The Weekend View

Bafana Bafana, who started on the wrong foot after losing to Mali in their opening match at the Africa Cup of Nations, are back in action today when they face Namibia at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Ivory Coast. Coach Hugo Broos' charges lost 2 nil to Mali on Tuesday. The Namibians go into this game on a high after beating Tunisa 1-0  also on Tuesday. Although many say today's match is a must win for Bafana if they are to keep the dream alive, a draw can still give Bafana a chance of making the last 16. They will have to beat Tunisia in their final Group E match. We spoke to Mathews Mpete, SABC Sports Analyst 

It is time to stop talking about the risk that the war in Gaza spreading elsewhere in the Middle East. It has already happened.' This is the view of some Middle East analysts who say the US and British attacks on the Houthis in Yemen are not just about the freedom of navigation and world trade, but are directly linked to events in Gaza and represent an escalation of the crisis that is gripping the region. This week also saw Iran bomb targets in its nuclear armed neighbour Pakistan following similar missile and drone attacks in Iraq and Syria. Just yesterday an air strike on the Syrian capital, Damascus, killed 10 people. Syria and Iran have blamed Israel, with Iran vowing revenge. This has put the region on tenterhooks. Has the Gaza war already spread and what will it take to stop conflict. We spoke to  Terence Corrigan, project manager at the Institute of Race Relations.

The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) has filed court papers to appeal a ruling that had allowed an auction of Nelson Mandela's personal belongings to go forward. The late former President's daughter, Makaziwe and the agency have been locked in a two-year legal battle, where the SAHRA tried to block the sale of the items, describing them as heritage items. We spoke to Ben Mwasinga, Senior Manager for Heritage Conservation Management at South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA)

While the country is in jubilation over the impressive record matric performance, it is important to consider those learners who have not passed their exams as well as they would have hoped, and those who have completely failed. Many parents and guardians are currently faced with the responsibility of going back to the drawing board and re-assuring their children that there are second chances. Dr Sanele Gamede; Career Coach and Founder of #MatricsUngazibulali is one person who knows all about second chances in life, and he joins us in the studio to share his success story after failing a few grades before matriculating. 

Financial literacy for young children is just as important as it is for adults. It helps them build a better foundation for financially literate and responsible adults. A recent study suggests that by age 7 children are able to develop a basic understanding of financial behaviours they might need in their adult life. Every year, most families are said to run into the same financial pitfalls which can be attributed to the lack of financial literacy instilled from a young age. For more on how we can encourage children to have a better relationship with money, we spoke to Stian De Witt, Executive Head of Financial Planning at NMG.

Global supply chains are facing severe disruption as a result of the world's biggest shipping companies diverting journeys away from the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. Attacks by Houthis in Yemen on commercial vessels have resulted in many firms deciding to avoid one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. US and UK naval forces in the Red Sea have now launched air strikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen in response to the attacks on shipping, a move which according to the US's own admission, has so far had no effect. Because of the attacks and the threat of future assaults, several of the world's largest shipping firms are diverting vessels away to a much longer route around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope and then up the west side of the continent. Can South Africa capitalise on this? We spoke to Chris Hattingh, Executive Director at the Risk Analysis Centre.

Former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule on Friday announced that his party, the African Congress for Transformation, had joined forces with the Jacob Zuma-backed uMkhonto weSizwe and other "like-minded" parties ahead of the 2024 general elections. He was speaking in Pietermaritzburg as the ACT kick-started its three-day awareness campaign in KwaZulu-Natal. Some say the move could further dilute support for the ANC which is facing its toughest electoral challenge in this year's national elections. We spoke to Political Analyst, Sandile Swana ....

Thousands of people have not received their social grant benefits for January. According to the South African Social Security Agency, the delay is caused by an error with the personal information verification process. Reports say up to 150 000 beneficiaries have been affected, a devastating blow for many families at the beginning of the year. In 2023, payment failures also left thousands of beneficiaries in financial distress for two months. For clarity on this issue, we spoke to Social Development minister Lindiwe Zulu

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa says after 30 years of democracy, the governing party still remains a party of choice. Ramaphosa delivered his January 8 Statement in a full packed Mbombela stadium in Mpumalanga yesterday. Dignitaries in attendance includes former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, alliance partners and representatives from fraternal parties such as Mozambique's Frelimo party, Zimbabwe's Zanu-PF and MPLA of Angola. We spoke to Political Commentator, Rebone Tau and Angelo Fick, Director of Research at the Auwal Socio-Economic Research Institute

Days before that start of this week's case by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, hundreds of Israelis signaled that they would be backing the case at the International Court of Justice. More than 600 Israelis signed a petition calling on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rule in favour of South Africa's lawsuit against the state of Israel, calling for a decision that will bring an immediate end to the war. For their reaction to case, we spoke to  Adam Keller, of Israelis supporting South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice, we also spoke to those opposed to South AFrica's case. Rolene Marks is spokesperson of South Africa Zionist Federation. She also speaks to us from Israel