The Weekend View

 Poor financial habits can lead to money related trauma. This is according the National Debt Advisors. It says the conversation around money and mental health is becoming increasingly important in dealing with monetary struggles. This Mental Health Awareness Month,  National Debt Advisors is advising consumers to acknowledge the psychological impact that poor financial planning has on other types of mental health. To explain this we spoke to Samantha Moyana, Debt Counsellor at National Debt Advisors...

The Israeli army is this morning asking residents of several areas of the Gaza Strip to flee their homes in preparation for revenge attacks against Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed vengeance on Palestinian militants. Hamas launched a wave of rocket attacks and sent fighters into Israel yesterday morning in the biggest escalation in decades. Some 250 people in Israel have been killed and 230 others have died in Gaza in a wave of Israeli air strikes. Israeli defence chiefs are now facing growing questions over how the attack could have happened. We spoke to Jonathan Schwartz is an Israeli journalist and  Naeem Jeenah is a senior researcher with the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA)

The devastating fire that claimed the lives of six soldiers at the Lohatla combat training centre in the Northern Cape is reported to be under control. Three soldiers were injured in the blaze which started on Friday.  Bongiwe Zwane spoke to SA Army spokesperson Major General Mercuur 

The Interfaith Forum of South Africa will tomorrow meet at a conference to come up with, what it says, will be bold new plans to save South Africa. The conference will be chaired by Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches and brings together 10 other religious groups. The meeting, to be held from Monday to Wednesday, comes at a time when the country is lurching from one crisis to another, including power cuts, water shortages, crumbling infrastructure, high rate of unemployment, a tanking economy, fraud and corruption and the high cost of living. All of these have been described by some analysts as symptomatic to "a failing state". The Interfaith Forum says delegates from around the country will debate on how best to revamp the country and build a capable state.

To discuss how and whether these lofty plans can materialise we we spoke to the Chairperson of The Interfaith Forum of South Africa, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana AND Dr Ongama Mtimka, a Political Analyst from the Nelson Mandela  Univeristy .....

While the fight against avian flu continues, the rabbit population in Gauteng is under threat from the Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (HRD) Virus. Both wild and domestic rabbit populations are at risk from theh virus. So far, affected areas include Meyerton, Vereeniging, Valley Settlements, Henley on Klip, De Deur and Apple Orchards. The Gauteng Agriculture and Rural  Development Department is warning pet and zoo keepers to be alert and take caution. At the same time the Gauteng Rabbit Breeder's Association says while the have made contact with state veterinary services to assist, access to medicines to fight the virus remains a challenge. Gauteng Rabbit Breeder's Association chairman, Gavin Grgurin joins us on the line......

Healthcare costs in South Africa have  increased sharply over the past few years posing significant challenges for medical aid schemes and their members as well as a creating a cost-of-living crisis for many consumers. Medical schemes say they are trying to  prioritise their members' wellbeing while striving to keep cost increases as low as possible. Profmed CEO Craig Comrie  joins us on the line to shed light on the complexities and factors driving these escalating expenses and what medical aid schemes are doing to cut costs

In a space of just three months, seventeen political parties have registered with the IEC. That means more than 540 parties could potentially contest next year's elections.  The IEC expects the number to increase. The election body says not all the parties will be represented on the ballot box, as some may not meet the required criteria. Some of these newly established parties are led by former ANC members.  To look at what the expansion of the political landscape means for the electorate, we spoke to Political Analyst, Sandile Swana...

The 2023 Global Organized Crime Index released earlier this week has revealed that South Africa is one of the worst countries in the world regarding organised crime. The report highlights that the country has experienced a decade-long increase in criminality, undermining democratic processes through organised corruption and violence for hire. The criminal economy is fuelled largely by networks with corrupt relationships while heavily armed organised criminal activities include drug trafficking, cash in transit heists, wildlife poaching and cable theft. The Index, released on Tuesday, showed that South Africa scored a 7.18 criminality score out of 10 meaning we are ranked the seventh highest in the world and the third highest in Africa, coming after Nigeria and the DRC

Transnet CEO Portia Derby has resigned. Her resignation yesterday follows a year of lobbying by business and, more recently, organised labour, as the performance of the state logistics company crumbled under her watch. A statement released by the board also announced that Transnet chief financial officer Nonkululeko Dlamini had also resigned. To look at  what lies ahead for the rail and ports giant we are joined on the line by Azar Jammine, Director and Chief Economist at Econometrix...

The DA wants ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula to face imprisonment for contempt of court. This comes after the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) this month dismissed an attempt by the party to appeal an earlier ruling from the Johannesburg High Court that the ANC must hand over its cadre deployment records to the DA. The ANC had earlier indicated that it will turn to the Constitutional Court in a final bid to appeal. The DA now contends that the 15 day deadline imposed by the court to launch the appeal has lapsed.  We spoke to Legal Analyst, Mpumelelo Zikalala.