Drivetime

Dr Mads Gilbert to come to SA

As part of the Gaza Ambulance Drive, Cii Projects, supported by Purple Bandage, are pleased to announce the official hosting of world renowned humanitarian, doctor and academic Dr. Mads Gilbert in South Africa. A Norwegian citizen, Dr Mads has served in the Al Shifa Hospital during the most ferocious bombing…

18 Aug 2014 11AM 7 min

Impact of social media coverage on Palestine

Twitter is the fastest-growing social network in South Africa, according to the South African Social Media Landscape 2014 research study. The number of South African Twitter users has doubled in the last year from 2.4 million to 5.5 million. Outraged by Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, local tweeps have…

18 Aug 2014 10AM 19 min

Status of violence against women and children

South Africa commemorates Women’s Month in August as a tribute to the thousands of women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. This historic march was a turning point in the role of women in the struggle…

18 Aug 2014 10AM 16 min

IFP leader passes

Inkatha Freedom Party MP Mario Oriani-Ambrosini died on Saturday at the age of 53 after battling a rare form of inoperable lung cancer. His illness was first made public in May last year, which he described as a stage four lung cancer which, left untreated, "will cause me to be…

18 Aug 2014 10AM 7 min

Nouri Al Maliki steps down, what does this mean for Iraq

Nuri al-Maliki finally bowed to pressure within Iraq and beyond on Thursday and stepped down as prime minister, paving the way for a new coalition that world and regional powers hope can quash ISIS that threatens Baghdad. Maliki ended eight years of rule in a televised speech during which he…

15 Aug 2014 11AM 17 min

Free Book Friday: Postmortem

Inhuman hours, overflowing emergency rooms, poor resources and little support – this is the daily reality of most doctors and nurses in South African public hospitals. In today's Free Book Friday, we feature a book that goes into the reality that everyone in the medical profession faces these day. Maria…

15 Aug 2014 10AM 14 min

Zionist lobby trying to silence critics

Yesterday, we reported that the SA Jewish Board of Deputies would be lodging a complaint of hate speech against Cosatu president Tony Ehrenreich for comments he made on Facebook regarding the conflict in Gaza. Ehrenreich used the words “an eye for an eye” in calling for action against the Zionist…

15 Aug 2014 10AM 9 min

Marikana Commemoration

Two years on, the families of the Marikana victims are still waiting to hear who killed their loved ones, what exactly happened, and why. As the Farlam commission continues, many South Africans feel like government should be doing more to take responsibility and full acknowledge this massacre. As tomorrow marks…

15 Aug 2014 10AM 9 min

America's Terrorist Screening Database

Today, the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) announced the filing of a lawsuit on behalf of several Muslims challenging their placement in the government's Terrorist Screening Database - a watch list of "known or suspected terrorists". The council believes due process has not been followed. Joining…

14 Aug 2014 11AM 14 min

Complaints on Gaza comments

With continued outrage on social media on the current crisis in Gaza, it seems that commentators condemning Israel for its military action are being closely watched. Today it emerged that another Jewish pupil has been victimized for his stance on Gaza and has lodged a complaint with the SA human…

14 Aug 2014 10AM 3 min

Journalists killed in Gaza

An Associated Press video journalist and a freelance Palestinian translator were killed yesterday when ordnance left over from the Israeli-Hamas war exploded as they were reporting on the conflict's aftermath. Simone Camilli and Ali Shehda Abu Afash died when an unexploded missile believed to have been dropped in an Israeli…

14 Aug 2014 10AM 7 min

Prime Evil to challenge parole rejection

The Justice Department has confirmed it will oppose a bid by former Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock to legally challenge the decision to reject his parole application. Last month Minister Michael Masutha said he would not grant de Kock parole because the families of his victims had not been consulted…

13 Aug 2014 10PM 5 min

Buycott app grows

We have been hearing a lot about BDS and boycotting lately, and now, being a consumer activist is easy as information can be found in the palm of your hand. Currently, there is a mobile app called Buycott, which allows shoppers to avoid purchasing Israeli products. And apparently, its usage…

13 Aug 2014 11AM 5 min

Dr Bassel Abu Warda – Gaza

With the current lull in violence in the Gaza strip, life still continues and Palestinians are returning to their homes to salvage the little bit they can find in the destruction. But right now, we also know that Gaza is facing a looming health catastrophe that will haunt the enclave…

13 Aug 2014 11AM 20 min

Swazi activists threatened

Two Swazi human rights activists who have been threatened with strangulation, by their prime minister because of advocacy they have just done in Washington DC during the US Africa Sum-mit. Their calls for free speech and respect for human rights in Swaziland have provoked a sav-age reaction from a government…

13 Aug 2014 10AM 7 min

Egypt mediated talks between Hamas and Egypt

As we know, Egypt is currently mediating peace talks between Israel and Hamas which may be about to enter a sensitive phase, sources say. Palestinian officials told the Associated Press early this morning that Egypt was calling for Israel to ease the blockade of Gaza, bringing some relief to the…

13 Aug 2014 10AM 7 min

Ebola at SA ports

Authorities say there is no ‘Ebola alert’ at our ports, following reports today of a ship being placed under Ebola quarantine in Richards Bay in the Eastern. This was also dismissed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. The ship had reportedly travelled from Liberia, one of the country’s hardest…

13 Aug 2014 10AM 5 min

HRW report on Egypt

Human Rights Watch has just released a report on the Rab’a massacre and mass killings of protesters in Egypt during demonstrations in July and August last year. The 188-page report called “All According to Plan,” documents the way in which Egyptian police and army forces methodically opened fire with live…

12 Aug 2014 11AM 22 min

Marikana

The 4-6 pm current affairs Drivetime Show is hosted by veteran journalist Shafiq Morton, winner of two Vodacom Awards, and an AfriCAN author’s award. Analytical and thought-provoking, Morton brings his decades of experience as a photo-journalist, historian and broadcaster to the show, added with his unique brand of humour and…

12 Aug 2014 10AM 8 min

Turkish aid flotilla to Gaza

A group of humanitarian activists from around the world are preparing to launch a new aid flotilla to challenge the Israeli blockade on Gaza. Turkish NGO – the IHH- said it would send ships to the Gaza Strip to provide emergency aid to Palestinians trapped in a month-long offensive by…

12 Aug 2014 10AM 7 min