Last week the Auditor General released his Audit Outcomes Report for municipalities. It painted a rather gloomy picture of many municipalities across the country. Mpumalanga was not spared. In fact some of the municipalities need urgent intervention. The majority of the offending municipalities are reportedly in Gauteng where R830-million's worth of procurement could not be audited. The second and third worst offenders are the North West and Mpumalanga. Today we zoom in on Mpumalanga, to try and understand how this sphere of government, in a province that is not so fully industrialized, was allowed to reach the levels that were highlighted by the AG. What is the first plan to stabilize its municipalities and ensure that they do not regress any further, in order to take them back to positive? To answer these questions and more, we are now joined in studio by Peter Nyoni, the new Head of Department in Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), in Mpumalanga...

GUEST: Peter Nyoni, the new Head of Department in Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta)

CONTACT: Gregory Sithole, Office of the HOD: COGTA

When the first modern citizenship-by-investment programs were developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the investment migration industry was largely unformed, unknown, and unregulated. Today, by contrast, citizenship-by-investment is part of every savvy wealth manager’s vocabulary. The number of citizenship programs is also increasing steadily, as governments seek to tap into their potential to boost capital and talent inflows.
The global citizenship market is now an established and fast-growing feature of the economic landscape, with prominent players such as the EU endorsing and participating in the industry. This morning we unpack exactly what the ‘global citizenship market’ entails, and how are its much-touted benefits distributed? Why, and to whom, does this market matter? Together with case studies this discussion can cover the following: a brief history of citizenship-by-investment, benefits of the industry – a win-win for governments and investors, sustainability of the industry…

Guest: Amanda Smit of Henley & Partners

Mpumelelo said in his article in Sowetan “Willemse seemed to imply that there was a difference between a "quota" player on the one hand, and a player who has worked hard to earn respect on the other. He wanted his television audience, from whom he hoped to elicit sympathy, to understand that he belonged to the latter category, not the former. The truth, however, is that without affirmative action, Willemse's competence on the rugby field wouldn't matter.”

Guest: Mpumelelo Mkhabela is a fellow at the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation at the University of Pretoria

Zimbabwe's president Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced that the country's national elections will be held on the 30 July, this year. The July election will be the country’s first since independence in 1980 and also since the army forced 94-year-old former president Robert Mugabe to resign last November. On The Talking Point, we look at the current situation in Zimbabwe, following the new political dispensation there...

Professor Martin Rupiya - Who is with the Institute for African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa (UNISA)

The report, Overcoming Poverty and Inequality in South Africa: An Assessment of Drivers, Constraints and Opportunities, documents the progress South Africa has made in reducing poverty and inequality since the end of apartheid in 1994, with a focus on the period between 2006 and 2015, and the challenges that lie ahead. Accelerating poverty and inequality reduction will require a combination of policies that seek to unlock the full potential of labor markets and promote inclusive growth through skilled job creation. What are they?
Guest: Dr Marek Hanusch is a Senior Economist in the World Bank's Global Practice for Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment

Time now for our SME feature. As many of you know, every Thursday we take a look at Issues and challenges within Small and Medium Enterprises. Today our focus is on Google's recently launched "Google Impact Challenge South Africa". The Challenge will see the tech giant commit approximately 25 million rands worth of grant funding to local organizations that are innovating, using technology to reach their goals and solve some of the continent's most pressing challenges. For more on this we are now joined on the line by Mzamo Masito, Marketing Director for Google Sub-Saharan Africa...

GUEST: Mzamo Masito, Marketing Director for Google Sub

A mechanical engineer turned auctioneer, is calling for transformation in the South African auction industry. Kwanele Boltina, from Riley Auctions has expressed concern that banks are failing to support black-owned auctioneering enterprises and that some companies are still predominantly owned and controlled by white people. Some corners of the auctioneering industry have called for an "auctioneering empowerment charter", to address the challenges facing black auctioneers. For more on this we are now joined in studio by Kwanele Boltina, from Riley Auctions...

GUEST: Kwanele Boltina, from Riley Auctions

Time now for our Youth Unemployment feature. Today we look at the Serious Social Investing Conference in association with Tshikululu Social Investments, current underway at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg. The Conference is aimed at driving real socio-economic transformation in both the public and private sectors, to enriching and uplifts poor and rural communities across the country. This year, the Conference will showcase 20 inspiring young South African millennials. For more on the event we are now joined on the line by...

GUEST: Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh - Who is an outspoken political commentator, scholar and musician

GUEST: Tracey Henry - Who is the CEO of Tshikululu Social Investments

The Christians of South Africa (COSA) says South Africa needs to put laws in place to regulate the retirement age for political offices. The law seeks to avoid "sleepists" and "irrational" thinkers in Parliament. COSA says Parliament like any other sectors is so important and often requires high levels of physical and mental ability...

GUEST: Pastor Derick Mosoana, Leader of the Christians of South Africa (COSA)

In December last year, the ANC adopted a policy favouring land expropriation without compensation. The issue is being discussed in parliament and increasingly South Africans are polarized around traditional Apartheid social interests including white commercial farmers, traditional leaders, parties claiming to represent landless black people etc. However, not much attention has been given to working class interests and whether the urban and rural poor are likely to benefit from land reforms, either for subsistence farming, job-creation or land for housing. In today’s show we pose the question, Land expropriation without compensation – what about the Working Class?

With us to discuss this we have…

Professor Ruth Hall, a researcher at the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS)

Advocate Wallace Mgoqi