Guest: Prof. Sizwe Mabizela - Vice Chancellor of Rhodes University

As universities gear up to open their doors to students (new and returning), many families are grappling with a critical question: how will they finance university studies? In addition to this, there are challenges around adequate student accommodation, the decline in NSFAS-supported students and university debt leading to financial exclusion.

Our next guest has written an opinion editorial on the decline in funding for Higher Education. He argues for the reassessment of the 2018 NSFAS funding model as it not only affects students applying for funding but affects universities as well. He also urges government to treat universities as a public good and to see funding of these institutions as a strategic investment in the country's future. To tell us more about their experience as one leader of these institutions and how they navigate the challenges to make the experience of students on campus easier, we are joined by…

About two weeks ago on the 14th of January we received a call from Tshepo in Dinokana. He was complaining about the public bus service in his area having been suspended which led to commuters being stranded as it's the only mode of transport taking people to work. Let's take a listen to what he had to say

Guest: Dr Hans Kekana - Head of Department in the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management in the North West

Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

Today being the last Tuesday of the month, Bryan deals with all the questions sent to him of a similar nature. But he will still answer any financial question you may have. He now joins us to deal with your questions…

Last week, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has ruled that the 2023 regulations governing the R370 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant are unconstitutional and invalid. The ruling dismantles several restrictive measures imposed by the South African Social Security Agency, which limited access to the grant for many eligible South Africans. In simple terms, the courts declared it unconstitutional to deny applicants the R370 SRD grant solely because they receive irregular income. The court also ordered SASSA to allow in- person applications at its offices, scrap the bank verification
requirement because it excluded unbanked citizen and overhauled the appeal process. To tell us more about the next steps and what this judgment means for millions of excluded citizens, we are joined by...
Guest: Siyanda Baduza - Basic Income Researcher at the IEJ
Guest: Elizabeth Raiters - Deputy Chair of #PayTheGrants

Guest: Frans Baleni - Former mineworker, unionist and Former
NUM General Secretary
Guest: Peter Major - Director of Mining - Modern Corporate Solutions (He’s very good with Mining economics,  operations and so on for many years

Mineral and Petroleum Resources minister, Gwede
Mantashe says that illegal mining is a war on the economy. He
was speaking during a media briefing in Pretoria, on the Mines
Health and Safety statistics for 2024. The issue returned to the
spotlight when over one-thousand-900 illegal miners were

retrieved from a disused mine in Stilfontein in the Northwest.
The SAPS launched its crackdown operation, Vala Umgodi at the
mine in August last year. He went on to say that. Precious metals
illicit trade is estimated to about 60 billion. Let’s take a listen to
what he said…

Our next guest is a seasoned artist, composer and
producer. She has worked with various artists in the South
African industry. Born in Cape Town , her career started at the
age of nine when she starred in the Wizard of Oz production at
the Baxter theater in Cape Town. In 2002, she wrote a theme
song for Vuka Africa Foundation, a foundation foundered by Dr
Linda Gobodo. This song was the beginning of a string of theme
songs that she would write for schools and organisations. The
theme song for the SACC entitled ‘This is Your Time’, won best
music video at the International Christian Film Festival in Florida
USA in 2016. This time round I'm working on my personal
project, you will get a taste of 'Ade The Artist' ,with African
Queen as my debut single. Her sound resonates Africa; its
beauty, its people, its history and where we are going. Her music
is inspired by African funk, R&B and gospel. 
Guest: Ade the Artist - Artist, Song-writer, Composer and
Producer

 As Tertiary institutions are about to start the 2025
academic year, the Private Student Housing Association is
pleading with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to pay
the outstanding rental fees to avoid any disruption that could
occur. They warn that if the amounts are not paid, many students
who live in accommodation that still owes rent will not be allowed
to return until the amounts are settled. We've invited buth the
association and NSFAS to understand what is at the heart of the
problem and why the rent has not been paid to the landlords.

Guest: Kagisho Mamabolo - CEO of the Private Student Housing
Association
Guest: Freeman Nomvalo - Administrator at the National Student Financiali Aid, NSFAS

Many times when communities feel badly done by municipalities, the first thing they do is stop paying for services. Sometimes it is the ratepayers associations who call on their fellow residents to withhold their rates and taxes. In light of this, we invited the South African Local Government Association to talk about the impact this is having on the everyday running of municipalities. We also want to hear what role they play in making sure that municipalities do render services to residents and to educate us on this, we are joined by…

Guest (Telephone): Lance Joel – Chief Operations Officer at the South African Local Government Association

As world leaders meet in Davos for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum under the theme: 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age, we turn our attention on the future of energy and technology in Africa. In forums of this nature, Africa and South Africa as a country become a focal point meaning we need to position ourselves as power houses on issues of renewable energy and technological advancement. In this hour we speak to an energy expert and someone who has many years in the sector and also later we will go live to Davos where one our guest’s will be joining us to talk about how the international community views us on these issues and what the general atmosphere is like on the ground. Let’s start with…

Guest: Tabi T Tabi – CEO at Granville Energy

Guest(Davos): Ruwayda Redfearn – CEO of Deloitte Africa

Guest: Nomthandazo Mpande - Managing Director at Phoki Holdings
Guest: Princess Mthonbeni - Nuclear expert – Founder of Africa4Nuclear
Guest: Bertha Dlamini - Founding President of the African Women in Energy and Power

Let's tell you now about a great opportunity for for
women, youth and people living with disability. It is called the
Just Energy Transition Skills Development Programme. It is the
brain child of the African Women in Energy and Power together
with the US Department of State Bureau of Energy Resources,
Winrock International and Sasol. It is a fully funded programme
for South African energy entrepreneurs and to tell us more about
it and what led to its development, we are joined by…