The Daily Discourse

Any contribution made to a retirement fund before the 28th February will be tax deductible and you will be entitled to a refund of tax for tax paid over the last twelve months. Bryan is this morning discussing the advantages of a Retirement Annuity.   Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

This morning as part of our personal development we speak to a young man by the name Rodney Maduwa who is a real inspiration for up and coming young people who may not know how to overcome being unemployed. One of the things he emphasises on is that providing skills development is one of the ways to eradicate unemployment. He now joins us on the line to talk about his journey and the lessons learn...

Last week the news agenda was dominated by the Chief Justice interviews overshadowing the release of part 2 of the State Capture report. So this morning we thought to look at some of the revelation in that report and talk about just how much it has revealed at Denel and Transnet. Also the devastating effect it had on the ordinary worker and the economy.   But first let’s reflect on this...

  There are calls from civil society organisations for the Social Relief of Distress Grant to be extended beyond March. This comes as hundreds of beneficiaries still wait for payments which have either not been made or came intermittently with no explanation. The R350 grant is providing some relief to those with no income. For more on this we are joined on the line by… Guest: Dianne Du...

    There has been an overwhelming endorsement for Judge Mandisa Maya to be the next Chief Justice of South Africa. This after the Judicial Services Commission recommended to President Cyril Ramaphosa, that Judge Maya is the rightful candidate for the top job. Let’s use this opportunity now to reflect on the recommendation by the JCS and also what this means for the transformationa...

THIS INTERVIEW IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY BD AFRICA Today marks World Cancer Day and in our two-part series we focus on cervical cancer and HPV. Doctors warn that women between the ages of 35 and 44 are most likely to get cervical cancer and should therefore test regularly. To explore this further we are joined on the line by…   Guest: Dr. Nomonde Hazel Mbatani – Clinical Head Gynaecol...

As we get ready to mark World Cancer Day tomorrow (Friday) we focus on the important role of technology in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Research shows that breast, cervical and prostate cancers are the top cancers in South Africa. Early testing and diagnosis therefore become vital.  Guest: Professor Jackie Smilg - Diagnostic Radiologist and Head of Breast Imaging at the Charlotte Maxeke Jo...

Yesterday marked the anniversary of the late anti-apartheid hero Okgopotse Abram Tiro’s death. He was killed in Botswana in 1974 by a letter bomb where he was after fleeing the apartheid government forces who were pursuing freedom fighter. Tiro, who was killed at the age of 28, had been a student leader.  Guest: David Letsoalo – Sankarist, activist and academic

Questions are being asked about whether South African employers are proactive about checking if qualifications, as claimed by applicants, are genuine. This follows the conviction of former PRASA Head of Engineering Services Daniel Mthimkhulu for fraud on Monday by the Joburg Commercial Crimes Court. He claimed to have a Master’s Degree from Wits University and a doctorate from a university i...

This morning we are finally joined by Councillor Nceba Ndikinda who is the mayor at the Amathole District Municipality. This is the story of Nanziwe Rulashe who was dragged from her municipal offices in East London by armed security guards. Let’s hear now what the mayor has to say on the issue….   Guest: Councillor Nceba Ndikinda – Executive Mayor at the Amathole District M...

The organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) says the Minister of Transport must explain why the pay of executives at the Road Traffic Infringement Agency increased by such large amounts in the past five years. A Sunday Times investigation has revealed that the executives had their salaries increase up to six times during that time. In one instance the former RTIA CEO Japh Chuwe’s income jumped...

With interest rates starting to rise, what options are there to those needing income. For those working, why are they not saving enough to give them some financial freedom in retirement? Bryan joins us on the line now to help us understand… Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited 

    What economic value has B-BBEE created in South Africa? This is the question that came under discussion when various stakeholders met virtually late last week. Critics of the system always argue that it has only benefitted a few and not the majority of South Africans as it was intended to and that this has been a stumbling block towards transformation and equality. For a debate on th...

As the search for jobs resumes again at the beginning of year, young people talk about the challenges they face during this process. One of the main problems is the cost involved in looking for work. A recent study showed that the youth spend an estimated R 1300 per month. So, what do these costs involve and how are young people impacted by this? To expand on this, we are joined on the line by&hel...

The Department of Science and Technology together with others partners, has launched a pilot project that seeks to professionalise and to issue certificates to Traditional Health Practitioners. The process aims to acknowledge Traditional Knowledge Systems and to empower practitioners. How will this project work and who will be involved? For more on this we are joined on the line by…  ...

Police in the Eastern Cape have conceded that they are concerned about the safety of Amathole District Municipal councillor Nanziwe Rulashe. It's alleged that gunmen fired several shots through her bedroom window in the early hours of yesterday. Rulashe was not at her home at the time. Her child who was in another room escaped unharmed. Rulashe made headlines last week after a video of her being d...

As times are getting tougher in the country, a group of civil society organisations say that they want President Cyril Ramaphosa to set up a task team with experts to deal with the immediate extension and increase of the R350 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant. They met with President Cyril Ramaphosa and some of his ministers last week. This is not a new call that is being made as the situat...

Yesterday one of the stories that was trending throughout the day was that of the CCMA dismissing an application of an employee of the Gold Rush Group after she was fired for opting not to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Commission ruled that Theresa Mulderij's dismissal was fair as she did not comply with regulations of the company's mandatory vaccination policy. In the arbitration award, the...

    Western Cape Premier Allan Winde says more complainants have come forward since the allegations of sexual assault against MEC Albert Fritz emerged. Fritz was suspended on Sunday and has now stepped down as acting DA leader in the province. The latest development is that the ANC in the Western Cape says it will open a case against MEC Albert Fritz amid sexual assault allegations. The...

    Let’s speak now to Khosi Tyobeka, who is in the tourism industry. She has been working in the industry for over 6years and qualified as Travel Consultant.  She is currently running her own establishment where she also nurtures young people.  The industry has gone through a hard time during the Covid-19 pandemic and to find out from her as to what is still driving her...

    The issue of data privacy has come into sharp focus in recent months with the Protection of Personal Information Act coming into full effect. Now the Information Regulator will be hosting the International Data Privacy Day Webinar tomorrow (Friday) to allow stakeholders to engage topics such as the responsibility of information officers, cyber security and related laws. There have be...

    Let’s talk now to the South African Veterinary Council who have welcomed the recent conviction and sentencing of two women who have been illegally practising as veterinary professionals. They go on to say that the two women were placing the lives of animals at risk and deceiving and defrauding South African pet owners. To understand what it is exactly that the two did and also...

As we resume our health feature this morning, we start off by looking at the importance of heaving annual health checks. Looking at which conditions to prioritise for women, men and children. Indications are that men are the problem as many of them refuse to go to the doctor. From what age should we all be worried about our health? To help us understand, we are joined on the line by… Guest:...

    The case against five people who are facing charges of assault linked to the forceful removal of an Amathole District Municipal councillor on Monday has been postponed to the 11th of February. The five appeared briefly in the East London Magistrates court yesterday (Tuesday). The charges against them stems from an incident at the offices of the ADM yesterday where a councillor, Nanzi...

An interesting survey by Epson has revealed that 58.9% of South Africans believe that a climate change disaster will be averted during their lifetime. Those who were are pessimistic say that there’s still a lack of awareness of the dangers of climate change. To tell us more on this survey and what purpose it’s meant to serve, we are joined on the line by… Guest: Timothy Thomas -...