The Daily Discourse

Our health feature this morning focuses on constipation and other stomach ailments. According to medical journals, constipation occurs when bowel movements become less frequent and stools become difficult to pass. This they say happens often due to changes in diet or routine, or due to inadequate intake of fiber. Guest: Dr Marc Ostrofsky – Specialist physician and fellow in medical gastroenterolog...

If you have any tax related problems, the following discussion may be of interest to you. The Office of the Tax Ombud is here to assist if you feel unfairly treated by SARS. Guest: Professor Thabo Legwaila - CEO in the Office of the Tax Ombud

In today’s economic hardships one sometimes wishes you can just play the Lotto and do whatever you wish with your earnings. Interestingly there are alternative ways one can play the lottery whether electronically or physically. Guest: Maryke Haywood - Marketing Director: Lottoland

The National Assembly yesterday (Tuesday) voted in favour of the establishment of an ad hoc committee to investigate the Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane's fitness to hold office. The ANC says it is important for the Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane to have an opportunity to clear her name before a committee of Parliament. The party’s deputy Chief Whip, Doris Dlakude, says the committee wou...

The DA called on the Mangaung Metro's acting executive mayor, Lebohang Masoetsa, to investigate city manager, Tankiso Mea. Allegations against Mea include financial mismanagement, unauthorised and wasteful expenditure. Let’s listen first to this report from Palesa Moeti…. Guest: Molefi Morake - MMC responsible Corporate Services at the Mangaung Metro Councillor Guest: Thembeni Nxangisa - COGTA MEC...

On our personal development we focus on the importance of mentoring.. What is mentoring and what does a mentor teach us? Also what are the benefits? Guest: Michelle Potter – Executive Director at Sayes Mentoring Guest: Amina Pululu – A mentee

This morning Bryan addresses the issues of finding a reliable financial adviser? What should one lookout for seeing how many of them are promising all sorts of results and services. What is that one thing we all ought to watch out for? GUEST: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

A student has been shot and wounded when police allegedly fired live ammunition at protesting students in Braamfonein yesterday (Monday). The students from Wits and the University of Johannesburg had continued their protests over historical debt. They have threatened to shut down all universities in the country if their demands are not met. This shooting follows fresh at the back of Mthokozisi Ntu...

Today (Monday) is World Consumer Rights Day and this year’s theme is Tackle Plastic Pollution which is aimed at creating awareness against the use of plastic to save our ecosystem. For many years government tried to make us pay for plastic to discourage us from accepting it, but I guess this has not worked as pollution continues. guest: Thezi Mabuza – Acting Commissioner at the National Consumer C...

The Khoi community and other interest groups held gathering since Friday up to yesterday (Sunday) embracing the new name Gqeberha. They have also written a letter to the Department of Corporative Governance ant Traditional Affairs expressing their unhappiness with the mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality who was not happy with the name. For a perspective on this issue and what it means to...

Student body - SASCO and the EFF Student Command have threatened to shut down all institutions of higher learning today Monday. This is part of their ongoing protest to demand free education and for students to be allowed to register for the 2021 academic year even if they have historical debt. Let’s find out now from government as to what they are expecting institutions to do today as we welcome…...

As South Africa is still battling to get Prophet Bushiri and the Guptas to come back to the country, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola called on all countries to intensify collaboration in repatriating assets and extraditing suspected criminals evading justice. Lamola was representing the country at the 14th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Let’s take a look now at where our laws...

This morning we take a look at the pressure put on officials in the procurement divisions by political heads. Industry commentators feel that procurement officials are under siege as they have to do as their principals tell them or face being victimized. To find out now how widespread this practice is and also what is it they can do under such circumstances, we are joined on the line by….… Guest:...

We talk now to Dr Maud Mthembu who is Social Work lecturer at UKZN’s School of Applied Human Sciences. She recently led a team that wrote an isiZulu children’s book about Covid-19 titled: Uhambo Lwami ngesikathi – My journey during Covid-19. We talk to her now about the book and why she felt it necessary to target it at children and also chose to do it in isiZulu…. Guest: Dr Maud Mthembu – Social...

This morning we focus on the business of chicken farming. Our guest this morning is not only into poultry farming, but also in the process of launching Blaque Stores, fruit and vegetables outlets which he say are aimed at providing a market for farmers struggling to sell their products. Where did it all start for him? Guest: Mothupi Kgopa – Poultry farmer, Author and entrepreneur

Yesterday (11 March) marked 10 years since the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This has given environmentalists and interests groups in the country the opportunity to remind government why nuclear is a bad idea. They have been submitting arguments to NERSA about why nuclear should not be included in the country’s energy mix. To educate us on this, and also the main reasons why nuclear should never be...

Protesting students at Wits have again brought to light the issue of funding for higher education. They went on the rampage this week protesting against what they call financial exclusion of poor students. Government on the other hand announced an additional funding for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to address the funding shortfall for the 2021 academic year. Let’s get a perspective no...

Condolences have been pouring in for the late AmaZulu King Goodwill Zwelithini who passed away in hospital in the early hours of this morning. The news was confirmed by Traditional Prime minister of the Zulu nation, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi this morning. King Goodwill has been in hospital for more than a month for diabetes treatment. He died aged 72. Before we talk about his life and times as k...

As Wits students again take to the streets protesting against financial exclusion at the university, we take a look at whether the promise of a free education is practical indeed. The subject is not new and has been used for political gain over the years. Let’s start off with a comment from Higher Education Minister in 2015 while addressing parliament where he said that free education is possible...

Eastern Cape MEC for Finance Mlungisi Mvoko tabled his R82.7bn 2021/2022 budget in the Bhisho legislature yesterday (Wed). One of the comments he made is that he believes the economy is responding well as the country comes out of the hardships caused by Covid-19. To tell us how the province will be utilising the allocated funds, we are joined on the line by….. Guest: Daluhlanga Majeke - Head of Ea...

We are now joined on the line by a Wits University student who is being financially excluded. Guest: Sicelo Khubeka-student Wits University

As you did see some of the hectic scenes beamed across our news channels of how police handled the Wits students protest yesterday. Sadly one person who had nothing to do with the protest was fatally shot after he visited a clinic. This is what some of the witnesses had to say… CLIP-WITNESSES LINK: It's understood that the man was leaving MyClinic, when he was reportedly shot by police, then he wa...

Having spoken to the manufacturers of furniture who have entered the completion, we speak now to the deputy minister to get a sense of her impressions and also what it is they are doing to encourage more young people to enter the market.. Guest: Barbara Copelovici - Entrepreneurship Director at SA Breweries Guest: Nomalungela Gina - Deputy Minister for the Department of Trade Industry and Competit...

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s 2020/2021 national Furniture Design Competition is announcing its winners at a virtual event today. Five finalists each in the Students and Established Manufacturers categories will be vying for top honours and let’s speak to some of them to find out the kind of furniture they produce as we welcome.. Guest: Jason Wells – Brand and Marketing at PG...

British American Tobacco SA has done some research where they sent in mystery shoppers to buy cigarettes that is sold below the tax rate in every retail sector. Their research through the mystery shoppers found that 41% of retail outlets visited sold packs of 20s at below taxable cost. To tell us more on this and why they decided to do things this way, we are joined on the line by…. Guest: Johnny...