The Minister of Labour, Mildred Oliphant, will today (Friday, 14 December 2018), officially launch a R2 billion Fund aimed at generating thousands of jobs through creating and funding of small businesses and entrepreneurs. The Project Development Partnership Fund (PDP) has been established through a joint venture between the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) and Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) - an entity of the Department of Labour. Through the partnership, the UIF will provide an annual allocation of R2 billion towards the PDP Fund through the UIF's existing Social Responsible Investment (SRI) mandate.

GUEST: Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Commissioner, Teboho Maruping

The global economy is on the precipice of a Fourth Industrial Revolution – defined by evolving technological trends that have the potential to fundamentally change life for millions of people around the world. In recent years, labor-saving technology, together with globalization, has reduced jobs in manufacturing, particularly in advanced countries. Many studies predict major job losses due to automation. As we embrace the 4th industrial revolution, how do we ready ourselves for the challenges that will come with that, where jobs are concerned?
How can humans collaborate with machines while enhancing productivity and ingenuity?

GUEST: Dr Lize Barclay, Senior Lecturer in Futures Studies and Systems Thinking at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB)

Several political parties have been formed months before the elections next year. This morning we will examine some of the political formations of such new parties in South Africa. What are their intentions? Where they formed to split the votes ahead of next year's general elections? Or are they a genuine cause and alternative party for the people?

GUEST: Political analyst, Andre Duvenhage

The City of Cape Town has expressed scepticism about a study which suggests that the fear associated with Day Zero was the single most successful intervention in its campaign to get residents to slash water consumption. Stellenbosch University and University of Cape Town study, published in the journal Water Research, found that the fear of Day Zero – the day when the City said Cape Town's taps could run dry – was more successful than imposing water restrictions.

GUEST: Prof. Thinus Booysen, Associate Professor at the Electrical and electronic Engineering department at Stellenbosch University

The high court based in Pretoria has ruled that former President Jacob Zuma must pay the costs of his legal fees, related to his fraud and corruption case.

GUEST: ANC Acting spokesperson, Dakota Legoete

Prime Minister Theresa May has won a vote of confidence in her leadership of the Conservative Party by 200 to 117. After securing 63% of the total vote, she is now immune from a leadership challenge for a year. Speaking in Downing Street last night, she vowed to deliver the Brexit "people voted for" but said she had listened to the concerns of MPs who voted against her.

GUEST: Professor Jannie Rossouw, Head of the School of
Economic and Business Sciences at Wits University

Why does South Africa not develop its own brand of vehicles? Why don't we develop our own brand and build them locally, giving the Germans, Indians and Chinese leaders in vehicle design and manufacturing some competition. Last year there was a taxi industry strike where members of the South African National Taxi Association (Santaco) expressed their grievances about the exorbitant prices of the popular Toyota Quantum minibuses. They claim that when it was introduced, it was fully imported with a price of R220 000 and that the price increased to R450 000 before interest despite being locally produced. So why is the taxi industry not coming together to establish their own vehicles If Toyota Quantums are too expensive? It's not as if Toyota is the only company that can produce minibuses? Why do we let other countries have monopoly over the production of vehicles?

GUEST: Productivity SA Chief Economist, Dr Leroi Raputsoane

We are now in conversation with former Eskom interim, Group CEO, Matshela Koko, who has dismissed the narrative that he and the Guptas are to blame for the challenges at the power utility. Earlier this year Koko faced a disciplinary hearing for allegedly not declaring a conflict of interest while his stepdaughter Koketso Choma, a director at Impulse International; allegedly benefited from about R1bn worth of contracts awarded by Eskom over 11 months.

GUEST: Former Eskom interim, Group CEO Matshela Koko

DA leader, Mmusi Maimane has conceded that his party didn't perform well this year and had a lot of challenges including the removal of Athol Trollip booted as Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Mayor. Maimane was addressing party members in Johannesburg, where he was giving his assessment of the party for the year 2018. He says he, however, doesn't regret his action against former Cape Town Mayor, Patricia De Lille. De Lille left the party following a prolonged battle and formed a new political party last month. Maimane says action needed to be taken as there is no one above the party

GUEST: DA leader, Mmusi Maimane

Too many families today are taking advantage of Magadi or iLobolo and use it for their own pride, money-hunger and greedy interests, this according to Baba Buntu, Executive director at Ebukhosini Solutions. He says by imposing HUGE and impossible monetary demands, such families are squeezing life and love out of young men who are supposed to now start building a foundation for family.

GUEST: Baba Buntu, Community Scholar, Youth mentor and Executive director at Ebukhosini Solutions