The Daily Discourse

Thousands of social grant recipients around the country stood in long queues yesterday to collect their pay-outs. The South African Social Security Agency provided early payments of social grants this month in an effort to lower the risk of COVID-19 infections. To get a sense of how the day progressed and what to expect today, we are joined on the line by… Guest: Jackson Mthembu – Minister in the...

On our legally speaking feature today we speak to Professor Dr Omphemetse Sibanda who penned an article about the impact the measures government is taking in fighting the Covid 19 is having on social justice. He points to a number of issues that point to the headache of finding a balance under the current circumstances as government is opening itself up to a lot of legal challenges. How then does...

As the country is now officially under lockdown, government is hoping for support for learners who may lose valuable study time. Well, this is the time now for the different role players to come forward and see how they can assist. One of those is Advantage Learn. They are offering their Maths Online platform free to help learners affected by the shutdown of schools GUEST: James Lees - CEO of Adva...

As we unite in the call by the president for all of us to stay home in an effort to defeat the Covid19, experts are worried about our mental state. Business people are worried on the one hand about their livelihood while ordinary citizens are worried about contracting the virus. How then do we prepare our minds and uphold a healthy mental state? Guest: Dr Dominic Stott - Chief Medical Officer at L...

South Africa has been downgraded to junk status, according to Economists, South Africa needs to restructure the economy to resolve inequality and unemployment on. Guest: Miyelani Mkhabela - Economist

Around the townships and rural areas elderly people are queuing for their social grants. Many have been standing in line since 1am this morning. Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu on the other hand says she is concerned about a lack of police visibility at some pay-points as the elderly and people with disabilities access their social grants during the coronavirus lockdown. She was speaking...

Thousands of elderly people and people living with disabilities have travelled by bus and taxi from the rural areas around Mthatha in the Eastern Cape from as early as one o'clock this morning to collect their social grants GUEST: Nkululeko Nyembezi - SABC reporter in Mthatha

Gender activists are worried that the lockdown may pave the way for gender based violence. The concern is how do victims of abuse report perpetrators under these circumstances. Guest: Dr Lesley Ann Foster – Director of Masimanyane Women’s Rights and she also serves on the President’s advisory committee on gender

Staff at Correctional Services are threatening to go on strike. One of the major issues they are highlighting is that of safety for their health as they claim not having been given protective clothing. Guest: Singabakho Nxumalo – Spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services

Some healthcare workers who are at the forefront of combating COVID-19 say they are fearful of contracting the virus, while others say they have decided to isolate themselves from their families. South Africa currently has more than 900 confirmed corona virus cases. The national lockdown, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa has started from this morning. Healthcare workers who will continue to...

On our health feature today we focus on Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. According to medical journals, Having the disease makes it hard for one to breath. GUESTS: Dr Hlanjwa Maepa – Specialist physician with super specialty training in the field of Pulmonology based at Port Elizabeth, Netcare Greenacres

Academics are analyzing the impact that the Covid-19 is having on the country as a whole. As the Talking Point we have been bringing you all aspects of where things like the lockdown are hitting the most. One of those is that what happens to those poor children who depend on feeding schemes at schools now that schools are closed? guest: Nic Spaul - Senior Researcher in the Economics Department at...

The 21-day lock-down period has many people worried about what they are going to operate. But experts in the field of systems are saying this could change how business is run especially in the build-up to the 4th Industrial Revolution. What are the tips they have for the SMME sector as it is the most nervous of them all? Guest: Lauren du Plooy, director at Rae & Associates and Intuit QuickBooks tr...

As countries battle to deal with the Covid-19 crisis, food security is becoming a serious concern as productivity is affected and people are panic-buying. What is the economic impact of food security? We hear now from those who are involved in the sector to talk about whether we should be worried? Guest: Becky Opdyke - Chief Marketing Officer for Tiger Brands

The South African humanitarian relief organisation Gift of the Givers is partnering with the government on its Covid-19 initiative. The organisaton will augment public health services by supporting medical professionals with protective wear, supplying relevant essential medical equipment and providing medical consumables to the institutions in urgent need. Dr Imtiaz Sooliman explains what it is th...

Tributes are pouring in for traditional healer Credo Mutwa who has died at the age of 98. The Credo Mutwa Foundation has confirmed his passing. The foundation is yet to release a statement with more information. Meanwhile the family of the deceased has asked for space during its time of grieving. In this extract from the film Celestial Knowledge Credo Mutwa speaks about aliens or greys beings know...

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19, many people are shutting themselves in their small spaces to avoid public contact. The internet is now becoming a very useful tool for shopping and all sorts of activity that won’t expose one’s health. Even government and other institutions are using the internet to raise funds. In light of this, experts are warning against cybercrime in times like these. Why is...

We speak now to Professor Salim Abdool Karim as concerns are raised about the impact the Covid-19 may have for people who live with HIV. What is it they should be worried about? What sort of impact would Covid-19 have on them and what it is they should be doing? Guest: Professor Salim Abdool Karim – Director of the Centrefor the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa

Guest; KZN MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu

All of us are nervous about contracting the corona virus wherever we are. But since many of us who are fortunate enough to be employed, we worry about our safety in the workplace. What are my rights as an employee and what is the employer’s rights? Is it the duty of the employer to keep me safe? If I do contract it, do I get paid to stay home? GUEST: Anli Bezuidenhout – Senior Associate in the Cli...

Guest: Inge Mulder - Chief Financial Officer Sanral

Guest: Gavin Kelly – CEO of Road Freight Association

As government tries to cover all aspects regarding preventing Covid-19 from spreading, concerns are being raised by truck drivers about toll gates. Truck drivers zigzag the country and across our borders on a daily basis and have a view about what is happening in other parts of the country. Guest: Mary Phadi – Truckers Association of South Africa (TASA) President

The South African Football Coaches Association (SAFCA) has added their voice in support of the suspension of football matches in the country due to COVID-19. Guest: President, Greg Mashilo, SAFCA

As the world continues to battle against Covid-19, governments are doing all they can to cover all aspects of possible infections. But now as we talk about the workplace, questions are being raised of domestic workers. Since they are employed by households, how does one deal with them? Do we say they must stay at home? How do we cover their salaries since they can’t work from their homes? What do...