A recent survey conducted by Afrobarometer indicates that some African countries have negative attitudes towards the role of traditional leaders, and that includes our country as well. The same survey also revealed that trust in traditional leaders is much higher among rural respondents. For more on the outcomes of the survey, we are joined by….. 

Guest: Sibusiso Nkomo, Head of Communications @Afrobarometer  

Tiger Brands has recalled some of its Purity and Elizabeth Anne’s baby powder. This follows trace levels of asbestos detected in the baby products. The company says it is doing this as a precautionary measure. It found the asbestos in a batch of pharmaceutical-grade talc powder it uses in the production of its baby powder products. This recalls comes just a weeks after Johnson & Johnson announced it would no longer sell its talc-based baby powder by the end of 2023, after 40 000 lawsuits by consumers who alleged it caused health problems on their children.

Guest: Joseph Selolo, Company Secretary at the National Consumer Commission. 

Members of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts have expressed frustration by the Compensation and Unemployment Insurance Fund’s silence and lack of response with regards to their poor performance. The entities failed to present its 2020 and 2021 financial reports before parliament. Scopa is also considering asking the SIU on cases involving the UIF due to the fund’s slow pace in taking disciplinary measures against officials who contravened procurement processes. What exactly is going on here? 

Guest: Scopa Chairperson, Mkhuleko Hlengwa

Running a small business needs more than just funding. Many entrepreneurs learn on the go, without technical support or strategy. This leads to failure of some businesses that actually have potential. What’s the foundation for a successful business? Old Mutual’s SME Director Nobesuthu Ndlovu 

Do you think raising the alcohol drinking age to 21 will help deal with underage drinking in the country? The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance in South Africa says the impact of government’s delay in passing the Liquor Products Amendment Bill into law is evident in South Africa’s alcohol abuse issue. The bill has hardly moved since it was first mooted six years ago. Among other things, the bill proposes increasing the drinking age to 21 years, banning any alcohol sales and advertising on social media and introducing a new liability clause for alcohol businesses. The NGO says the delay in passing the bill into law shows government’s unwillingness to deal the social ills associated with excessive drinking. What have been some of the reasons given to justify the delay? 

Guest: SAAPA SA Communications Manager, Terri-Liza Fortein. 

Earlier on today, Eskom announced that it has successfully recovered the R30 million it unlawfully paid to the Eskom Pension and Provident Fund for the benefit of its former CEO Brian Molefe. This after in July this year, the North Gauteng High Court re-affirmed a 2018 high court judgement that had reviewed and set aside a 2016 early retirement agreement between Molefe and Eskom. To react to this is ….. 

Guest: Wayne Duvenage, Outa Chairperson 

We hear from the South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) on why they are supporting News24 journalist Karyn Maughan in a private prosecution case brought against her by former president Jacob Zuma. Zuma served Maughan and state prosecutor Billy Downer with the summons on Tuesday to appear in the High Court in Pietermaritzburg. 

Guest: Makhudu Sefara, Media Freedom Committee Chairperson @ SANEF  

The Constitutional Court in Angola has rejected opposition party UNITA's claim seeking to annul the results of last month's general election. UNITA filed a complaint after the victory of the governing party, MPLA. The opposition alleged that a parallel vote count showed huge and unacceptable differences from those published by the electoral body. 

Guest: Charlie Khumalo, veteran journalist on African affairs  

The African National Congress (ANC) has postponed its nomination process for national leaders until a special national executive committee (NEC) meeting this weekend where the party will approve a membership audit of all members and branches. 

Guest: Pule Mabe, ANC National spokesperson  

What do taxi association think of the violent protests that have been going on in the Western Cape? City of Cape Town withdrew MyCiti Bus and Dial-A-Ride services after protesters threw stones at the at busses and private cars. Taxi operators in the area say their livelihoods have been affected by the operation of busses in their routes. Santaco in the Western Cape has condemned the violence and called for a better solution. 

Guest: Nkululeko Sityebi, Spokesperson for the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association.