The Daily Discourse

September marks the annual Heritage Month in South Africa. Heritage Month recognizes aspects of the country's diverse cultures. This morning we are going to look at the quest to preserve the Afrikaner heritage. This morning on the Talking Point we will look at the Afrikaans heritage in a post-apartheid context, whether there traditions apart from the legacy of apartheid that can be drawn on from the Afrikaner culture which can advance democracy and social justice? And why do some of us find it problematic when Afrikaners want to preserve their own heritage?

GUEST: Cecilia Kruger, Managing Director of the Voortrekker Monument

GUEST: Jan Bosman, Chief Secretary of the Afrikanerbond

Time now for our Friday Music Wind Down, this morning we are profiling musician and actress Nelisiwe Sibiya, the voice behind the popular Lockdown theme song Mama ka Bafana, which she wrote after losing her mother. Nelisiwe broke into the industry after being discovered by actor and director Mandla Ngcongwane also known as Mandla N.

GUEST: Musician and actress, Nelisiwe Sibiya, the voice behind the popular Lockdown theme song Mama ka Bafana

We are now in conversation with Tourism Minister, Ms. Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane about Tourism Week, provide highlights on the barriers to domestic travel, how to promote domestic travel and our beautifully diverse and vibrant country and also about encouraging consumers to take advantage of discounted travel deals and packages that will be available during Shot left Travel Week (23 to 29th September).

GUEST: Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, Minister of Tourism

This year marks 400 years of the beginning of the Transatlantic Slave Trade that plunged millions of Africans into years of displacement, discrimination, denigration and social and economic struggle. It was in 1619 when the first officially documented groups of African were brought against their will to America and were sold into servitude as involuntary laborers. To mark this, yesterday the saw the launch of The Door of Our Return initiative in South Africa which is a mass movement that first launched in New York.

GUEST: Dennis Dillon - Spokesperson of The Door of Our Return

For the past few weeks we have been covering horrific stories around abuse and so on. Yesterday many of us got upset at the news of the death of a six-year-old who was hit by a stray bullet. You look at it's not only the taxi driver who is misbehaving; some motorists no longer respect traffic rules. There was also footage of a traffic officer on the bonnet of a car that refused to stop. Looking at all these incidents, is a country slipping further in a state of moral decay?

GUEST: Ngila Muendane – who is a Social Activist

The Maritime Heritage Institute will be hosting a groundbreaking inaugural Maritime Heritage Conference in celebration of the national Heritage. The celebration comes under the theme, Maritime Heritage: Reclaiming our Future, Advancing our Past. Why are we linking maritime to heritage?

GUEST: Morakabe Seakhoa, Chief Executive Officer of the Maritime Heritage Institute

This morning on our SMME feature we talk all things beautiful in the beauty industry. Lately we see even men are going for manicures and facials. The industry seems like it is growing if one looks at the trends. What does it entail and what is it that makes it stand out?

GUEST: Neda Roodaki – Founder of Neda Beauty and Healing

The ANC is facing a lawsuit over alleged unpaid invoice over R100 million from a company that claims to have printed 35 000 elections posters. The Treasurer General of the ANC, Comrade Paul Mashatile, says he was not aware of this transaction until this invoice was brought to his attention.

GUEST: Pule Mabe, ANC National Spokesperson

The Council for Medical Schemes has suspended five senior officials following allegations of corruption and unethical conduct. Medical schemes regulator says the officials who have yet to be named include two executives and three senior managers.

GUEST: Dr Sipho Kabane, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS)

We speak now to Wits University as they are one of the institutions doing something about the issue of youth unemployment. Their division for Enterprise had a positive response a day before orientation. They highlight issues of access to funding for those interested in entrepreneurship and also access to institutions of higher learning. Basically, they are painting a heartbreaking picture of the hardships faced by youth. Let’s look then on what the problems are and what they would say the solutions are moving forward?

GUEST: Dr Tim Hutton – Director of Short Courses at WITS Enterprise