Drivetime

The horrors of urban warfare

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has just produced a special report, I Saw My City Die, which looks at shocking effects of modern urban warfare. It concentrates on the ICRC's experiences in the Middle East, crossing front lines, trying to bring relief to city communities. Joining us…

6 Jul 2017 3AM 18 min

ANC National Policy Conference Day 4

We’ve almost reached the end of day four of the ANC's national policy conference where delegates have been locked in discussions over various policies. Of course at the centre of the robust discussion is this much bandied about term called ‘radical economic transformation’ and the proxy battles between Zuma and…

6 Jul 2017 2AM 13 min

Modi visits Israel

India prime minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Tuesday as he became the first Indian leader to visit Israel. But the Palestinian Authority (PA) has expressed its concern over Modi's decision not to meet President Mahmoud Abbas during his historic three-day trip…

6 Jul 2017 2AM 13 min

Recession to impact state health care sector

With facilities and services at our state health clinics and hospitals already dysfunctional, some experts are warning that things could further deteriorate as the public purse shrinks. South Africa is in a technical recession, our unemployment rate is on a 14-year high, and we have suffered junk status gradings by…

6 Jul 2017 2AM 11 min

Tribute to Suna Venter

The South African journalist fraternity is still in shock following the death of former SABC journalist Suna Venter yesterday. Suna was found dead in her flat on Thursday morning. It was yesterday revealed that she was diagnosed with a cardiac condition due to the severe stress she was under. Suna…

6 Jul 2017 2AM 7 min

Central African Republic - Civilians Targeted in War

Armed groups in the Central African Republic have killed civilians with wholesale impunity, spurring more violence in the war-torn country. That’s according to a new Human Rights Watch a report released today. The 92-page report, “Killing Without Consequence: War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and the Special Criminal Court in the…

5 Jul 2017 11AM 13 min

The future of the ANC

As the ANCs national policy conference comes to a close today, we know there’s been some highly charged debates over issues of land and the economy. President Jacob Zuma’s “radical” faction is pitted against deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa’s “constitutional” faction. This means there is a clear battle for the future…

5 Jul 2017 10AM 11 min

India rocked by #NotInMyName protests

Thousands of people demonstrated yesterday in cities across India to protest recent attacks by mobs and vigilante groups on Muslims and lower caste Hindus. The protests were held amid growing concerns over rising intolerance. There’s also been criticism that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government is not doing enough…

30 Jun 2017 10AM 16 min

UK activists demand end to Saudi Arabia, UAE arms sales

Campaign groups and legal experts have called on the UK to end arm sales to Saudi Arabia and its allies, warning that continuing to do so may be in violation of international law. In a statement issued this week, the Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR) said…

30 Jun 2017 10AM 9 min

Aid in reverse: how poor countries develop rich countries

Earlier this year, the Guardian newspaper published an interesting report on new research that shows that developing countries send trillions of dollars more to the west than the other way around. Of course, this provides a different perspective on the existing narrative that we’ve come to know in third world…

30 Jun 2017 10AM 10 min

Media Misrepresentation of Violence

With the recent rise is violent attacks in England coupled with fears of uncertain consequences of the Brexit Negotiations, British citizens fear both more Islamist aand Islamophobic attacks. VOC journalist Yaseen Kippie spoke to analysts and citizens who have expressed that the Media, now more than ever, has one of…

30 Jun 2017 10AM 14 min

SA Christian activists deported from Israel

According to reports this week, an increasing number of South African Christians are being deported from Israel for being critical of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. In the last few months an increasing number of Christian volunteers with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Israel/Palestine (EAPPI) have been denied entry into…

29 Jun 2017 6AM 10 min

Religion in schools case: analysis

The High Court in Johannesburg has handed down a ruling on religion in public schools, saying that schools can’t promote one religion. The case was brought by the Organisation for Religious Education and Democracy (OGOD) against six schools in Gauteng The court said it's concerned by single faith branding in…

29 Jun 2017 6AM 11 min

Can SA stop political interference in our prosecuting authority

Can SA stop political interference in our prosecuting authority? We chat to UCT's Jameelah Omar, a lecturer in criminal justice in the department of public law

29 Jun 2017 6AM 12 min

ISIS IN SA

The Rise of ISIS in South Africa was the topic of discussion at the 7th Annual Wasatiyyah Conference presented by IPSA at the Castle of Good Hope this past Saturday. VOC's Yaseen Kippie investigated the rise of ISIS and ISIS based ideologies in South Africa.

23 May 2017 11AM 19 min

Penis Transplant a success

A team from Stellenbosch University (SU) and the Tygerberg Academic Hospital has recently performed a second penis transplant, making it the first medical centre in the world to successfully perform this procedure twice. We Spoke To Professor Andre van der Merwer, Head of Urology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,…

23 May 2017 10AM 7 min

Manchester bomb carnage

UK police today raised the death toll in an apparent suicide bomb blast at an Ariana Grande concert attended by thousands of young fans in Manchester, northern England, to at least 22 people, reiterating that they were treating it a "terrorist incident". We Spoke to Alexander Seale, journalist at BBC…

22 May 2017 10PM 9 min

Trump arrives in Israel

President Donald Trump arrived in Israel. His highly anticipated visit has both Israeli and U.S. officials wondering what he will bring to the table on the Isaeli -Palestinian peace process. Trump departed Saudi Arabia after delivering a landmark speech. On line is Ali Al-Ahmed. Ali Al-Ahmed, a Saudi scholar and…

22 May 2017 11AM 15 min

Famine in Somalia continues

International aid agencies are warning that six million Somalis need urgent help to avoid starvation. Somalia is now facing the most severe drought in living memory, half the population is going hungry. Al-Imdaad Foundation is in Somalia and we are now joined by Hafez Hamza Badrudeen. Guest : Hafez Hamza…

22 May 2017 10AM 9 min

DA asks parliament to intervene in Eskom inquiry

The Democratic Alliance will ask Parliament to include an investigation into the most recent evidence of possible political interference in Eskom this time by Duduzane Zuma, in the course of the inquiry the DA has requested. On line is DA Spokesperson Natasha Mazzone. Guest : Natasha Mazzone Position: DA national…

21 May 2017 6PM 6 min