NIGHT FALL

Electric Vehicles – The Policy Discussion

Guest: Gaylor Montmasson-Clair  a Senior Economist, Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS)

Crime prevention wardens introduced in Gauteng

Guest: Vuyo Mhaga -  Spokesperson to Gauteng Premier Panayza Lesufi

Amad has now resigned as mayor, prior to facing a motion of no confidence. A new mayor is expected to be elected on the 2nd of May at a special council sitting.

How is this instability impacting the city?

Guest: Sthembelo Majola - Action SA COJ Caucus spokesperson

Guest: Leeto Nthoba – Political Analyst

Eskom Expose

Guest: Jacques Pauw, South African investigative journalist

Guest: Nico Smit- Car expert and training facilitator

Guest: Terry Crawford Browne. Anti arms deal and corruption activist

Guest: Rowena Bernard,  lecturer with School of Law, Howard College Campus, UKZN.

TRANSGENDER WOMEN IN SPORTS - Should transgender women and girls be able to partake  in female sports?

Guest:  Kellyn Botha is an LGBTI activist and researcher based in Johannesburg.

Guest: Dr Mari H Engh, lecturer in the School of Social Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

An A.I. Hit of Fake ‘Drake’ and ‘The Weeknd’ has shook the Music World after the track  “Heart on My Sleeve,” went viral before being taken down by streaming services this week.

Some have asked whether AI could be the future of songwritting, others have called it simply ‘fraud’.

Some believe that as technology continues to improve the differences will become indistinguishable.

AI composes its music by regurgitating things it’s been trained to listen to in vast song databases, and that’s not so different than the way human-composed pop music is recombined from prior influences.

How will this impact on the value chain in the music industry? And the livelihoods of music industry personnel?

Is there a possibility for a seamless collaboration between artists and AI?

This evening we aim to understand the implications AI has on the music industry. To discuss more about how AI in music might be a violation of an artist’s creativity and personhood.

Guest:  Siyabonga Metane, popularly known as Slikour

US / RUSSIA RELATIONS

Namibian President, Hage Geingob, has criticised countries that are not signatories to the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute, for insisting that Russian President Vladimir Putin be arrested and handed over to the ICC. President Geingob is on a state visit to South Africa. He held talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Geingob says western countries should not dictate how the African continent should conduct its affairs.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant on March 17th  against the Russian President for alleged war crimes in Ukraine

The ICC warrant against Putin stems from accusations that Russia unlawfully deported Ukrainian children.

During an question and answer session, Ramaphosa said South Africa had invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the summit, but he would not be drawn on what actions the government would take on the matter.

Guest: Mighty Jaime – Researcher, Analyst and political analyst

Suggested Talking Points:

-SA would be required to detain him on arrival, considering SA's foreign policy, particularly bearing history in mind, what are the chances that he would be detained here?

-South Africa’s foreign policy under President Cyril Ramaphosa has shifted to a strong emphasis on economic diplomacy, does / would SA fair better with Russia as an ally than an enemy? How has this contributed to the SA/RUSSIA relations?

-What do the principles of non-alignment, which characterise SA’s foreign policy under President Cyril Ramaphosa dictate in such a situation?

-Legally what are South African government’s obligations?

-Should SA decide not to do as largely expected and detain Putin, what reaction, backlash if any can be expected from the international community?

-Is SA’s current neutrality on the Russia / Ukraine war helping or hurting the country?

-What has been SA’s position historically on similar conflict?  E.g Israel & Palestine. What informs this position?