The Daily Discourse

UDM leader General Bantu Holomisa has proposed that the PIC Commission of Inquiry be given more time to investigate the PIC. Holomisa presented his submission to the commission in Pretoria yesterday. He says there seems to be an unhealthy relationship between certain companies and some of the PIC directors. He advised the commission to look into all unlisted transactions involving the asset manager. He's accused the PIC management of using transformation to loot the public sector pension fund.

GUEST: UDM leader, General Bantu Holomisa

The nature of entrepreneurship has to try different things to succeed. But unforeseen circumstances, the wrong judgment call, or extenuating factors like a bad partner or external fraud, even loadshedding could get you into financial trouble with a loan you can't repay, or a loss you can't carry.
If you've landed up with a bad credit record, is this a life sentence? Could you bounce back to qualify for business financing again one day? And how would you go about rebuilding your financial name so lenders will trust you again?

GUEST: Gary Palmer, CEO of Paragon Lending Solutions

The lobby group named People Against Load Shedding (PALS) have decided to charge Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan for creating the load shedding crisis currently embattling South Africa. The lobby group believes, wholeheartedly, that there are sufficient legal grounds for the Senior Public Prosecutor to accept the criminal charges. Can the Ministry be held accountable?

GUEST: Visvin Reddy, the National Convenor for a lobby group People Against Load Shedding (PALS)

Today we celebrate Human Rights Day and it also marks the anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre where 69 men and women were killed brutally by the Apartheid regime. They had responded to a call by Pan Africanist leader Robert Sobukwe who had called on black people to protest against the Pass Laws that determined their movements and where they could live and work. This morning we will discuss the Pass Laws which were one of the most horrifying policies of the Apartheid regime in South Africa.

GUEST: Omar Badsha - Who is the Ceo and Founder of South African History

Electioneering in Health Facilities is unacceptable, this according to Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. The Health department says that there are political parties who intend on visiting hospitals to canvass for votes. The National Health Council (NHC), the highest decision making body in Health, comprised of the Minister of Health and the nine MECs of health, have since held a tele-conference recently to discuss this issue.

GUEST: Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi

On Monday President Cyril Ramaphosa had a taste of the frustrations that train commuters go through daily. The president was stuck for almost three hours in a train from Mabopane station to Bosman in the CBD. What was supposed to have been a routine ANC election engagement with commuters became a harrowing experience. Ramaphosa said he will raise commuters' frustrations with Prasa officials and that action will be taken if things don't change. This morning we are in conversation with Prasa about how they intend to address challenges facing commuters on a daily basis…

GUEST: Dr Sipho Sithole, Group strategy officer for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa)

The joint meeting of committees of Parliament which play an oversight role on tax payers’ money has criticized law enforcement agencies for their slow progress in investigating the Steinhoff debacle. The Hawks, the NPA as well as the Assets Forfeiture Unit were giving progress report on their probe into the crash of the multinational retailer's shares. MPs raised questions on whether bank accounts of those involved were frozen and why there are have been no arrests. The officials say they were waiting for PWC forensic investigation to be finalized. The chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance Yunis Carrim says they want to be briefed on progress made on the investigation every Friday until the eve of the election

GUEST: Rob Rose, editor of the Financial Mail and author of The Grand Scam

ANC elders have written an open letter to what they call "corrupt comrades", asking them to remove themselves from party list. Last week, candidate lists for Parliament and provincial legislatures were presented to the Electoral Commission (IEC) by political parties. ANC elders say the members on the list should be above ethical reproach and that they want to make it clear that withdrawing one's names from the list would not in any way imply an admission of guilt.

GUEST: ANC Veteran, Mavuso Msimang

Embattled power utility Eskom says it cannot guarantee that load shedding will soon be a thing of past. However, Eskom chairperson Jabu Mabuza vows that measures have been put in place to avoid a total blackout. He was speaking in a media briefing alongside Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan yesterday, appealing to South Africans to understand the nature of the challenges the power utility faces. Currently there are reports that Eskom is planning for Stage 5 and Stage 6 load-shedding to ensure that a national blackout and grid collapse does not happen…

GUEST: Andrew Kenny, who is an Engineer, with particular interest in energy

Today we are broadcasting live from the Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani hotel, In Durban, KwaZulu Natal, for the Annual Local Government Asset Management Indaba. The MEC for the department of Cogta Ms Nomusa Dube-Ncube will this morning (19 March), meet with all Mayors from all the Municipalities in the Province to engage on how to turn around the performance of municipalities within the province. This morning we will discuss the role of Local Governments in ensuring that assets are managed properly and how the Centre for Municipal Asset Management has been established to focus on promoting integrated asset management.

GUEST: Mr Mxolisi Nkosi- Municipal Manager Mkhanyakude District