The Daily Discourse

Since the Constitutional Court ruling on cannabis and its legal use, there has been a lot industries coming up with all sorts of solutions on how to put it to better use. This time around the first education platform dedicated to Cannabis training on the African continent has been launched this at a time when the industry is poised for rapid growth. The Cheeba Cannabis Academy’s first courses are...

As we slowly come out of the Covid-19 lockdown period and industries starting to operate, energy is again becoming the focus especially for business. Load shedding is still a problem especially now in wither. Well a Cape Town based energy company, IMPower has come up with solutions comprising of solar and energy storage technology for business and other entities. What new thing are they bringing t...

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni says the tax revenue shortfall for the current financial year is projected at 300-billion rand and this can be attributed to the tax relief measures provided as a result of the Covid-19 and lockdown impact. Government forecasts an economic contraction of seven-point-two percent this year. Mboweni says the revenue shortfall also results from delays in tax collection of...

Today being Tuesday, we continue bringing you the UIF representative to field your questions and deal with your problems. Please remember to keep your questions very brief and listen on the radio for answers. GUEST: Tshiamo Molema – Manager for Monitoring and Evaluation in the Commissioner’s Office

Tension is brewing in Libya as the UN-recognised Government of National Accord denounces Egypt's warning of military intervention in that country. They have labelled it as a "declaration of war". On Saturday, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warned that if pro-GNA forces advanced on the strategic city of Sirte, this could provoke a "direct" intervention by Cairo. Guest: Izak Khomo – Africa s...

The National Association of School Governing Bodies is said to be calling for the immediate closure of schools in the Eastern Cape, this after 204 learners test positive. This happened at Makaula Secondary School in KwaBhaca. guest: Loyiso Pulumani-Spokesperson Education Department EC

South Africa's Unemployment rate is on the rise. According to the Quarterly Labour Survey released by Statistics South Africa yesterday, unemployment has increased to 30-point-1-percent in the first quarter of this year, from 29-point-1-percent in the fourth quarter of 2019. Stats SA data further indicates that the number of employed persons decreased by 38-thousand to 16-point-4-million, while th...

President Cyril Ramaphosa is convinced that state-owned enterprises could play an integral role in driving the country’s economic recovery post-Covid-19. Our SEOs are not in the best of shapes and are often the ones that attract the attention of rating agencies. The president and Finance Minister Tito Mboweni are looking at a Zero-based budgeting approach. Guest: Siya Biniza – Political Economist...

We go now to Pietermaritzburg where An exchange of e-mails between State prosecutor - advocate Billy Downer - and KwaZulu-Natal Judge President - Achmat Jappie - is one of the issues former president Jacob Zuma's legal team may raise when he appears on corruption charges in the Pietermaritzburg High Court today. In the e-mails Downer proposed to Judge Jappie that Zuma's trial begin next year. Our...

As we enter the different stages of the lockdown, building the economy is becoming a very serious matter not just for government, but the different countries around the world. Youth unemployment in particular is of serious concern. On the issue of youth unemployment, yesterday (Sunday) the Centre for Development and Enterprise released a report showing that bold reforms will be required. It also l...

A high-profile research organisation, Indlulamithi, has found that young people in South Africa are hopeful about social cohesion and inclusive growth in the country. Indlulamithi is used frequently by government and private sector to assemble scenarios about how the country's future may unfold. The organisation presented its scenarios 2030 in Pretoria and to give us some insights on the outcomes,...

This morning we speak to Professor Mcebisi Ndletyana about a number of issues pertaining to the ruling party. Government at the moment is facing a lot of criticism in how they are handling the lockdown. Corruption also regarding the distribution of food parcels. SOEs on the verge of collapse leading to job losses. Where does one even start and how far can we trace the problem of corruption? Guest:...

The families of the Cradock Four, former TRC Commissioner, Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, and the Pan African Bar Association of SA have welcomed the decision by the American Bar Association to cancel its earlier invitation to former President FW De Klerk to speak on racism and other matters. The last president of the apartheid government was to address the US association in a virtual meeting. But, thi...

Sunday being Father’s Day we thought to focus on men who are doing good. Interestingly, Nal’ibali has come up with a national reading-for-enjoyment campaign which will focus on fathers and father figures. It’s a way to show the powerful role men can play in their children’s lives, simply by reading and spending time with them. How will this help in strengthening the bond between fathers and their...

In the past few weeks we’ve been receiving messages from some of you who would like to know what happened to the land expropriation process. Also under the lockdown restrictions parliament is not sitting as normal. What happens to all the submissions from the different communities? Well, Dr Motshekga is here to answer all of these questions… Guest: Dr Mathole Motshekga - Chairperson of the Parliam...

As the lockdown continues, some NGOs are calling on government to increase the promised R350 social grant for those who are unemployed. But almost on a daily basis we are flooded with calls from listeners who say they are still waiting for the promised funds. If NGOs are asking government to increase the amount, the question then is whether the country can afford it and how sustainable is it? Gues...

At the back of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech where he said that we as a country need to look at more drastic measures to curb the abuse of alcohol. Well a group of concerned South Africans have signed a petition calling on government to follow the advice of the World Health Organisation and implement those measures which have been shown to be effective in other countries. Guest: Dr David Harr...

Sadly there’s another case of a three-year-old who was stabbed and a body of a young woman was found near the Golden Highway and to talk about this, Guest: Dereleen James – Founder Yellow Ribbon Foundation

The Human Sciences Research Council yesterday (Wed) held a Youth Day webinar where they shared a proposed alternative model to the one announced by Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande. The group driving the discussion call themselves the Public Universities with a Public Conscience. If you’ve been following developments around the minister’s proposal, one of the difficulties was the on-lin...

We go down to the Free State at the Boitumelo Hospital in Kroonstad. Staff there are said to be protesting demanding that the hospital be shut down after several of their colleagues tested positive for Covid-19. Guest: Lesego Mogorosi – Nehawu’s Branch Chairperson in Kroonstad

The lockdown restrictions have affected many industries around the country. Funerals in particular have changed drastically as government has put a limitation on the amount of people who should attend. For some, this may allow them to save money as people will be few and costs will be less. Guest: Andrew

Last night President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the reopening of the beauty industry. He says that it was important for the government to reopen personal care services in an effort to empower the women who work in South Africa's hair salons, beauty shops, and spas. Guest: Mariska du Plessis - Northern Gauteng divisional manager at the Employers Organisation for Hairdressing, Cosmetology and Beauty

Since the lockdown started, many employees were allowed to work from home. Some reports suggest that productivity was high at the time, but lately it’s becoming problematic for employers to monitor those who are working from home. But, don’t despair if you are a business person who is battling with issues of accountability from your staff as someone came up with a working solution for you… Guest:...

The National Director of Public Prosecutions advocate Shamila Batohi, yesterday welcomed raids at premises in Gauteng and Limpopo in connection with the looting at the VBS Mutual Bank between 2015 and 2018. The Hawks executed warrants of arrest for four of the eight suspects of which three are to hand themselves over to police soon. The 8th suspect is said to be in quarantine due to Covid-19 and w...

The gruesome murders of women in our country has again highlighted the country’s problem of gender-based violence. We are all asking the same questions as to what drives these men to do such horrible acts to their partners? Why the brutality? Can we really put our finger on it? We’ve been speaking to lobbyists and other groups and this time around we would like to hear from government on the issue...