Drivetime

Ahmed Kathrada turns 85

Ahmed Kathrada, has fought his whole life to rid the world of racism and prejudice. It should come as no surprise then that he planned to spend his birthday with children in Lenasia. It’s not an unexpected way of looking at the meaning of life for the hero who today…

21 Aug 2014 10AM 8 min

South African Civil Society Meet SA President Jacob Zuma on Palestine

Representatives from South African civil society, trade unions and the ANC Youth League met with President Jacob Zuma yesterday, at his official residence in Cape Town, Genadendal. The 90 minute meeting on Palestine was convened in response to growing protests by South African civil society across the country including a…

21 Aug 2014 10AM 14 min

Iraqi Ambassador on ISIS

Staying with ISIS now as we discuss how the Arab world has failed to come to terms with the most grievous threat it has faced since Saddam Hussein led Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait two decades ago. It has preferred to ride on the coat-tails of outsiders while castigating western “inaction”…

20 Aug 2014 11AM 20 min

Outrage as US journalist beheaded by ISIS

James Foley, an American journalist who had gone missing in Syria nearly two years ago, is presumed dead after Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militants posted a video online Tuesday that it said was of his execution. It was not clear when the beheading video was recorded, but several…

20 Aug 2014 10AM 6 min

Gaza ceasefire talks collapse

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas (as well as other groups) in Gaza that had held for nearly an entire week was broken hours before it was set to expire after rockets were fired. The breach came as the two parties were in Cairo supposedly finalizing a long-term ceasefire that…

20 Aug 2014 10AM 10 min

Special sitting of the Russell Tribunal

The Russell Tribunal has announced that it will reconvene for an extraordinary session on war crimes in Gaza, in the wake of the Israeli military’s latest aggression called Operation Protective Edge, which has claimed 2000 lives. The Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RToP) is an International People’s Tribunal created by a…

20 Aug 2014 10AM 12 min

Are Hawks free from political interference

It's now up to the Constitutional Court to rule on whether amendments to legislation went far enough to ensure the independence of the Hawks and that the unit is free from political interference. The Western Cape High Court ruled in December that sections of an amendment bill were inconsistent with…

20 Aug 2014 10AM 7 min

Dealing with disadvantage

“Dealing with Disadvantage” is a panel discussion organised by the University of Cape Town’s Poverty and Inequality Initiative. It featured Dr Mamphela Ramphele, former politician who also served as Managing Director of The World Bank and Vice-Chancellor of UCT; Ms Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, former Deputy Minister of Defence and of Health;…

19 Aug 2014 11AM 6 min

How Israel undermines international law

Operation Protective Edge was not merely a military assault on a primarily civilian population. As in its previous “operations” (Cast Lead in 2008-9 and Pillar of Defense in 2012), it was also part of an ongoing assault on international humanitarian law (IHL) by a highly coordinated team of Israeli lawyers,…

19 Aug 2014 11AM 14 min

World Humanitarian Day

Today is the United Nations' (UN) World Humanitarian Day which honours all humanitarians who worked for the promotion of the humanitarian cause, and those who lost their lives in the cause. The day aims to increase public awareness about humanitarian assistance activities worldwide and the importance of international cooperation. This…

19 Aug 2014 10AM 8 min

Ferguson Protests

Since 18-year old Michael Brown was shot dead by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, community members have taken to the streets in protest. Between media reports and social media, conflicting versions of the situation have emerged. While online reports are suggesting violence by civilians, tweets by users are…

19 Aug 2014 10AM 16 min

Real life drama at the SABC

Drama and shock engulfed the SABC yet again as the public broadcaster's production company responsible for making Generations fired the entire striking cast of South Africa's most watched TV show. The highly lucrative show is the biggest money earner for the public broadcaster, making even the smallest tampering with Generations…

19 Aug 2014 10AM 16 min

Dr Mads Gilbert to come to SA

As part of the Gaza Ambulance Drive, Cii Projects, supported by Purple Bandage, are pleased to announce the official hosting of world renowned humanitarian, doctor and academic Dr. Mads Gilbert in South Africa. A Norwegian citizen, Dr Mads has served in the Al Shifa Hospital during the most ferocious bombing…

18 Aug 2014 11AM 7 min

Impact of social media coverage on Palestine

Twitter is the fastest-growing social network in South Africa, according to the South African Social Media Landscape 2014 research study. The number of South African Twitter users has doubled in the last year from 2.4 million to 5.5 million. Outraged by Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, local tweeps have…

18 Aug 2014 10AM 19 min

Status of violence against women and children

South Africa commemorates Women’s Month in August as a tribute to the thousands of women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. This historic march was a turning point in the role of women in the struggle…

18 Aug 2014 10AM 16 min

IFP leader passes

Inkatha Freedom Party MP Mario Oriani-Ambrosini died on Saturday at the age of 53 after battling a rare form of inoperable lung cancer. His illness was first made public in May last year, which he described as a stage four lung cancer which, left untreated, "will cause me to be…

18 Aug 2014 10AM 7 min

Nouri Al Maliki steps down, what does this mean for Iraq

Nuri al-Maliki finally bowed to pressure within Iraq and beyond on Thursday and stepped down as prime minister, paving the way for a new coalition that world and regional powers hope can quash ISIS that threatens Baghdad. Maliki ended eight years of rule in a televised speech during which he…

15 Aug 2014 11AM 17 min

Free Book Friday: Postmortem

Inhuman hours, overflowing emergency rooms, poor resources and little support – this is the daily reality of most doctors and nurses in South African public hospitals. In today's Free Book Friday, we feature a book that goes into the reality that everyone in the medical profession faces these day. Maria…

15 Aug 2014 10AM 14 min

Zionist lobby trying to silence critics

Yesterday, we reported that the SA Jewish Board of Deputies would be lodging a complaint of hate speech against Cosatu president Tony Ehrenreich for comments he made on Facebook regarding the conflict in Gaza. Ehrenreich used the words “an eye for an eye” in calling for action against the Zionist…

15 Aug 2014 10AM 9 min

Marikana Commemoration

Two years on, the families of the Marikana victims are still waiting to hear who killed their loved ones, what exactly happened, and why. As the Farlam commission continues, many South Africans feel like government should be doing more to take responsibility and full acknowledge this massacre. As tomorrow marks…

15 Aug 2014 10AM 9 min