The Daily Discourse

Good news for the energy sector is that the establishment of a "hydrogen valley" in South Africa is a step closer to reality. This was announce during the launch of the Hydrogen Valley Feasibility Study Report by the Department of Science and Innovation. The establishment of this valley is said will create 32 000 jobs per year and help the country with its energy crisis. To educate us on this issu...

Let’s talk now to David Lestoalo who calls himself a Sankarist. He wrote an article asking how independent are the so-called independent candidates in the local government elections. This year has seen a huge number of independent candidates contesting the elections with some residents believing they could be the solution. David goes wants to know why we don’t have leaders of the calib...

On Friday, Cathy Mohlahlana spoke to Dr Lerato Dikobe-Kalane, a psychiatrist who spoke about the need for African traditional healers to get involved in the early detection of the illness. Well as a follow-up interview on the issue, we use the opportunity to find out how traditional healers used to deal with the issue and what role they can play today. Some people believe that traditional healers...

As we head towards the end of the year, health experts are warning of signs of fatigue and stress. The Covid-19 pandemic has made things worse as many people are worried about all sorts of things especially finances. What can we do to avoid a breakdown and what are the signs to look out for? To help us on this issue, we are joined on the line by…   Guest: Dr Munyaka  - Current Pre...

Lately we’ve seen how violent the issue of who appears on a political party’s election list have become. Some people have even lost their lives. It’s almost like those who are at the bottom want to get into office as they feel this is their chance. But sadly once in office, they start disappointing the people who elected them. This culture of greed by those in power has come many...

One of her songs is our opening theme for the Tuesday personal development feature and she really is no stranger to us all. A few years she made history as the first African women who had a Barbie doll made in her image. What has she been up to lately and what can we expect from her in the near future?  Guest: Lira (Lerato Moipone Molapo) - South African Afro-pop musician

The World Bank’s review of South Africa’s social assistance programmes has revealed that the country is spending a lot on social grants than other countries around the world. The other sad revelation is that no tall deserving recipient receive the grant. How did we end up with such a situation and what should we read into it? To get the Department of Social Development’s view on...

This coming Sunday marks World Mental Health Day and interestingly practitioners in this field are talking about how traditional healers can get involved in the early detection of the illness. The thinking is that there needs to be collaboration between Western medical specialists and African traditional healers that could help offload the growing population who need treatment. To help us understa...

We speak now to Nqobile Nyathi who is the owner of Khanyi Cosmetics. She specialises in organic beauty products for the skin. Why organic though and what is it that makes her concept stand out from the rest? Also what is it that attracted her to this very competitive industry? To tell us more on this and where it all started, we are joined on the line by… Guest: Nqobile Nhlapho – Owne...

The issue of hesitancy against the Covid-19 vaccinations seems to be on the increase. Some people are worried about the safety aspect while others are digesting conspiracy theories. Let’s get a perspective now and where the problem could lie and how government can better preach its messages as we welcome…. Guest: Prof Rudzani Muloiwa - Head of Department for Paediatric and Child Healt...

Today Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is turning 90-years old. The anti-apartheid icon is one of those who was there in the thick of things drawing the world’s attention to the atrocities of the apartheid government. There is just so much to talk about when it come to the arch as his life was mostly in the midst of activism and raising his voice against injustice under both the apartheid an...

The Southern Centre for Inequality Studies in collaboration with the Open Society Foundation completed a study of black economic empowerment policy. The BEE policy has been criticised over the years for mostly enriching the elite and politically connected. The study also looked at identifying  pathways to a more inclusive economy by considering how the idea of empowerment might relate to the...

We turn our focus now on one of those diseases that have been with us for many years. According to medical journals, Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs by a bacteria that is spread from person to person through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes. One can only wonder what impact Covid-19 has on it and how difficult it must be for do...

We have been trying to get hold of government to talk about attacks on drivers of e-hailing services, but were unsuccessful. We ended up talking to Melithemba Mnguni who is the Secretary-General of the South African E-hailing Association. He gave us an idea of the frustrations with authorities and taxi industry…   guest: THEO NKONKI - SPOKESPERSON FOR GAUTENG ROADS AND TRANSPORT DEPART...

Eskom is said to be the world’s biggest emitter of sulphur dioxide. This pollutant is associated with ailments like asthma and heart attacks. This was revealed by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and to tell us more on this, we are joined on the line from Finland by… Guest(Finland): Lauri Myllvirta – Lead Analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air

  Yesterday we spoke to Professor Siphamandla Zondi from the UJ about comments made by former DA MP, Phumzile Van Damme on how she was treated in the party. We then received a call from former Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba about his experience in the DA and this is what he had to say… Guest: Prof Siphamandla Zondi - Professor of Political Science at the University of Pretoria

Today we are going down to the Western Cape to the Beaufort West Local Municipality. If you’ve been following the news, the current mayor and Speaker were among the four suspects arrested for fraud and corruption. It’s also among the ANC controlled Municipalities struggling to pay Eskom Guest: Quinton Louw – Mayor of Beaufort West Local Municipality’ Guest: James-Brant...

Today being World Teachers Day, we thought to invite a teacher for our personal development feature. Teachers are the ones who give us direction from a young age. Our guest is a life orientation teacher responsible for personal development. What is that one thing she would say we all need to know while still young? Also looking at life today and the different challenges it throws at us, what lesso...

This morning Bryan talks to us about the importance of drawing up a budget and how you go about it. Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

The DA’s former MP, Phumzile Van Damme yesterday revealed details of why she left the party saying she suffered trauma while still inside. She directly pointed the finger at party leader John Steenhuisen, Natasha Mazzone and her husband Kevin Mileham. Surely this does not look good for the party’s racial problem. Now that we are in the election season, we are joined on the line by&hell...

We speak now to Kristal Duncan-Williams from Youth Capital about their interpretation and addition to Department of Basic Education’s call for young unemployed people to apply for assistant posts. They have come up with a few recommendations they believe can make the department’s drive to work and to share their thoughts on this, we are joined on the line by….  Guest: Krist...

Environmental Affairs Minister Barbara Creecy says further criminal charges may be instituted against the Mumbai-based chemicals giant UPL. The company's warehouse at Cornubia near uMhlanga in KwaZulu-Natal, was razed to the ground during the July unrest. According to authorities the warehouse which stored toxic pesticides and chemical products was operating without permits and flouted all environ...

A partnership between Wits University and the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital will see the expansion of a burn unit that aims to create a high-tech skin bank and tissue engineering laboratory in Soweto.  More than 250 adults and 500 children with severe burns are said to be admitted to the hospital annually with critical need for such treatment and experts. To tell us more about the...

President Cyril Ramaphosa will this week launch the Women Economic Assembly. It is a body made-up of business women in the private sector, civil society and government. They are pushing for more participation of women businesses in the main parts of the country’s economy. To tell us more on the need for such a body and how exactly its hoping to achieve its goals, we are joined on the line by...

The nomination of Western Cape Judge President, John Hlophe and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane for the post of Chief Justice have raised eyebrows in many circles. They were reportedly nominated by the SA Natives Forum together with the Black Lawyers Association and Democracy in Action. To get a perspective on how the process is unfolding and what to make of the nomination of the two candidate...