Weekend PM

Thousands of people protested in Istanbul and other cities after calls by Turkish authorities to defend democracy after the failed military coup.Meanwhile Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says about 2,839 soldiers, including high-ranking officers. One of them is commander of the Second Army General Adem Huduti He also said 161 people have been killed and one thousand four hundred and 40 wounded. Stephen Kirker spoke to a South African in Turkey Vhafuwi Matsila.. .

A newly released research report from the University of Colorado, Boulder, has found that incidents of methane contamination from fracking wells are rare. When they do happen they result from failed or missing protective measures, not the controversial technique itself. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves injecting water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into holes drilled hundreds or thousands of feet into the earth. Four years ago cabinet lifted the moratorium on fracking. A second phase of scientific assessment of the process has just been completed, Project leader, Greg Schreiner speaks to Stephen Kirker

The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) has expressed concern over the escalating violence around the country, ahead of the local government elections. We've seen scenes of violent protests and destruction of property, in areas including Tshwane, and Vuwani in Limpopo province. These protests have mainly been sparked off by dissatisfaction with lists of leaders representing these communities in the local government elections, among other things. Joining us on the line to talk further on the matter is Shuvani Nyoni, director of intervention at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR).

All voting stations in Tlokwe, in the North West province reportedly opened on time to allow voters already on voter's roll a final window to provide their missing address details ahead of the 2016 Municipal Elections. The decision follows last week's judgement by the Constitutional Court which ruled that the 2016 Municipal Elections may proceed on 3 August 2016 using the current certified voters' roll - with the exception of Tlokwe. We spoke to IEC spokesperson Kate Bapela.

The 37 the Durban International Film Festival, currently underway will host a series of free public screenings, to bring films to the public. The festival will travel around different areas in Durban, where people will have the opportunity to watch this year's opening night film The Journeymen. Joining us on the line to tell us more on the festival is director Peter Machen.

Anyone who has raised children, knows of terrible twos, and temper tantrums that young ones throw in public. Some behaviour has been dismissed as the children being spoiled, with the blame heaped on parents. Focus on the Family Africa, will be hosting seminars teaching parents how to unspoil their children. Stephen Kirker speaks to communications director Val Govender ..

It's still unclear when the striking South African fire fighters, will return home from Canada. Their employers, working on fire said that the fire fighters would be coming home following a pay dispute. Stephen Kirker spoke to Working on fire spokesperson, Linton Rensburg....

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says that it will now target companies that employ most of its debtors, in a bid to recoup money owed to it.Stephen Kirker speaks to NSFAS spokesperson, Kagisho Mamabolo....

Her story starts off like a typical tale of woe many poverty stricken young South Africans know so well. Mpumi Nobiva, lost her parents to AIDS at the age of 9, and was raised by her grandmother with not much, by way of material things. As luck would have it, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, decided to open the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, and Mpumi is one of the girls that formed part of the inaugural class at the academy and she's since soared to greater heights. Let's speak to her about her journey

The department of basic education is considering laying criminal charges against some of those mentioned in the "jobs for Cash" report. The report was released by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on Friday night. Teachers Union (SADTU) Xolani Fakude.says the report is not based on facts...Stephen Kirker spoke to him on Weekend pm live

Kwazulu-Natal Health MEC, Dr Sibongiseni spoke to Stephen Kirker about how widespread is hypertension in the country...

Ayanda Mokwana from Cosas speaks to Stephen Kirker about the situation in Vuwani. This follows the week-long violent protest action which has seen 24 schools, three municipal trucks and two houses belonging to community members burnt.

While the whole country remains concerned over the looming downgrade of South Africa, to junk status by ratings agencies, a group of researchers have invited credit rating agencies to make the models they use to decide on downgrade transparent. The researchers even went as far as referring to the models as a black box, akin to that of an aircraft. We spoke to Dr Conrad Beyers, lecturer at Department of Insurance and Actuarial Science at the University of Pretoria...

Violence has erupted at Vuwani in Limpopo. A police trailer has been set alight and roads barricaded with stones and burning tyres. This follows the briefing of about five hundred residents by their leaders on the outcome of a high court ruling not in their favour. On Friday, the Limpopo High Court rejected a bid by Vuwani traditional leaders to reverse the Municipal Demarcation Board's decision to merge their area with Malamulele and establish a new municipality. We spoke to member of the Vuwani community Mr Bothata who says they have brought the community to a stand still....

