The Daily Discourse

Iran's top security body is to meet today to discuss a US attack that killed the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds Force, General Qasem Soleimani. It comes after reports of a strike at Baghdad's international airport, which is said to have killed a number of people. Soleimani was a major figure in the Iranian regime - whose force reported directly to the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

GUEST: Professor John Stremlau, Honorary Professor for International Relations at Wits University.

The Talking Point this morning is still coming to you from Durban, in KwaZulu Natal. Shortly I’ll be in conversation with Narend Singh, the Chief Whip of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), one of the biggest parties in the province. We will get the party’s views on the state of SOEs in the country; we will also look at the party’s relationship with the DA this after the DA lashed out at the party for supporting the ANC and allowing it to regain control of the City of Johannesburg. In 2016 the IFP took control of 13 municipalities in KZN, we will discuss how the party aims to expand its political footprint beyond KZN and how it will regain support for the party after its growth was dented with the breakaway by the IFP chairperson Zanele Magwaza-Msibi and her supporters who formed the NFP…

GUEST: IFP Chief Whip, Narend Singh

How can we enhance youth political participation and what are the benefits of engaging youth in political leadership? This morning I am in conversation with KwaZulu-Natal MEC of Education, Kwazi Mshengu to talk about education matters pertaining to young leadership, how can our economy respond to the needs of our people, the failures of capitalist system and whether the ANC government is failing young people and are we not risking alienating other races by being an only black centric country? For more, MEC Mshengu now joins me in studio...

GUEST: KwaZulu-Natal MEC of Education, Kwazi Mshengu

The AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo's spokesperson Mthunzi Ngonyama has confirmed that he was released from prison last night. The king was imprisoned in December 2015 after the High Court in the Eastern Cape sentenced him to 15 years in jail for seven counts of kidnapping, three of assault, three of arson, one of culpable homicide and one of defeating the ends of justice. The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein reduced the sentence by three years. The king's release comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last Monday that he had been granted a special remission of sentence, which is usually granted to specific categories of sentenced offenders, probationers and parolees.

GUEST: Prince Langalibalele, Mthunzi Ngonyama, AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo's spokesperson

GUEST: Kgoshi Mathibela Mokoena

The KwaZulu-Natal Government has provided an update on critical issues that that impacted the province this year. Addressing the media in Durban, Premier Sihle Zikalala stressed government's involvement in easing the tensions within the Shembe Nazareth Baptist Church. Zikalala also offered solutions to ongoing conflicts between mining giant, Richards Bay Minerals and the surrounding community on the province's north coast. This morning we will speak to Premier Zikalala about the state of the ANC in the province, how he intends to hold all provincial government structures that incurred irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the last financial year accountable. We will also look at the warring factions of the Nazareth Baptist Church and conflict of Richards Bay Minerals with its surrounding community…

GUEST: KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala

The Umkhanyakude district in northern KwaZulu-Natal is celebrating a health milestone. The district has achieved the UNAIDS 90-90-90 target. The numbers represent significant targets relating to HIV testing, treatment, and viral suppression. Health Minister Doctor Zweli Mkhize says Umkhanyakude joins Umzinyathi and the Ugu district of achieving the target ahead of schedule.

GUEST: uMkhanyakude Mayor Cllr Solomon Mkhombo

The Draft 3rd National Waste Management Strategy is now open for public submissions and comments. The revised and updated Strategy was published in Government Gazette 42879 earlier this month, on December 3, as a requirement of the Waste Act to establish the National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS) and the review the strategy every five years.
GUEST: KGAUTA MOKOENA – CHIEF DIRECTOR: CHEMICAL AND WASTE POLICY MONITORING AND EVALUATION, AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

Can an employer take disciplinary action for misconduct during the festive season? Year-end functions or office parties have been regarded as a gateway to the festive season where employees get together in celebration of the year they have left behind. However, there may be instances where misconduct such as rude behaviour occurs during these functions. One of the largest business law firms in South Africa, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr say during the festive season employees still carry an employer's flag - a flag which they are expected to uphold. This morning we will speak to them about some examples of instances where the employer may be permitted to take disciplinary steps against employees.

GUEST: Steven Adams - Senior Associate in the Employment practice at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr

The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo is said to be getting worse. This time around a Congolese human rights group known by its French acronym CEPADHO is reporting that the Allied Democratic Forces had killed at least 43 people since Friday in and around Beni. This is said to also be the epicenter of the ongoing Ebola epidemic. To get an understanding of what is going on there and who is behind the killings,

GUEST: Nixon Kathembo, who is specialist on the Great Lakes and East Africa and also works on the KiSwahili Desk at Channel Africa

Time now for our regular Tuesday feature "Focus on Africa", today we will continue shining the spot light on South Africa as we did not finish our conversation with Izak Khomo last week…

GUEST: Izak Khomo – Presenter/Producer of Spotlight Africa at Channel Africa