The Weekend View

How many times have you been really satisfied with the service you get as a consumer? For many of us it's not that many. In this current harsh economic environment one would have thought businesses will go all out to impress their customers to deserve their hard earned cash. Every interaction between a customer and a business holds the potential to either fortify or fracture the relationship. From a simple inquiry to a complex service request, each touchpoint shapes the customer's perception of the brand. Recent studies have also shown the pivotal role of customer experience  in shaping consumer behaviour and driving business success. Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Khosi Ncube, Customer Experience Officer at Rentoza 

The biggest and popular consumer Lifestyle Exhibition Event in South Africa is in full swing. The Rand Easter Show started on Thursday and ends on Monday April 1st.  The theme for this year is – Bringing Families Together.  Held annually over the Easter period, the family-friendly gathering offers a wide-range of shopping experiences at their various exhibitions. For more Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Adele Hartdegen CEO of The Rand Show

South Africa goes to the polls on the 29th of May to make their mark in what is going to be a hotly contested general election.   This year, voters will see three ballot papers rather than the two they are used to. This is a first for democratic South Africa. The change has come as a result of the Electoral Amendment Act that provides for the inclusion of independent candidates to run for office as a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly. To unpack this Bongiwe Zwane spoke to  Moagisi Sibanda , General Manager for Civic and Democracy Education, Research and Knowledge Management at the Electoral Commission of South Africa 

 IFP president, Velenkosini Hlabisa on FRIDAY called for urgent peace talks between his party and ANC leadership for both parties to iron out their differences . His call comes amid a controversy involving the ANC's Siboniso Duma and the Zulu monarch's prime minister Thulasizwe Buthelezi during the commemoration of King Dinuzulu last weekend. The incident led to some ANC members claiming that they had been assulted, a charge the IFP denies. The IFP says it hopes it will be able to meet with the ANC to avoid violence before the elections. To discuss this further Bongiwe Zwane spoke to  Prof Bheki Mngomezulu, Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy at Nelson Mandela University....

Senegal is finally going to the polls TODAY to vote in a tightly contested presidential race that has fired up political tensions.  The presidential election is taking place after much uncertainty following President Macky Sall's unsuccessful effort to delay the Feb. 25 vote until the end of the year. President Macky Sall's unprecedented decision to delay the election had sparked violent demonstrations in the capital city, Dakar. But within two weeks, his decree was reversed by the country's constitutional court and the election date was rescheduled for March 24. The West African country has long been lauded as a stable, even model democracy, in a region rife with political crises and coups. To unpack this Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Adv. Sipho Mantula - from the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs at UNISA

 Life imprisonment for rapists, the death penalty for murderers, and easily accessible clinics and police stations will be put in place for communities. These are some of the promises outlined by the Alliance of Citizens for Change (A.C.C) in its election manifesto launch in Cape Town YESTERDAY. The party says its manifesto, is underpinned by the concept of ensuring social justice. Andile Mbanjwa reports....

Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni, has appointed his son General Muhoozi Kainerugaba as Chief of Defence Forces. Kainerugaba replaces General Wilson Mbadi as head the country's defence forces- who has been moved to the trade ministry in the major cabinet reshuffle in the East African country. Over the years, Museveni has denied speculation that he is grooming his only son as his successor. Sebenzile Nkambule spoke to  SABC News Correspondent, Leon Ssenyange...

On Thursday THIS WEEK, the organisation 'Friends of a Free Internet' launched what it calls the 'Stop Thief campaign' demanding the major cell phone networks end profiteering and meet their commitments to expand affordable internet access to everyone in South Africa. The campaigners called on MTN, Vodacom, Cell C and Telkom to stop the digital divide which they say is amplifying and deepening South Africa's inequality as a few enjoy high-speed world-class fibre internet connections while the marginalised majority are either excluded from network access completely or remain condemned to the slow and over-priced prepaid mobile connections. Sebenzile Nkambule spoke to  Friends of a Free Internet spokesperson, Tshiamo Malatji 

Most opposition parties in Parliament have called on National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to resign in the face of corruption allegations against her.  This, as she had opted to go on special leave, while the allegations are being investigated. It is alleged that Mapisa-Nqakula received several bribes worth two-point-three million rand from a from a defence contractor during her tenure as Defence Minister. On Tuesday, her Johannesburg home was raided in connection with the investigation. Zalene Merrington filed this report and Sebenzile Nkambule spoke to legal analyst, Advocate Malose Monene

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has confirmed that the death of former Steinhoff CEO, Markus Jooste does not have an impact on its on-going investigation relating to Steinhoff. This, after Jooste died from a self-inflicted gun wound. On Wednesday, he was fined four-hundred-and-75-million rand by the FSCA, for misrepresenting Steinhoff's financial statements published between the year 2014 and 2017. For some analysis Sebenzile Nkambule spoke to  Advocate Paul Hoffman, Executive Director for Accountability Now