As the country continues to ride the wave of economic challenges, labour union Solidarity has warned that the jobs of approximately 60 thousand employees in various industries across the country are hanging the balance due to large-scale retrenchment processes. We spoke to Gideon du Plessis, General Secretary of Solidarity on their report on looming job losses....

This week on the Person I am, we featured retired presidential spokesperson and anti-apartheid activist Mac Maharaj who bestowed with the Luthuli Order at this year's National Orders Ceremony this week. Born Sathyandranath Ragunanan Maharaj, Mr Maharaj fell in love with politics at a young age and was later charged with sabotage and sentenced to the historical Robben Island prison where he would sharpen his political teeth...

This week on the Person I am we featured US based, South African born pediatric surgeon, Dr Haroon Patel. Dr Patel led a team of 9 surgeons who successfully separated a set of Siamese twins at the Driscoll Children's Hospital in Texas. Dr Patel was born in Johannesburg and grew up in Lenasia, south of the city and began his medical studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. In 1991, after completing his studies, he headed to Massachusetts for further training in general surgery and has been based in the US since. We caught with him about

The Benchmarks Foundation has kicked off a rolling action campaign aimed at highlighting the lack of adherence by mining companies, to the fundamental principle of Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), which is endorsed by the World Bank and United Nations. This action is particularly directed at Australian-owned Mineral Resource Commodities (MRC) and Transworld Energy's (TEM) for their role in Xolobeni, situated in the Bizana Municipal area of South Africa's Eastern Cape, where over 300 households and residents living in the area affected by mining. We spoke to John Capel, executive director of Benchmarks Foundation...

This week's Person I am is the first Black woman to be awarded a doctorate in the Discipline of Town Planning at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Hangwelani Hope Magidimisha. Born in Ngudza village in Limpopo, Dr Magidimisha says her biggest motivation as a child came from her uneducated parents who, despite not having had the opportunity themselves, encouraged her to be all she had the potential to be. She set her sights on town planning in her teens and has never looked back...

This week on the Person I am we featured the newly appointed chairperson of Corruption Watch, Mavuso Msimang. Msimang is currently CEO of the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, an ANC veteran and has held various positions in past governments as such CEO of the State Information Technology Agency and Director General of the Department of Home Affairs. More recently Msimang has held key positions in a number of international and local organisation UN World Food Programme and SA Tourism Board...

Children as young as five years-old are now being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Previously it only affected overweight adults. In 1980 - 108-million people lived with Diabetes but that has risen to 422-million adults. This year's theme for World Health Day, which was observed on Thursday, was Beat Diabetes. A research paper in the Lancet Journal has revealed that South African women are among the most obese in the world. We spoke to Health minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi...

The City of Johannesburg is in the process of broadening its transport plans by introducing exclusive lanes for buses and minibus taxis in the city centre and even on the highways. This after the city's bus service Metrobus, called for bus-dedicated lanes to eliminate accidents. Metrobus said In a report tabled before the city council, traffic congestion and the lack of dedicated bus lanes contributed to accidents. We spoke to Lisa Seftel, Executive Director for Transport at the city of Johannesburg..

This week on the Person I am we featured Senior Knight Fellow at International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and former Editor-in-Chief at weekly publication, the Mail & Guardian, Chris Roper. Roper was served as a photographer for the late award winning journalist Mandy Rossouw when they stumbled on a construction at the president's home 2009, upon further investigation the Nkandla scandal began to unravel and the rest as they say, is history. Under Chris' leadership, the Mail & Guardian won the first ever CNN Africa Digital Journalism Award in 2012 as well as the first ever Standard Bank Sikuvile Award for Online Multimedia in 2012. We caught up with him on his new role at ICFJ and thoughts following the Constitutional Court's ruling on the Nkandla matter...

On the Person I am we featured University of KwaZulu-Natal Physics PhD student, Sphumelele Ndlovu who has just been named as one of five young South African scientists to attend the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting later this year in Lindau, Germany. Born to an unemployed single mother in a small village called eMaswazini in Elands Kop out Pietermaritzburg , Sphumelele learned at a young age that perseverance would be an asset in his journey to success. Our presenter Stephen Kirker earlier caught up with him...

