THE MORNING BRIEF

The advocacy group, Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA), is calling for a critical shift in the way South Africans discuss child sexual abuse material. This follows the recent arrest of Darren Wilken, a 35-year-old man found with disturbing evidence linking him to a transnational sex crime syndicate. WMACA’s campaign, “Stop Calling it Child Pornography,” seeks to challenge the minimisation of these horrific crimes and to advocate for a stronger response to online child exploitation. Guest: Miranda Jordan: Women and Men Against Child Abuse

Guest: Advocate Moyahabo Sebjeni: Practicing Advocate of the High Court in SA

Guest: Mpumelelo Nyoka - Attorney and Constitutional Commentator

Guest: Andrew Lukhele: Founder and Chairperson of the National Stokvel Association of South Africa (NASASA)

Guest: Lizzy Suping: Spokesperson for Independent Police Investigative Directorate

24 January 2025 Over a million individuals have escaped the conflict in Sudan, seeking safety in neighbouring South Sudan, as reported by the United Nations and Sudan’s army clashes with RSF over oil refinery near Khartoum In its most recent update on this significant displacement crisis, the UN revealed on Tuesday that over 770,000 people have crossed through the Joda border point on South Sudan's northern frontier with Sudan in the past 21 months. 2.Gabon- Libreville Gabon announces date for Presidential election Gabon will hold a presidential election on April 12, the council of ministers said. The military currently rules the West African country following a coup in August 2023. “Under this decree, the electoral college is convened on Saturday, April 12, 2025,” a government statement, issued late this week after a ministerial cabinet meeting, said. Health Ministers Decries High Use of Skin Bleaching Products Among Nigerians and Across the Afrikan Continent The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, has raised concerns over the increasing prevalence of Skin-Lightening Products (SLPs) in Nigeria and across Africa despite their well-documented harmful effects. Mr Salako, while speaking at a high-level segment of the regional awareness-raising workshop on eliminating lightening cosmetic products held in Gabon, noted that Nigeria is among the countries with the highest global usage of bleaching products. A Continent in crisis Africa is fast becoming a hotspot for the sale and use of SLPs, with the continent experiencing a rising trend in their usage. According to a 2023 fact sheet by the WHO, the prevalence of skin bleaching among women varies across the continent, with approximately 25 per cent in Mali, 32 per cent in South Africa, 39 per cent in Ghana, 50 per cent in Senegal, 66 per cent in Congo-Brazzaville, and 77 per cent in Nigeria--the highest rate globally This trend is fueled, in part, by societal perceptions that equate lighter skin with beauty, wealth, and achievement. While several African countries, including Ghana, South Africa, and Mali, have banned SLPs, the enforcement of these laws remains weak. As a result, skin-whitening creams and soaps continue to flood markets across the continent, including Nigeria. Aliko Dangote, Africa's richest man, carries his frustration as visibly as he carries his passport. To travel across the continent he calls home, he needs 35 visas--each a bureaucratic hurdle and a reminder of the barriers to free movement and trade in Africa. "As someone who wants to make Africa great, I have to apply for 35 different visas," Dangote lamented at a recent Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda. His words echo the larger frustration of a continent grappling with the paradox of cementing regional integration while battling closed borders. Nearly a decade after African leaders envisioned a borderless continent, the dream is largely unfulfilled. The Isandlwana musical play in Gauteng province this week promises to be an unforgettable event, bridging the gap between history and modern-day appreciation. For Mbuso Khoza, it is not just about remembering the past but inspiring pride and a sense of identity in every person who listens to his story. Khoza’s approach to history is unique. Rather than relying solely on textbooks, he incorporates indigenous music and oral traditions to breathe life into historical events.

Guest: Sean Phillips: Director General, Department of Water and Sanitation

Guest: Emerald van Zyl: Investigative Financial Consultant

Guest: Trevor Abrahams: Managing Director, Working on Fire

Guest: Advocate Gail Blancher: Labour Law Expert

Guest: Bobby Ramagwede - Automobile Association CEO

Guest: Arthur Goldstuck: Founder of World Wide Worx

Guest: Cedric Mboyisa, Group Communications and Media Manager at South African Sugar Association

23 January 2025 Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed emphasized that Africa has unfortunately become the focal point of global terrorism and calls for action against terrorism in Afrika. Speaking to the Security Council this week she remarked that terrorism, in all its various forms, poses the greatest threat to peace, security, and sustainable development across the continent at this time. Alliance of Sahel States to form 5,000-troop military unit Three junta-ruled countries in Africa's Sahel region will join forces to create a 5,000-strong unit to fight the jihadist violence that has for years plagued the nations, officials said on Tuesday. IPC’s Electoral Court challenge on 2024 National Assembly election postponed pending Supreme Court ruling on presidential polls The Independent Patriots for Change’s Electoral Court challenge of Namibia’s 2024 National Assembly election will not proceed until the Supreme Court has decided a similar case about the 2024 presidential election. This was ordered by Electoral Court judges Hannelie Prinsloo, Orben Sibeya and Esi Schimming-Chase at the end of a ruling delivered in the Windhoek High Court yesterday. South Afrika Lends Supports to South Sudan As part of South Africa's support for the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), and today the South African Embassy led by The Ambassador H.E. Adv Mahlodi Muofhe, will donate a vehicle to the National Election Commission (NEC) of the Republic of South Sudan. 5.In our historical archives, it was on this day 23 January 2018 when Hugh Ramapolo Masekela dies at the age of 78 , 23 January 2019 when Oliver Mtukudzi dies at the age of 66 and 23 January 2021 when Jonas Mosa Gwangwa dies at the age of 83.

Guest: Unathi Sonti: Executive Chairperson, Maritime Business Chamber

Guest: Mzwandile Masina, chairperson of the portfolio committee on trade, industry and competition

Guest: Theo Nkonki: Gauteng Department of Co-Operative Governance & Traditional Affairs MEC Spokesperson

Guest: Melithemba Mnguni: Secretary General of the E-Hailing Partners Council

Guest: Ofentse Jeremiah Mokae: Hon Chair Select committee petitions And Executive Undertakings

Guest: Athaly Khan: Head of Fraud Risk Management at Standard Bank.