The View Point

The lockdown has taken a lot away from many South African. This time highlighted the need for us to be versatile and innovative. Today we focus on the business of DJying and how an innovative concept such as the Lockdown HouseParty, has brought much needed refreshment during the lockdown.

Guest: Phind’gcobe Madubela – Dj PH - Metro FM presenter, Dj AND Co-Initiator of the LockdownHouseParty

Guest: Ashley Raphala – Dj Shimza - Dj AND Co-Initiator of the LockdownHouseParty

With social distancing continuing indefinitely, arts and culture practitioners are increasingly finding ways to maintain their practices and livelihoods online. With this in, we look at the National Arts Festival 2020 and what it meant for their ‘business’ to go virtual. They have recently announced that they are extending their virtual festival until the end of July – this was the second extension.

Guest: Monica Newton - CEO of the National Arts Festival; this was her first festival as CEO

By setting funds aside, you’ve already taken steps to provide financial security for your loved ones in the case of your death, but one step most often neglected is designating a beneficiary. Your beneficiary is the person to whom your benefits are paid in the event of your death. There have been many cases where family members don’t receive the life insurance or retirement savings payouts promised to them by their deceased loved ones, simply because the beneficiaries weren't designated initially, or updated as life circumstances changed.

Guest: Walter van der Merwe - Chief Executive Officer of Fedgroup Life

It’s well known that South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates of young people in the world, with 59% of youngsters aged between 15 and 24 currently unemployed. A new research initiative exploring the changing nature of work and its implications for social protection policy in South Africa, demonstrates that young people use several strategies to earn some income where wage work is not only increasingly unavailable but also precarious.

Guest: Lauren Graham - Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg

Much like our daily routines, religious and cultural rituals have been derailed by the coronavirus pandemic. Strict measures, if not ultimate banning, have also been placed of funerals and cultural activities such as initiation schools, ukutwasa and the reed dance. This has created a sense of discomfort particularly because cultural expressions are historical and deep forms of expression. Some even feel that African culture is under threat from the Covid-19 pandemic. In our culture, social isolation is unthinkable.

Guest: Dr Nokuzola Mdende - Commissioner at the CRL Commission - The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural and Linguistic Communities

South Africa is going through an economic crisis and over the past year, there have been many debates across the public discourse on how workers pensions should be used to develop the country's development and infrastructure.

The PIC Commission of Inquiry has shown the drawbacks of how this asset should be managed and how it should be protected. Eskom and SAA are other bad examples where we have created a culture of bailouts that has emerged after State Capture Commission of Inquiry.

Guest: Zwelinzima Vavi - President South African Federation of Trade Unions

Our co-host is a former military man, a gutsy public servant and national treasure when it comes to South African proverbs. He served as Commander of the then Transkei Defence and became a key role actor in the transition of the Eastern Cape (Transkei) and South Africa (CODESA) into democracy.

He is one of the longest serving parliamentarians in democratic history and the President of the United Democratic Movement, which was founded in 1997. He sits on various Parliamentary Committees which serves as reminder to all South Africans that he is committed to bringing forth a better standard of life for all of her People.

Guest: General Bantubonke Holomisa - President United Democratic Movement

Have you noticed that in the midst of all of the Covid-19 news there has been very little news attention paid to what we should/could be doing to prevent another new virus from breaking loose. Obviously we need to worry about the problem at hand first, but if there are things we could be doing to prevent this from happening again, surely we should be looking into them.

Guest: Donovan Will - Director of ProVeg South Africa

Siki Dlanga is of the view that the church is the single most consistent institution that has played the most influential role in the formation of the psyche of South African society. She believes that we owe the foundations of our education, press, health, human rights and government to the Christian church’s role in South Africa.
She says GBV has long been orchestrated by the teachings of the church, long before it became the standard of the country.

Guest: Siki Dlanga - Poet and author – speaking in her personal capacity

A task team was assigned to looking into transformation within universities in 2015. The report was released last week by the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Blade Nzimande. Nzimande was concerned by the impediments within the postgraduate pipeline in providing support for early career development. Further, the worst affected by these challenges are aspiring black and coloured female scholars.

Guest: Mark Baker - Chief Executive Officer MyGrow