On the Person I am we recently featured MasterChef SA Season 3 finalist, Siphokazi Mdlankomo who recently launched her first cooking book called My Little Black Recipe Book. Born in eTsolo near uMtata in the Eastern Cape, Siphokazi later moved to Bantry Bay in Cape Town where she continues to be a domestic worker. During the cooking show Siphokazi cooked her way to the hearts of millions South Africans and she shared her story with our presenter Benjamin Moshatama...

Search and rescue efforts are back on at the lily gold mine in Barberton, to reach the three workers who have been trapped for about two weeks after their office fell underground. Mine spokesperson Coetzee Zietsman spoke to Stephen Kirker...

NPA spokesperson, Luvuyo Mfaku speaks to Stephen Kirker on the NPA to prosecute the former Hawks boss Anwar Dramat, former Gauteng head of hawks Shadrack Sibiya, and Captain Lesley Maluleke. The three are accused of illegal rendition of Zimbabweans five years ago...

Time now for Person I am and this week we feature Professor of Chemistry and Nanotechnology at the Rhodes University, Professor Tebello Nyokong who this week was awarded the distinguished African Union (AU) Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Award. At the age of eight, during a tumultuous period in South Africa Professor Nyokong's parents sent her to live with her grandparents in Lesotho in order to recieve an education. It was while in the kingdom that her love for mother nature matured and decades later with multiple international awards to her name, the rest is history. Stephen Kirker caught up with her just hours after she was honoured and spoke to her about what it was like growing up in Lesotho during a time of racial clashes back home....

This week on the Person I am we featured Jaco Jonker who has just scooped the 29th Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year Award. Jonker was born in Bloemfontein in the Free State and grew up in the town Groblersdal in Limpopo. It was not until he graduated with an honours degree in economics and risk management that he realised his lifelong interest in building things was actually a calling towards architecture. He spoke to Benjamin Moshatama about growing up in the rural heart lands of Limpopo...

President Jacob Zuma says South Africa needs the collaborative approach that government, the private sector and labour used to weather the 2008 global crisis to deal with the country's escalating unemployment. He was speaking in an exclusive interview with the SABC. President Zuma says that long as South Africa's economy does not grow due to the world's current economic problems joblessness will persist. His comment comes after the latest unemployment figures which show a rise in unemployment in the third quarter of this year from 25 to 25-point-five per cent. Dr Azaar Jammine, chief economist at Econometrix...

He's been dubbed a jack of all trades for his ability to rise to the occasion as a young politician, and member of parliament, serving in opposition politics. He's worked as a speech writer, a deputy general secretary, and now chief whip of the United Democratic Movement (UDM). Many believe that Nqabayomzi Kwankwa is being groomed as a future leader for the party. Kwankwa has also just been awarded the 2015 Extraordinary People Award, an Outstanding International Leadership Award in the US for his Xenophobia Awareness Campaign. He Joins us now to talk more about his career.

Rand Water has threatened to impose water restrictions in Gauteng, if the province doesn't see rainfall soon. The prevalent warm weather conditions are putting a strain on the water supply in the country, with drought disaster being declared in KwaZulu-Natal and Free State. In KZN the average water level of the dams in the province is only 58 percent of full supply capacity. Steven Kirker spoke to the Spokesperson for the minister of Water and Sanitation, Mlimandlela Ndamase...

Time now for Person I am and this week we feature American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, Peabo Bryson. Festival goers at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz danced last night away with the now 64 year old as he sang from his award winning repertoire. Bryson was born in South Carolina, in the United States of America and had his first taste of fame at the age of fourteen as the a vocalist in the band Al Freeman and the Upsetters and the rest as they say is musical history. Our producer Sithakazelo Dlamini caught up with him in Johannesburg and filed this report

South Africa along with other global nations have welcomed the United Nation's adoption of new Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. The new framework sets out 17 goals to end poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change. According to the United Nations, sustainable development financing costs to eradicate extreme poverty, is estimated at about eight billion rand a year. Non governmental organisations have made a call to governments to put people firs, when implementing these SDGs. I earlier spoke to Masiiwa Rusare from African Monitor and asked him what the challenges are for Africa, in terms of meeting these goals

South African milk producers say they are running at a loss due to the oversupply of milk in the market. They have called on consumers to mitigate the situation by buying local products instead of imported goods at retail stores. Consumers have also been promised good prices, including specials. Chief operating officer at the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peggy Drodtsky explains

On our weekly feature Person I am, we feature newly appointed Academic Director at Wits Business School, Prof. Chris van der Hoven. Prof van der Hoven has a wealth of experience under his belt that has seen him working with multi-national corporations such as Barclays Capital, Vodacom and Standard Bank.

