Lectures at Rhodes University in Makhanda were cancelled yesterday following the death of Khensani Maseko in her Johannesburg home this past weekend. It's suspected that Khensani, committed suicide. Maseko who was part of the Student Representative Council at the varsity was allegedly raped by her boyfriend on campus in May of this year. The Incident has been met with mixed reactions on social media with many condemned the rape, while others argued Khensani and her partner were sexually intimate, so how could this be considered as rape? On The Talking Point this morning, we look at some of the myths/misconceptions about partner rape...

GUEST: Consultant at Nalane for Reproductive Justice, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng

The Democratic Alliance's highest policy decision making body the federal council, has decided to do away with black economic empowerment, citing that the policy is not working. The party also says they believe unequivocally in real broad-based black empowerment but do not support the ANC government's version of B-BBEE codes, which has only served to enrich politically connected elite.

GUEST: The head of policy and MP, Gwen Ngwenya

The recent news of Top South African cardiologist Professor Bongani Mayosi’s suicide has put issues of mental illness again on the spotlight. According to his family, Prof. Mayosi committed suicide following a struggle with depression.

We focus today on depression faced by Sex Workers in SA.
In a recent study, conducted in SA, the researchers focused on 508 sex workers across Soweto in a study that took place over seven months during 2016. Of that total, only two of the participants weren’t black and 16 were migrants. What the study further revealed was that two-thirds of the sex workers went hungry regularly and 50% of them were binge drinkers. Only 14% claimed they had never been a victim of violence.

A survey in India also found that female sex workers had depression rates of 39%, while in Nepal it was 82.4%.What is behind this?

GUEST: Kholi Buthelezi - who is the national coordinator for Sisonke

GUEST: Jenny Coetzee-One of the researchers for the study, which appeared in the journal, Plos One.

Female blue-collar workers have traditionally lacked power in their employment choices, as marginalized and predominantly uneducated workers, but Fourth Industrial Revolution technology will allow women to participate in jobs that used to exclude them due to their perceived lack of strength, stamina and education level. However, to unlock this potential, businesses need to provide women with opportunities and skills to embrace technology in order to earn a decent livelihood, says Dr Lize Barclay.

GUEST: Dr Lize Barclay, Senior Lecturer in Futures Studies and Systems Thinking at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) and contributor to the 2018 South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) Women’s Report launched on the 1st of August

Emmerson Mnangagwa has claimed victory in the Zimbabwe general election. The former ally of Robert Mugabe won 50.8 percent of the vote in last week's historic first polls since the Mugabe's ousting last year. Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, who scored 44.3 percent of the votes, has rejected the result. On The Talking Point this morning, we look at Mnangagwa's tenure as Zimbabwe's newly elected president, how he should rebuild the country and its economy, after two decades of misrule under Robert Mugabe....

GUEST: Prince Mashele, who is a Political Analyst

As we observe Women’s Month, our guest is arguing that it can't be correct that we continue to use the name God the father because in doing so we are entrenching women's inferiority status within the church and in the world.

GUEST: Mbuyiselo Botha – Gender Activist with the commission for gender equality

We speak to Tim Masela, who heads up the National Payments Systems Department at the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) about how the Reserve Bank is exploring infrastructure and regulatory interventions to accelerate the country’s payment journey. Access to formal financial services, financial inclusion
GUEST (In studio at SARB): Tim Masela, who heads up the National Payments Systems Department at the South African Reserve Bank (SARB)

According to the latest WHO data published in 2018 life expectancy in South Africa is: Male 60.2, female 67.0. Dr Tiny Mhinga says Men experience a gradual decline in the production of the male hormone testosterone from their late 30s onwards, and as a result may experience some distressing and debilitating symptoms like lack of energy and vitality, loss of sexual desire.

GUEST: Dr Tiny Mhinga – Medical practitioner

We speak to Unathi Kamlana, who is the Head of Policy, Statistics and Industry Support, at the South African Reserve Bank about Prudential Authority and the importance of the new regulatory areas, the benefits that the new regulatory areas will have for the public and also Simple language to expand on the benefits that the new regulatory framework holds.
GUEST (In studio at SARB): Unathi Kamlana, who is the Head of Policy, Statistics and Industry Support, at the South African Reserve Bank.

After the SA Reserve Bank released the new Mandela notes, Madondo drew new bank notes with the faces of other Struggle stalwarts, including Oliver Tambo, Steve Biko, Chris Hani and Walter Sisulu. According to him it would be fair to have Biko on the R10, Tambo on the R20, Hani on the R50 and Sisulu on the R100 bank notes. He further says, we are always focused on Mandela. I don't have anything against Mandela but I thought it would be fair to show the others and then I came up with the drawing.
Guest: Artist Nkanyiso Madondo – A self-taught pencil artist