Maphatsoe Mess

Pressure is mounting for Deputy Defence Minister Kebby Maphatsoe to retract his statement about Public Protector Thuli Madonsela being a spy. At the weekend Maphatsoe, who is also chairperson of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association,accused Madonsela of being deployed as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) spy, to destabilise…

9 Sep 2014 10AM 5 min

Launch of R2K's Secrecy Report

The right to know - to access and share information, to organise, protest and speak out – is the foundation of a just society. Information rights were a driving principle in the struggle against apartheid, and at the centre of the democratic gains achieved in the 1990s.Twenty years into South…

9 Sep 2014 10AM 11 min

Sexual abuse by African Union Soldiers

An African military force in Somalia, has been hit by allegations that its soldiers raped and abused vulnerable Somali women and girls. The allegations, by Human Rights Watch, are based on interviews with 21 women and girls in Mogadishu, some as young as 12, who said they were raped or…

8 Sep 2014 11AM 17 min

Farlam inspects Marikana

A large crowd of lawyers, police officers, journalists and evidence leaders gathered in Marikana, North West, on Monday for an inspection "in loco" by the Farlam Commission of Inquiry. A lengthy convoy formed along the dusty Lonmin Platinum mine roads as the team moved through areas related to the August…

8 Sep 2014 10AM 9 min

Oscar Pistorius to learn his fate

It is one year and seven months since Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead -- six months since her boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius, went on trial accused of murdering her. In a few days' time, the question at the heart of this case -- whether he knew that it was his girlfriend…

8 Sep 2014 10AM 5 min

GOTG return to SA

About two weeks ago, Gift of the Givers embarked on a humanitarian journey to war striken Gaza to help alleviate some of the damage caused in the most recent Israeli offensive. On their way there, they encountered several issues - being deined entry to Gaza, their supplies being delayed to…

8 Sep 2014 10AM 16 min

Destruction of Prophet Tomb

Not too long ago, we discussed that a multi-billion redevelopment project is being planned in Makkah, which will likely include the demolition of a building that is widely believed to be the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W). But media reports yesterday have surfaced that there are proposls for the…

5 Sep 2014 11AM 19 min

Muslim Marriage Bill

The long awaited Muslim Marriage Bill will be under the microscope at IPSA’s annual women’s symposium called Women In Islam Women in South Africa. The This year’s theme is the “On-going socio-ethico-legal Challenges facing SA Muslim Women". IPSA principal Sheikh Igsaan Taliep tells us more…

5 Sep 2014 10AM 10 min

Free Book Friday: An Imperfect Blessing

Nadia Davids has made a name for herself as a playwright (At Her Feet, Cissie) of great intelligence and sensitivity, with a real understanding and affection for South Africa and its people. It is these qualities, and a deftness of characterisation, that she brings to her debut novel, An Imperfect…

5 Sep 2014 10AM 16 min

Gaza Reconstruction will cost $7.8 billion

The Palestinian Authority announced on Thursday that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, devastated by the most recent Israeli bombing campaign, will cost nearly $8 billion and would take up to 5 years, even if Israel removes its blockade over Gaza entirely. A report published by the Palestinian Council for…

5 Sep 2014 10AM 6 min

ISIS analysis – Omar Shaukat

In this part of the show, we discuss the startling rise of the Islamic State, formerly ISIS, and the deeper instability in the Middle East. Our special guest today is Omar Shaukat a researcher based at the Afro-Middle East Centre (AMEC) in Johannesburg. Omar is in Cape Town to deliver…

4 Sep 2014 11AM 20 min

Infrastructure development in Gaza

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza says more than fifty thousand people were left homeless after the Israeli barrage of the besieged Strip. The Centre's Jabr Weshah explained massive rebuilding of infrastructure and basic amenities need to take place before most Gazans can return to their former lives…

4 Sep 2014 10AM 17 min

2 journalists beheaded by ISIS