In this week’s edition of the masterclass ahead of the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday, we talk about what protocol is, and why people often best understand its importance only when it goes wrong; whether shifts in the international order are affecting protocol practices; and how COVID-19 changed the rules for good protocol and some details of what happens during an inauguration. Lerato Mbele speaks to Dr Kingsley Makhubela, Director at Risk Recon and Former Chief of State Protocol at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

In this week’s edition of the masterclass ahead of the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday, we talk about what protocol is, and why people often best understand its importance only when it goes wrong; whether shifts in the international order are affecting protocol practices; and how COVID-19 changed the rules for good protocol and some details of what happens during an inauguration. Lerato Mbele speaks to Dr Kingsley Makhubela, Director at Risk Recon and Former Chief of State Protocol at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

POWER Talk is a mid-morning talk show that delves deeper into the news of the day, along with larger societal themes, inviting listeners to help unpack issues on the day’s current affairs agenda and topics close to their hearts. The host also interviews the biggest newsmakers and experts in South Africa, helping listeners make sense of their world.

POWER Talk is a mid-morning talk show that delves deeper into the news of the day, along with larger societal themes, inviting listeners to help unpack issues on the day&rsquo;s current affairs agenda and topics close to their hearts. The host also interviews the biggest newsmakers and experts in South Africa, helping listeners make sense of their world.

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Every weekday morning, POWER Talk host Iman Rappetti treats her listeners to an in-depth take on an issue close to her heart. At turns solemn, playful and impassioned, Iman's evocative "poems" are her listeners' favourite way of starting the day. You can find them updated daily in this podcast.

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The Masterclass: Understanding State Protocol

Amnesty International South Africa has issued a firm call to the government, demanding tangible progress on the promises of dignity and equality first established during the transition to democracy in 1994. In a statement marking Freedom Day, the human rights organization reflected on the persistent service delivery failures that continue to plague the country’s most impoverished areas, noting that the vision of a truly free society remains unfulfilled for many. Mondli Makhanya with Genevieve Quintal Amnesty International SA.

Amnesty International South Africa has issued a firm call to the government, demanding tangible progress on the promises of dignity and equality first established during the transition to democracy in 1994. In a statement marking Freedom Day, the human rights organization reflected on the persistent service delivery failures that continue to plague the country&rsquo;s most impoverished areas, noting that the vision of a truly free society remains unfulfilled for many. Mondli Makhanya with Genevieve Quintal Amnesty International SA.

Amnesty SA wants government to deliver on 1994 promise of dignity, and equality for all

In an ironic turn of events, the Draft National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy for South Africa was formally withdrawn on Sunday, April 26, 2026, by the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi.  The withdrawal followed a scandal involving what has been termed a "fictitious AI policy framework," where it was discovered that the document cited academic sources and journal articles that do not exist. Mondli Makhanya spoke to Prof Stella Bvuma, Director of the School of Consumer Intelligence and Information Systems at UJ.

In an ironic turn of events, the Draft National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy for South Africa was formally withdrawn on Sunday, April 26, 2026, by the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi.&nbsp; The withdrawal followed a scandal involving what has been termed a "fictitious AI policy framework," where it was discovered that the document cited academic sources and journal articles that do not exist.&nbsp;Mondli Makhanya spoke to Prof Stella Bvuma, Director of the School of Consumer Intelligence and Information Systems at UJ.

Response to fictitious AI Policy frame work

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) has officially began exploring the integration of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) into the national power grid. By issuing a formal Expression of Interest (EOI), Necsa is inviting private sector players to provide critical data on the technical specifications and logistical feasibility of deploying these portable units locally. This move signals a strategic shift toward diversifying South Africa’s energy mix with flexible, next-generation nuclear technology. Mondli Makhanya spoke to Professor Vally Padayachee, power and energy expert and a former executive manager of Eskom and a former senior executive of City Power Jhb.

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The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) has officially began exploring the integration of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) into the national power grid. By issuing a formal Expression of Interest (EOI), Necsa is inviting private sector players to provide critical data on the technical specifications and logistical feasibility of deploying these portable units locally. This move signals a strategic shift toward diversifying South Africa&rsquo;s energy mix with flexible, next-generation nuclear technology. Mondli Makhanya spoke to Professor Vally Padayachee, power and energy expert and a former executive manager of Eskom and a former senior executive of City Power Jhb.
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The Masterclass: Understanding State Protocol

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