On our weekly feature Person I am, we feature newly appointed Academic Director at Wits Business School, Prof. Chris van der Hoven. Prof van der Hoven has a wealth of experience under his belt that has seen him working with multi-national corporations such as Barclays Capital, Vodacom and Standard Bank.

Professor Paul Gundani, historian of christian religion and head of research in the post graduate sociology school at Unisa on a nationwide investigation has been launched into the commercialisation of religion, as well as the mushrooming of charismatic churches.

On Person I am this week, we feature the youngest black advocate ever to be admitted to the bar, Advocate Sinomtha Linda. Born in the township of Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape, Sinomtha's dream as a young girl was to be a performer, a kwaito dancer to be exact but fate had other plans. She earlier spoke to our producer Sithakazelo Dlamini about her earlier years..

One hour news and current Affairs show hosted by Sisanda Jonas every Saturday and Sunday from 8 to 9m

President Jacob Zuma and NPA boss Mxolisi Nxasana have reached an agreement whereby Nxosana has stepped down as the organisation's head. A settlement of nearly seven-million-rand is reportedly involved for Nxasana to step down from his position as National Director of Public Prosecutions tomorrow. Earlier this month, he reportedly demanded six-million-rand as compensation from the Presidency in exchange for leaving the NPA. We spoke to Political Analyst from UNISA, Professor Lesiba Teffo...

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has joined forces with the Consumer Goods and Services Ombudsman (CGSO) to launch the Consumer Goods and Services Code of Conduct. The Code, has been published under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA) aims to guide the Consumer Goods and Services industry on the minimum standards of conduct when assisting consumers in the resolution of resolving industry related disputes. We spoke to Consumer Goods and Services Ombudsman, Advocate Neville Melville...

This week on Person I am we caught up with South African running star Gift kelehe, who claimed his first victory in the Comrades Marathon. Kelehe was comfortably the winner, stopping the clock at five hours 38 minutes and 36 seconds in today's up run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. Gift joins his brother Andrew, winner of the down run in 2001 as a Comrades winner and the Kelehe brothers are the only set of brothers to have won the race. Like Andrew, Gift is a member of the South African Police services, working for the tactical response team in Rustenberg....

The department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries have partnered with the UN Food And Agriculture Organization to launch the 14th World Forestry Congress in Pretoria . The congress is the largest gathering held every six years since 1926, under the theme: "forest and People: Investing in a sustainable future." We spoke to, Trevor Abrahams, the Secretary General of the World Forestry Congress...

Despite the Health department being close to finalising a policy on Ward-based Primary Health care outreach teams, primary health care workers in community's are still largely working as volunteers, while others receive stipends. These teams were established in 2011 to assist in strengthening primary health care. We spoke to director at Catholic Health Care Association of South Africa, Yvonne Morgan....

This week on Person I am we were joined in studio by two young South Africans who are no strangers to being in front of the camera. With more than 30 years of television experience between the two of them, Salamina Mosese and Stephina Zwane have joined forces and launched their own online television platform called Aza TV...

Technology devices such as drones, robots and GPS are revolutionizing the farming industry and changing the face of agriculture. Hortgro Science will be bringing an international expert in the field of robotic system to their Technical Symposium to be held from the 2nd - 5th June 2015. We spoke to extra-ordinary associate Professor of horticulture at the University of Stellenbosch Wiehan...

Africa Day celebrations provided a platform for South Africa's leaders to assert the country's solidarity with the continent. President Zuma was the keynote speaker of the day which commemorates the formation of the Organisation for African Unity in 1963, the predecessor of the African Union. We spoke to Unisa's Professor Lesiba Teffo about what Africa Day means for continental relations...

Exclusive story on Bullying and the impact on family

This week on Person I am we featured the youngest person ever to have graduated from the Witwatersrand University with a PHD in Biochemistry, Dr Previn Naicker. With a special interest in chemistry and after skipping grades 7, 9 and 10 Dr Naicker began pursuing his undergraduate degree at the age of 14. We spoke to him about his passion for biochemistry....