The Weekend View

Non-governmental organisation, My Vote Counts has written to political parties asking that they outline their plans for coalition negotiations before the local government elections on November the 4th. They argue that voters should have this information before casting their ballot. Meanwhile, Africa Check, another non-governmental organisation says after it has extensively followed political party election manifestos, voters could easily swift through the rhetoric and formulate a strong understanding of these manifestos. Political analyst from the University of the Free State, Professor Sethulego Matebisi however has called on the electorate to take up the responsibility of fixing the country's challenges...

Participants at the National Alcohol Summit argue that excessive alcohol consumption is increasingly causing harm in society in the form of gender-based violence, road fatalities, health problems and the breakdown of family structures. The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance in South Africa (SAAPA SA) - which is hosting the summit - is calling for tighter measures to restrict excessive alcohol consumption including higher taxes, the removal of alcohol advertising and tighter licensing mechanisms. We caught up with Nomcebo Dlamini, Campaign Director of the True Cost of Alcohol at the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance in South Africa for the last day of the summit... 

What does it really take to build wealth in South Africa?  That is the question at the heart of Welvaartskeppers, South African financial television series and book project focused on wealth creation and financial strategies. The series is hosted by financial advisers and brothers PJ and Geo Botha. The series swaps financial theory for real stories, unpacking not only how people built wealth, but what they got wrong, what they learnt and what they would do differently. Bongiwe Zwane caught up with Financial adviser and Host of Welvaartskeppers, Geo Botha and started by asking him how does one begin to create wealth...

As South Africa observes Heritage Month , the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB) calls on all South Africans to recognise language as one of the most important and enduring expressions of cultural heritage and to recognise that our languages are not merely tools of communication, but are living repositories of our traditions, histories, identities and knowledge. For more Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Dr. Keaobaka Seshoka , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Pan South African Language Board , Professor Nompumelelo Zondi, Mazisi Kunene Research Chair at the University of KwaZulu-Natal 

The City of Johannesburg is warning residents about sophisticated scams involving people posing as City officials and contractors. Criminals are allegedly visiting properties with forged job cards, threatening immediate disconnections of water or electricity and demanding payment. The City says reported losses range from three-thousand five hundred to a 120-thousand rands. Residents are urged never to pay anyone demanding cash or an EFT at their property, and to verify their municipal accounts through official City channels. Spokesperson in the group finance department at the at the City of Johannesburg, Nkosana Lekotjolo explains how the scam operates...

As the country observes Anti-Suicide Month, there are concerns about escalating bullying incidents involving school children, which sometimes lead to suicides. In Mpumalanga, several assault cases stemming from bullying incidents have been reported to the police. Meanwhile, a number of videos of girls in schools reportedly assaulting each other have recently been circulated on social media. Mthobisi Mkhaliphi reports

Durban mother Linda Govender has returned to South Africa after spending two weeks in Nepal searching for her missing daughter, Terricia. Terricia was in Nepal when floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26. Linda says returning home does not mean giving up the search. The natural disaster left more than a thousand four-hundred people dead, while over six thousand remain missing. Linda Govender is now relying on authorities and people in Nepal to continue searching for clues about her daughter's whereabouts. Bongiwe Zwane caught up with Linda for the latest from the search in Nepal

The Standing Committee on Appropriations in Parliament says it will be  taking a proactive role in examining government funding to address gender-based violence (GBV). This follows the tragic recent discovery of the bodies of nine women in Kempton Park and other parts of Ekurhuleni in Gauteng. Chairperson of the Standing Committee on AppropriationS, Dr Mmusi Maimane says the committee will examine whether sufficient funding has been allocated to respond effectively to gender-based violence and to engage with relevant stakeholders on  the planning and funding required to deal with this crisis.. For more Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Appropriations, Dr Mmusi Maimane

Colombia's new government has withdrawn its intervention in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. South Africa accused Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention with its military operations in Gaza, allegations Israel, rejects. As Khayelihle Khumalo reports, Colombia informed the World Court about its decision...

South Africa has used the United Nations' biggest diplomatic stage to defend its democracy while demanding fundamental changes to a global system it says is failing Africa and the developing world. Addressing the General Assembly in New York, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said South Africa had built a democracy strong enough to resist what he called "external supervision and tutelage." He again accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, criticised the use of economic measures to coerce countries, and demanded permanent African seats on the UN Security Council. Lamola argued that multilateralism helped defeat apartheid — and must now prove it can deliver in a deeply unequal and increasingly divided world. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.