South Africa’s deep wage inequality could soon face one of its biggest legal challenges yet. A proposed “Pay Fair Bill” is sparking fierce national debate after calls for companies to publicly disclose salary structures, justify pay gaps, and strengthen equal-pay protections in the workplace. Supporters
say the bill is long overdue in a country where Nexecutives often earn millions while ordinary
workers struggle to survive on stagnant salaries. But critics argue the legislation could create chaos for businesses, expose confidential salary information, and even discourage companies from hiring.

South Africa&rsquo;s deep wage inequality could soon face one of its biggest legal challenges yet. A proposed&nbsp;&ldquo;Pay Fair Bill&rdquo; is sparking fierce national debate after calls for companies to publicly disclose salary&nbsp;structures, justify pay gaps, and strengthen&nbsp;equal-pay protections in the workplace. Supporters say the bill is long overdue in a country where Nexecutives often earn millions while ordinary workers struggle to survive on stagnant salaries. But&nbsp;critics argue the legislation could create chaos for businesses, expose confidential salary information,&nbsp;and even discourage companies from hiring.

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: Pay Fair Bill: Justice for Workers or a Threat to Jobs and Business Stability?

WHERE IS YOUR UMBILICAL CORD BURIED? And does that place still connect you to where you come from? For generations, in some African families and communities, the umbilical cord wasn’t simply something that was cut away and discarded after birth. It could be buried in or around the family homestead — returning a part of the newborn to the earth and symbolising a connection to family, ancestry, land and home. But as childbirth has moved increasingly into hospitals and clinics, that practice has changed. The cord is often treated as medical waste, and for many families, there is no longer a physical ritual connecting the newborn to a particular piece of land. So tonight, we’re asking whether something meaningful has been lost — or whether our understanding of home and belonging has simply evolved. Where is your umbilical cord buried? What does that place mean to you? And what happens to that connection when you are born in Johannesburg, raised in Durban, your parents come from Limpopo or Zimbabwe, and you may never even live on the land where your cord was buried?

WHERE IS YOUR UMBILICAL CORD BURIED? And does that&nbsp;place still connect you to where you come from?&nbsp;For generations, in some African families and communities, the&nbsp;umbilical cord wasn&rsquo;t simply something that was cut away and&nbsp;discarded after birth. It could be buried in or around the family&nbsp;homestead &mdash; returning a part of the newborn to the earth and&nbsp;symbolising a connection to family, ancestry, land and home. But as&nbsp;childbirth has moved increasingly into hospitals and clinics, that&nbsp;practice has changed. The cord is often treated as medical waste,&nbsp;and for many families, there is no longer a physical ritual connecting&nbsp;the newborn to a particular piece of land.&nbsp;So tonight, we&rsquo;re asking whether something meaningful has been&nbsp;lost &mdash; or whether our understanding of home and belonging has&nbsp;simply evolved. Where is your umbilical cord buried? What does&nbsp;that place mean to you? And what happens to that connection&nbsp;when you are born in Johannesburg, raised in Durban, your&nbsp;parents come from Limpopo or Zimbabwe, and you may never&nbsp;even live on the land where your cord was buried?

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: WHERE IS YOUR UMBILICAL CORD BURIED? THE TRADITION,  THE LAND AND THE MEANING OF HOME.

The way countries prepare for conflict and security threats is changing rapidly. Drones, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and electronic warfare are no longer things we only associate with
science fiction or distant wars. We are seeing relatively small and inexpensive unmanned technologies being used in real conflicts, changing how surveillance, intelligence and military operations are
carried out. But what does this technological shift mean for Africa? Many countries on the continent already face serious security challenges, while also operating with limited defence budgets. Can African countries afford to fall behind technologically, and should we be investing more in developing our own defence technologies rather than relying heavily on equipment from other countries?
We’re having that conversation today — looking at how technology is changing modern warfare, what South Africa’s role could be, and whether our defence industry can become part of both our security
and economic future.

The way countries prepare for conflict and security threats is&nbsp;changing rapidly. Drones, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems&nbsp;and electronic warfare are no longer things we only associate with science fiction or distant wars. We are seeing relatively small and&nbsp;inexpensive unmanned technologies being used in real conflicts,&nbsp;changing how surveillance, intelligence and military operations are carried out. But what does this technological shift mean for Africa? Many&nbsp;countries on the continent already face serious security challenges,&nbsp;while also operating with limited defence budgets. Can African&nbsp;countries afford to fall behind technologically, and should we&nbsp;be investing more in developing our own defence technologies&nbsp;rather than relying heavily on equipment from other countries? We&rsquo;re having that conversation today &mdash; looking at how technology&nbsp;is changing modern warfare, what South Africa&rsquo;s role could be, and&nbsp;whether our defence industry can become part of both our security and economic future.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF WARFARE LOOK LIKE — AND IS AFRICA READY FOR IT?

South African motorists are heading into October facing the prospect of the most expensive petrol prices in the country’s history — and the latest numbers suggest the pain at the pumps could be even greater than initially expected. Data from the Central Energy Fund at the end of September shows an under-recovery of R3.12 a litre for 95 petrol and R2.93 for 93 petrol. If those figures were carried through to the final adjustment, petrol could rise by around R3 a litre, potentially pushing the price of 95 petrol to around or above the R30-a-litre mark. Diesel is also facing significant increases, with under-recoveries ranging between R2.73 and R3.13 a litre. And this comes after motorists have already endured a succession of fuel-price shocks this year. Petrol 95 reached a record R28.06 a
litre inland in June, before easing in July and August, only to climb again in September. So what does another R3 increase actually mean for the average South African household? How much more will it cost to fill a family car? What happens to people who have no choice but to drive to work every day? And with diesel prices also under pressure, could we see the impact spreading into the cost of taxis, buses, food deliveries and the goods sitting on supermarket shelves? Tonight, we unpack what is driving this latest fuel shock — and what South Africans should expect when they fill up in October.

South African motorists are heading into October facing the&nbsp;prospect of the most expensive petrol prices in the country&rsquo;s&nbsp;history &mdash; and the latest numbers suggest the pain at the pumps&nbsp;could be even greater than initially expected.&nbsp;Data from the Central Energy Fund at the end of September shows&nbsp;an under-recovery of R3.12 a litre for 95 petrol and R2.93 for 93&nbsp;petrol. If those figures were carried through to the final adjustment,&nbsp;petrol could rise by around R3 a litre, potentially pushing the price&nbsp;of 95 petrol to around or above the R30-a-litre mark. Diesel is also&nbsp;facing significant increases, with under-recoveries ranging between&nbsp;R2.73 and R3.13 a litre.&nbsp;And this comes after motorists have already endured a succession&nbsp;of fuel-price shocks this year. Petrol 95 reached a record R28.06 a litre inland in June, before easing in July and August, only to climb&nbsp;again in September.&nbsp;So what does another R3 increase actually mean for the average&nbsp;South African household? How much more will it cost to fill a family&nbsp;car? What happens to people who have no choice but to drive to&nbsp;work every day? And with diesel prices also under pressure, could&nbsp;we see the impact spreading into the cost of taxis, buses, food&nbsp;deliveries and the goods sitting on supermarket shelves?&nbsp;Tonight, we unpack what is driving this latest fuel shock &mdash; and&nbsp;what South Africans should expect when they fill up in October.

AFTER 8 IS AFTER 8: Pay Fair Bill: Justice for Workers or a Threat to Jobs and Business Stability?

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