The Weekend View

SA youth encouraged to register to vote

 IEC's voter registration weekend underway

Liberia elects a new president

President Cyril Ramaphosa was this week at pains to explain to a skeptical South African public that the country's efforts to fight corruption are gaining traction. Speaking at a dialogue on building a corruption-free SA, an upbeat Ramaphosa said while there is a long road ahead, the fight against corruption is gaining momentum. Among the successes, he listed 9 separate court cases, involving 47 individuals and 21 companies, that have been brought to court. This sentiment was not shared by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo who told the dialogue that the levels of corruption have reached unacceptable proportions and called for drastic measures to be taken urgently. This came in the same week that Justice and Constitutional Development minister, Ronald Lamola, told Parliament that despite several meetings and repeated attempts to get feedback from the United Arab Emirates -UAE - on the Gupta brothers' extradition request, there has been no response. Lamola also told parliamentarians that the whereabouts of the Guptas remain unknown and they have not been charged by any law enforcement agencies in the UAE. To discuss the issues raised at the dialogue and whether South Africans should be optimistic about current efforts to fight corruption we spoke to Melusi Ncala, Senior Researcher at Corruption Watch and Mpumelelo Zikalala, a legal analyst .

International Law professor from the University of Pretoria, Dire Tladi, now sits at the International Court of Justice in the Hague. The first South African to serve at the World Court, Prof Tladi becomes one of 15 judges elected for 9-year terms to settle disputes between nations in accordance with international law and give advisory opinions on questions of international law. The UN Security Council and the General Assembly elected him to be a judge for the court. Among issues he will de dealing with is the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. To look at the significance of Tladi's appointment we are joined by Cathy Powell, professor of International Law at the University of Cape Town ....

President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the deployment of 3,300 soldiers in cooperation with the South African Police Service, to tackle illegal mining and the construction Mafia under Operation Prosper. The operation seeks to prevent and combat crime while maintaining and preserving the rule of  law. In August, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) had indicated that it intends to ensure that mining companies are held liable to undertake proper rehabilitation and safeguard their properties in the face of illegal mining. We spoke to  Acting Chief Director for Communications at the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, Ernest Mulibana... 

 Former ANC Northern Cape chairperson and MEC, John Block has been released on parole. He was sentenced to 15 years for corruption and money laundering on 6 December 2016.  Block took the Correctional Services department to court, claiming that he qualifies for parole, if presidential remissions are taken into account. Meanwhile, the Former ANC Northern Cape chairperson is currently facing another legal challenge after being sued by former Judge France Kgomo-  for R2.5 million for allegedly defaming him during his corruption trial. We spoke to Democratic Alliance (DA)'s shadow minister for Correctional Services, Jahno Engelbrecht...

With the soon to be introduced two-pot retirement system, pension funds are at potential risk of criminals intercepting withdrawals of high-value investments. While fraudsters won't be able to drain an entire pension, the savings in a pot is still a significant amount of money for most people - especially in the current difficult economy. To find out how pension funds can be kept safe we We spoke to Murray Collyer, Chief Operating Officer of a biometrics company  iiDENTIFI.

 Lifestyle genetic testing and screening is said to be the future of medicine. The process enables people to take personal ownership of their health, and by doing so, reduce their risk of disease. The tests are evidence-based DNA screenings that look at specific genetic markers of health like nutrition, exercise, sleep, environmental exposures and other lifestyle factors, that contribute to the development of lifestyle-related diseases. We spoke to  Dr Yvonne Holt, from Next Biosciences

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA forum concluded in JHB yesterday. The forum was set to strengthen trade relations between the United States and the rest of the African continent. Some analysts say the African countries stand to enhance their economies by being part of such agreements as AGOA. Given the recent tussle between the US and South Africa- how beneficial is it for us to continue being part or taking part in such trade agreements? Are ordinary people reaping the benefits of the AGOA agreement?  Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Miyelani Mkhabela, Founding Director and CEO at Antswisa Management Group AND  Prof. André Thomashausen. Professor Emeritus of Comparative and International Law, Unisa...