The Weekend View

Efforts to end the Ukraine war and Thursday's much hyped telephone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his United States counterpart, Donald Trump, made no progress with Putin insisting he would stick to his aims in the conflict and continue the war. The phone call, their sixth since Trump started his second term in January, came the day after the Pentagon confirmed it was halting some weapons deliveries to Kyiv, including air defence missiles and precision-guided artillery. Russia responded to the news by carrying out it's heaviest strike so far on Ukraine firing a record 550 drones and 11 missiles during a long night of bombardment that extended to YEASTRDAY morning. Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Olesia Horiainova, co-founder of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre in Kyiv

Tributes from all corners of South Africa continue to pour in for former deputy president David Mabuza. Mabuza died on THURSDAY at the age of 64. He served as Deputy President from 2018 to 2023 under President Cyril Ramaphosa. Mabuza has been praised by his friends and foes alike for his lifelong activism, political acumen and commitment to South Africa. During his political career he earned the nickname "The Cat", a moniker derived from his political astuteness. Others however say Mabuza has left no particularly remarkable legacy that can be publicly and widely acclaimed.
One of Mabuza's closet allies during his time in provincial politics was ANC MP and former North West premier, Supra Mahumapelo....

A more severe cold front  is set to make landfall in the Western Cape TODAY and is expected to move to the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, bringing disruptive rain and very cold conditions across several provinces. Cold temperatures are also expected TOMORROW, especially in the southern parts of the country. The likely impact of this cold front include localised flooding over the southwestern parts, and damaging winds over the central parts of the Northern Cape, which could affect informal and formal structures. The City of Cape Town's Disaster Risk Management Centre is on high alert as the weather system comes after severe flooding and infrastructure damage hit the city just last week. Bongiwe Zwane spoke to the centre's spokesperson Sonica Lategan 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has launched a scathing attack on DA Leader John Steenhuisen. This for the decision to withdraw from the National Dialogue.  Ramaphosa's rebuke comes in the wake of former President Thabo Mbeki's open letter to Steenhuisen. The aim of the much talked National Dialogue is to bring South Africans from all walks of life together to discuss the kind of South Africa they want. Speaking on the side-lines of the state visit by Austrian President, Alexander van der Bellen at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Ramaphosa says the National Dialogue would probably be successful without the participation of the DA and its diversionary inputs. Our Politics Reporter Ntebo Mokobo has more.   

One could be forgiven for feeling that every second call received these days is a SPAM call. As technology enables broader outreach and data breaches increase, the volume of unsolicited sales calls seems to follow.  Although South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) has been in force for some time, enforcement of the rules has been relatively limited thus far. To address the prevalence of spam calls,  regulators have recently introduced changes to POPIA which specifically targets telemarketing practices. To find out more Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Sadia Rizvi, Associate at the Corporate & Commercial practice at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr

As we have reached the halfway point in the year, many people may be feeling constant fatigue due to adding more tasks to their to-do list than crossing off. Mid-year fatigue is real. According to Karin Mitchelmore, Executive Head of Healthcare Consulting at financial advisory firm NMG Benefits, for many, the early-year energy has given way to fatigue. The end of the year feels far away, and it is taking a toll on employees and employers alike but says support from employers and proactive steps from employees can help turn things around. For more Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Karin Mitchelmore, Executive Head of Healthcare Consulting at advisory firm NMG Benefits

Reigning Rugby World Cup champions South Africa are confident that their superior experience in the number of combined test caps and local knowledge, will be their allies when they take on Italy at the Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria TODAY. The Springboks will once again do without the leadership of Siya Kolisi who is nursing a tendon injury and will be captained by Jesse Kriel, who will become South Africa's 67th Test captain when he leads the Springboks. To look at today's clash Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Renier Swart, SABC rugby commentator...

As we come to the end of youth month... On the Weekend View this morning we put the spotlight on youth and underage drinking in South Africa. The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA) has expressed concern over the challenges that young people face through underage drinking. This due to the wide variety of alcohol distributors in many communities and the sale of alcohol to minors. SAAPA hosted a media discussion around the dangers of alcohol in communities, relating it to Youth Month and the impact that alcohol distribution has on children. To unpack this Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Dr Candice Groenewald - Chief Research Specialist in the public health, societies and belonging  research division at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) , Mokebe Thulo-CEO at Aware.org and Ayanda Sishi Wigzell, social commentator  

South Africans spent a staggering R1.1 trillion on gambling between April 2023 and March 2024, with gross gambling revenue surging by over 25% to R59.3 billion This is according to the national gambling board. Experts cite aggressive advertising and easy access as key drivers. Meanwhile The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation is urging early intervention to assist those harmed by gambling. Its latest initiative targets vulnerable groups with counselling and public awareness, aiming to highlight the devastating impact disordered gambling can have on individuals and their families. To unpack this Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Sibongile Simelane-Quntana, Executive Director at the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation 

As the crisis in most of the countries municipalities continues unabated, government has introduced a review of the white paper on local government. This move is touted as one that could help change the face of local government, even possibly bringing down the number of municipalities. It also looks at another critical aspect of local government, the politicisation of local government, but of course all this depends on what you and I say as the process continues to try and resolve the crisis that continues to plague municipalities as the adverse audit outcomes reveal. So if you think this is another waste of time, let's tell you why this process matters. Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Sabelo Chalufu, an independent consultant and a former Johannesburg councilor, director and executive support in the metro