Drivetime

Protests in Tunisia

The promise of the Arab Spring has not been fulfilled in most of the countries that became caught up in the revolutionary fervour of 2011. But Tunisia, where it all began, was – and still is – the standout case. Power changed hands relatively smoothly after the exit of long-term…

16 Mar 2015 8AM 21 min

Collins Chabane: A man of many talents

Yesterday morning South Africa awoke, not to the latest scandal in the Sunday papers, but to the tragic death of Collins Chabane. As minister of Public Service and Administration, Chabane had kept a relatively low profile. But in his previous role of Minister of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, he was…

16 Mar 2015 8AM 5 min

I'm Not Your Weekend Special

The story of Brenda “MaBrrr” Nokuzola Fassie is not one that belongs to her exclusively. It is a story that exists in South Africa’s collective memory and is often best told by those willing to not forget it. Since stepping into the mainstream in the early 1980s, the legend of…

16 Mar 2015 7AM 8 min

Oscar appeal struck off

An application by Oscar Pistorius’s lawyers to be granted leave to review Judge Thokozile Masipa’s decision to allow the State to appeal the culpable homicide conviction has been dismissed in the South Gauteng High Court. Online to give help us discuss this is…

16 Mar 2015 7AM 7 min

international Day of Protest against Saudi on 14 March 2015

The Universal Justice Network has launched an event which calls for protests against Saudi which will see demonstrations on 14 March 2015 in cities across the globe. The event is designed to draw attention to the little publicised persecution faced by thousands of political prisoners imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for…

13 Mar 2015 7AM 9 min

Eskom boss and trio suspended

Tshediso Matona, the chief executive of South Africa's power utility Eskom, and three other senior executives have been suspended to allow for an inquiry into the operations of the utility. Eskom, which provides virtually all the electricity in Africa's most developed economy, is facing a funding crunch as it races…

12 Mar 2015 9AM 7 min

Aid agencies slam UN Security Council over Syria

More than 20 international aid organisations have sharply criticised the United Nations Security Council, saying it has failed to implement three resolutions passed last year seeking to boost humanitarian assistance to Syrian civilians. The 21 aid groups say the resolutions have been "ignored or undermined by the parties to the…

12 Mar 2015 9AM 18 min

Sanef & NGO's signal jamming application postponed

An application by Sanef and several NGO's who are working together to fight for media freedom in light of the signal jamming at Sona 2015, has been postponed. This is the second time this has happened for this particular case. Will this issue be addressed or is this just a…

11 Mar 2015 8AM 10 min

President Zumas first questions session in Parliament 2015

We all know President Zuma is currently in Parliament in his first question session for 2015. We cross live to VOC journalist Raeesah Isaacs to give us an update before we analyze the session after 5…

11 Mar 2015 5AM 4 min

Abu Dhabi - Halal Tourism

Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority has launched a unique Halal Tourism drive aimed at positioning the destination as the leading destination for Halal tourism. South Africa’s Muslim travellers will now be able to benefit from a range of holiday packages adhering to Islamic beliefs and practices. Furthermore, the destination…

11 Mar 2015 5AM 9 min

SABC crew robbed on live television

Two thieves stole their 15 minutes of fame along with anything else the SABC crew had to offer as the public broadcaster’s contributing editor, Vuyo Mvoko, was mugged while reporting live from outside the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg on Tuesday night. The thieves seem oblivious to the rolling cameras despite…

11 Mar 2015 5AM 11 min

President Jacob Zuma answers questions in Parliament’s National Assembly

The last time President Jacob Zuma answered questions in Parliament’s National Assembly, it ended abortively amid EFF chants of “Pay back the money”, and ushered in months of Parliamentary chaos. On Wednesday, Zuma makes his long-awaited return. Is there any chance of this going smoothly?

11 Mar 2015 5AM 19 min

UCT students in poo protest against 'white imperialism

Students threw human excrement on a statue of Cecil John Rhodes on University of Cape Town (UCT) campus grounds during a protest on Monday. Two members of the dozen protesters threw faeces and urine on the base of the statue. UCT spokesperson Patricia Lucas confirmed in a statement that the…

10 Mar 2015 8AM 11 min

'Building unity

'Building unity' is a catchphrase that often features in the ANC, Cosatu and SACP statements, both in terms of their own organisations and the Alliance relationship. The divisions in Cosatu and growing possibility of a redesign in organised labour have repercussions for the Alliance, and could mark the final unravelling…

9 Mar 2015 7AM 7 min

Boko Haram pledges allegiance to ISIS

After months of teasing, Boko Haram has finally pledged allegiance to the Islamic State; an unholy alliance that, in theory, makes both sides bigger, badder and more brutal than ever before. But what if the theory is wrong? What if this is a sign of weakness, not strength? And what…

9 Mar 2015 7AM 18 min

International Women’s Day: SA agencies produce provocative domestic violence ad

International Women’s Day, on Sunday, saw at least two South African advertising agencies bring out hard-hitting adverts designed to draw attention to violence against women and the services available for women in danger. One took the risky step of using a silly internet meme to talk about gender-based violence –…

9 Mar 2015 7AM 6 min

Saudi becomes biggest arms importer

Saudi Arabia has overtaken India to become the world’s biggest importer of arms in 2014, a study found on Sunday. The figures show that Saudi Arabia now spends more on importing weapons than India, a country whose population is over 40 times larger than that of the Gulf heavyweight. Riyadh’s…

9 Mar 2015 7AM 13 min

Cops used stun grenades on pupils

Police maintained a visible presence in Cape Town’s CBD on Friday after a protest which saw officers apparently use crowd control weapons, including stun grenades, on a group of pupils from Philippi High School. Informal traders operating outside the Western Cape Education Department’s office at the Grand Central building on…

6 Mar 2015 7AM 9 min

Who is Jihadi John

During this week, "Jihadi John”, the masked Isil executioner and alleged British national, known for his role in the beheadings of hostages by the Islamic State has now been named as Mohammed Emwazi. We cross to Democracy Now for their special interview with Muslim advocacy group, CAGE, who has a…

6 Mar 2015 7AM 17 min

Media and civil society organisations fight to protect the public’s right to k

An urgent court application challenging Parliament's policy on filming and broadcasting was heard in the Western Cape High Court today. Five organisations, including Right2Know Campaign, want to ensure that Parliament's live broadcast feed captures everything that happens inside the National Assembly chamber especially when there are disruptions. Online from R2K…

6 Mar 2015 5AM 5 min