The Weekend View

The International Federation of Christian Churches (IFCC) welcomes the formation of Government of National Unity (GNU),which officially ushers in the 7th Administration. This is after what has been proven to be a historical election on the 29th of May 2024, where no political party was given a majority mandate to govern by the Electorate.The IFCC pleads  with the ministers to rise above party politics, self-interest during their service in the GNU and put the interests of the people of South Africa first. 

The latest  Consumer Default Index report from Experian has put the spotlight on the financial health of young consumers.  The report has revealed that loan defaults have decreased for young South Africans but that access is still a hurdle. Jaco van Jaarsveldt, Experian's Head of Commercial Strategy and Innovation says this positive trend doesn't necessarily mean their finances have drastically improved. According to the CDIx report this highlights  the need for both increased access to responsible credit and enhanced financial literacy. 

The High Court in Pretoria on FRIDAY  found that the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's (NERSA) decision to consider municipalities' applications for electricity tariff increases without the required cost studies is unlawful and invalid. According to Afriforum this means that the regulator may not consider any applications for electricity tariff increases from municipalities unless the required cost studies are also submitted. AfriForum submitted an urgent application to the court earlier this month to prevent NERSA from proceeding with these considerations. 

University of Pretoria (UP) scientists have contributed to discovering how the naked mole rat is able to withstand heart attacks and fend off bowel cancer, two of the most fatal human ailments in the developed world. Their findings were published recently in two Nature Communications papers. Prof Nigel Bennett and Dr Daniel Hart, co-authors on both papers and experts in mole rat evolution at UP's Department of Zoology and Entomology, say the findings add to a long list of mole rat "superpowers" that have already been discovered, including slower ageing, natural contraception and the ability to bypass pain responses.

Online dating and dating apps are powerful connectors in the dating landscape. Since the first dating site launched in the 1990s, online dating has grown in popularity and become normalized around the world.  Millions of people use it to find love and companionship – but as well as the rewards of finding a partner, there are also risks, including online scams and unwanted or threatening behavior. Experts say it's wise to keep a few precautions in mind for safer interactions.

According to non-governmental organization, Nguvu collective, lack of awareness the stigma that is associated with menstruation is increased exponentially in prisons where women face intersecting discriminatory practices because of their gender and  incarceration. 

South African man's senior national team will be playing in the exciting final of the ICC T20 world cup at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados this afternoon for the very first time since rejoining international sporting community in 1992. The Proteas will be playing against India, who are the favorites to lift the trophy. It's going to be a difficult game, however if the Proteas bowling attack display the same level of accuracy and precision they showed against Afghanistan in the semis, we stand a good chance. 

In the latest developments, the ANC and the DA have yet to reconcile their differences over Cabinet positions. Wil this threaten the unity in government of national unity talks?  To unpack this we are now joined on the line by Dr Ongama Mtimka  political analyst at Nelson Mandela University. 

The Democratic Alliance is one of the major partners of the proposed Government of National Unity. The party has been governing the Western Cape since 2009. It retained the province with an outright majority in the May 2024 elections. We visited Houtbay, a traditional fishing town and economic hub, surrounded by impoverished communities. Mercedes Besent spoke to some of the people of Hangberg about their challenges, sentiments and expectations from a Government of National Unity.

South Africa has one foot in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, and remain unbeaten so far in the tournament. But their game against England yesterday was a close one, as they scrambled to a win by 7 runs. The match went down to essentially the last ball, as a bit of wayward bowling near the end of the match came close to up-ending them. To look at the match, and their chances of reaching the semis, Bongiwe Zwane spoke to SAfm Sports presenter and researcher Janet Whitton.