South Africa’s President has confirmed the ruling National Congress will proceed with plans to amend the constitution to allow for the expropriation of  land without compensation.

For the persecuted white minority farmers in the country, this system of land acquisition could spell more trouble. It’s thought it will exacerbate the already reprehensible violence being perpetrated against the group by certain black communities.

“We’re really heading for a state of anarchy, if something doesn’t change drastically,” says Ian Cameron from AfriForum in South Africa.

“I’m convinced this year we’ll see between 21,000 to 22,000 people having been murder in the past year.”

“There are places where the police simply refuse to act. They don’t know the law well enough or refuse to apply it to logical reasoning when it comes to defending people’s property rights.”

“There is a complete double standard.”

Given Australia took in some 539, 000 migrants last year, Michael McLaren is appealing for the government to allow those impacted to settle here.  

“Why we don’t let these people in, it has got me absolutely beat. It would be in Australia’s interest to invite white South African farmers to come here.”

Michael McLaren talks with Spectator writer Terry Barnes on the news of the week.

Listen to the Full Show podcast of Overnight with Michael McLaren on August 2

The first coin to be minted in the colony of NSW went under the hammer last night, to the tune of no small sum.

The coin, ordered into creation by NSW Governor Lachlan Macquarie, was a means of ensuring a reliable supply of money was in circulation for the then rapidly growing colony.

It has since been aptly named the “ holey dollar,” in a nod to the manufacturing process the coins underwent.

“Governor Macquarie imported 40,000 Spanish dollars and had them counter-marked, cut,” Noble explains.

“He had the centre punched out. That was stamped with NSW, a crown in the centre and 1830 underneath and 15 pence on the reverse, the tail side.”

As Noble tells Michael McLaren, the coin was auctioned off for a decent amount last night.

“It went for $350,000. But if you add the buyer’s premium to that price, it comes out at $417, 375. That is what it cost the purchaser,” says Noble.

"Even a counterfeit holey dollar made by a convict at the time contemporary, estimated $10,000 sold for 8, 500 thousands."

Despite society supposedly being more sociable than ever, the phenomenon of loneliness is growing in epidemic proportions.

In quite a paradoxical and counter-intuitive twist, reports out of the UK suggest loneliness is reaching debilitating levels, despite platforms like social media being so conducive to interactivity. Some half a million people regularly go over a week without seeing anybody. More than half of those aged over 75 self-identify as “chronically lonely,” while two-fifths of the elderly demographic cite the television as their primary source of company.

The problems become so widespread, that British Prime Minister Theresa May felt it necessary to appoint the world’s first Minister for Loneliness.

Psychologist Michelle Lim says the problem isn’t isolated to the UK.

“This is actually a very costly issue here,” she explains to Michael McLaren.

“People are turning up to emergency not in terms of health problems, but for social contact. GP’s see a huge number of social visits because patients have nobody else to talk to.  This is a huge social problem that is actually costing the government in terms of health and other kinds of resources.”

With loneliness said to be as bad for one’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes and twice as bad as obesity,  it appears to be a real cause for concern.

“It’s actually quite a detrimental feeling if it’s not mitigated or addressed.”

Listen to the Full Show podcast of Overnight with Michael McLaren on August 1

Professor David Flint chats to Michael McLaren on the weeks political news.

Listen to the Full Show podcast of Overnight with Michael McLaren on July 31

Michael Mclaren chats with naturopath Russell Setright to get the latest in health and wellbeing news.

Carly Tonkinson from IT Financial Services joins Michael Mclaren for The Bottom Line.“ITFS is an independently owned, boutique financial planning and investment advisory firm. It is a testament to the stability we provide to our clients that the founding partners are all self-employed and have worked together for almost 20 years.”