Drivetime

Veteran Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat dies

Saeb Erekat, a veteran negotiator and prominent Palestinian spokesperson for more than three decades has died following a coronavirus infection. He was 65. Erekat was involved in nearly every round of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians going back to the landmark Madrid conference of 1991. On line for…

10 Nov 2020 9AM 6 min

Will Joe Biden alter US policy in Middle East?

US president-elect Joe Biden has left no doubts about his plans to bring a paradigm shift in policy on the international stage. The world according to Trump has been one of “America first” nationalism, ditching international agreements that he believed gave the US a raw deal. But what could change…

9 Nov 2020 10AM 20 min

Is standardisation compliance an effective way to tackle corruption in SA?

In an update before parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts, over 6,000 government officials had claimed more than R41 million in UIF TERS Covid-19 benefits despite the fund having been intended for unemployed people during pandemic. This came on the back of warning by the Auditor General that poor financial…

9 Nov 2020 9AM 14 min

Muslim ban set to end on day one of Biden presidency

President-elect Joe Biden intends to rescind Donald Trump's travel bans on travelers from 13 countries, most either majority Muslim or African nations. Shortly after taking office in 2017, Trump issued an executive order that banned travellers from seven majority Muslim countries from entering the United States. But the ban could…

9 Nov 2020 9AM 8 min

Book Review: “Going to Ground” by Nick Norman

In this week's book review, we speak to Nick Norman, author of “Going to Ground”. From his days of working as a geology student in the Sperrgebeit coast of Namibia, the author tells how his experience of the wild parts of the continent developed into a love affair with Africa…

6 Nov 2020 10AM 20 min

Webinar: Is South Africa complicit in Turkish War crimes?

The International Labour Research Information Group (ILRIG) yesterday hosted a Webnar on global issues. Among the participants were represantatives from the Kurdish Human Rights Action Group and the Rojava Internationalist Commune. But on line for comment is World Beyond War Founder, Terry Crawford Brown

6 Nov 2020 9AM 7 min

How does the US democracy model compare to China?

Rivals and enemies of the United States have come together to revel in the messiest US election in a generation, mocking the delay in vote processing and Trump's claims of electoral fraud. Washington's fiercest critics have declared deep concern about the US elections and the State of the country's democracy…

6 Nov 2020 9AM 13 min

Middle East Report with Middle East Monitor

In this week's Middle East Report in partrenership with the London based Middle East Monitor, we look at the following: -US presdiental running mate Kamara Harris says the Biden administration will reverse Trump-era policy and restore relations with Palestine. -Muslim- American congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rasheida Tlaib retain Senate seats…

5 Nov 2020 10AM 14 min

ANC cadres proposes disbandment of NEC

A group of ANC cadres has presented a document to the party leadership proposing for the disbandement of ANC leadership and the establishment of a Task Team that will oversee the affairs of the party. Some of the issues highlighted in the document include the ANC losing its character of…

5 Nov 2020 9AM 7 min

US election: Biden eyes 270 as counting continues

Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden has taken a huge step in becoming US next president with wins in Michigani and Wisconsin to maintain the lead, but president Trump has responded by filing a lawsuit to suspend the vote counting. Biden has reached 264 electoral votes against Trump's 214. American presidential…

5 Nov 2020 9AM 25 min

US Elections 2020: Latest analysis

Votes are still being counted in several key states across the US, and no winner has been determined in the presidential election. Millions of votes are still outstanding in key states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. But Trump attempted to claim victory and called for a halt to legitimate vote…

4 Nov 2020 10AM 20 min

Weekly Economic Report

In this week's world economic report we look at the following: -Unions and business stand firm on Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS). -Renewed lockdown in Europe could hit SA manufacturing industry. -Global stocks rise as Biden and Trump face off in US election. On line for comment and standing in…

4 Nov 2020 9AM 12 min

World Africa Report

In this week's Africa report, we look at the following: -Ivory Coast opposition forms “transitional government” after contested polls -Tanzanian president John Magufuli wins re-election as opposition cries foul. -Ugandan opposition figure Bob Wine detained after filing presidential candidacy. We now chat to Political Science Lecturer at Chrizzma University in…

4 Nov 2020 9AM 11 min

Inclusive development in the global South post-covid-19

There is an urgent need for a much broader public debate on the government's post-Covid-19 development, targeting what is known as inclusive development in the Global South. So how do we understand the issues around public information and government transparency on borrowing from China.? On line is Director, African Centre…

4 Nov 2020 9AM 10 min

Trump advisor on Muslim affairs loses cool as final votes counted

Nearly 69 percent of American-Muslim voters cast their ballot for Democratic nominee Joe Biden while 17 percent supported president Donald Trump. According to Pew Research Centre, there were about 3.45 million Muslims of all ages living in the US in 2017. During his presidency, Trump has championed anti-Muslim sentiments, banning…

4 Nov 2020 9AM 7 min

Study: Xenophobia a serious problem in South Africa

A study by the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) has revealed that Xenophobia is a serious problem in South Africa. Hundreds of incidents of anti-immigrant hate crime have been reported in the past decade, and to address this the government launched the National Action Plan to combat Racism, Racial Discrimination,…

3 Nov 2020 9AM 11 min

Acclaimed veteran journalist Robert Fisk

Veteran journalist Robert Fisk, who for decades covered events in the Middle East and elsewhere as a foreign correspondent for the British newspaper the Independent, has died following a suspected stroke. He was 74. During his decades- long career, he covered key international events including then Lebanese civil war, the…

2 Nov 2020 10AM 14 min

A new era of authoritarian leadership for Tanzania

Tanzanians voted in their general elections on October 28 in a poll that pitted popular opposition chief Tundu Lissu against incumbent John Magufuli. As Magufuli was declared the winner, we try to understand what his second term will mean for democracy in the East African nation and whether the poll…

2 Nov 2020 9AM 11 min

Matric 2020 final exams like no other: Are SA's students mentally prepared?

Matric learners will be sitting for their Senior Certificate examinations from Thursday. Schools worldwide have faced massive disruptions due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and government imposed lockdowns. In South Africa, many pupils did not have access to online learning due to lack of resources. So how mentally…

2 Nov 2020 9AM 10 min

What does the future of the DA look like with John Steenhuisen officially at the helm?

Newly elected DA leader John Steenhuisen has vowed that the DA will not break the trust of South Africans under his leadership. Steenhuisen, who beat his opponent Mbali Ntuli, who has positioned the DA as a 'liberal party committed to non-racialism, a market economy and a capable state that empowers…

2 Nov 2020 9AM 8 min