The Daily Discourse

Corruption Watch has released its 14th annual corruption report, titled  Ke Nako: Mobilising for Justice , painting a sobering picture of corruption in South Africa. The organisation says corruption continues to affect nearly every sector of society — from policing and education to local government and state-owned enterprises — while whistle-blowers remain at the forefront of expo...

As the world grapples with division, conflict and growing inequality, the question is increasingly being asked: what unique contribution can Africa make to humanity? In a thought-provoking Mail & Guardian article, the CEO of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Max Boqwana, reflects on Steve Biko’s powerful words that Africa’s greatest gift to the world would be “a more human face.&rd...

Farmers battling the spread of foot-and-mouth disease have scored a major legal victory. A High Court ruling now allows farmers to vaccinate their cattle without first getting government approval. This means they can import vaccines themselves and take action to protect their livestock. Business interest organisation Sakeliga was part of the court challenge, arguing that urgent intervention was ne...

South Africa’s DNA testing crisis is once again under the spotlight. Parliament has heard that the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory division is sitting with a backlog of more than 140-thousand DNA cases — leaving thousands of rape survivors and grieving families waiting for answers and justice. Now, calls are growing for the government to outsource DNA testing to qualified private labo...

Yesterday you shared your thoughts with us on whether migrants in the country should be able to access healthcare in our country. So we thought we’d follow that up today with a story on a new Immigration White Paper which government wants to introduce in regard to healthcare. Dr Rebecca Walker is from the African Centre for Migration and Society at Wits University. Guest: Doctor Rebecca Walk...

The Johannesburg mayoral race is heating up. Rise Msanzi has announced Lukhona Mnguni as their mayoral candidate. Joanne Joseph asked him about his plans for the City.   

South Africa’s military is reportedly cash-strapped. Reports say the South African National Defence Force has had to ground most of its Oryx helicopters except for one, because the fleet is old and the SANDF can’t afford the fuel to keep it in the air. Military analyst, Dean Wingrin speaks to 

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority and the South African Pharmacy Council, have swooped on a Pretoria pharmacy and shut it down, after finding it was illegally manufacturing and distributing GLP-1 drugs. Originally prescribed for diabetes, many people are now taking them for weight loss. SAHPRA’s Regulatory Compliance Manager, Mokgadi Fafudi, is with us to explain.

The Compensation Fund says it has clawed back millions lost to alleged fraud — recovering around R46 million from the more than R71 million believed to have been siphoned off over the past two financial years. But the full scale of the scandal may still be unfolding, with reports suggesting not all fraudulent activity has yet been uncovered.  GUEST: Farzana Fakir, Acting Commissioner of...

South Africa’s floral talent is blooming on the world stage. Local florists have struck gold at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in London — marking the country’s 50th appearance at the global showcase and once again putting South African creativity and biodiversity in the spotlight.  GUEST: Leon Kluge, Lead Designer of the SA team   

Co-operative Governance Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa has tabled his budget vote in Parliament, promising stronger interventions to rescue struggling municipalities. The move comes as just 41 out of South Africa’s 257 municipalities have managed to achieve clean audits — highlighting the deep crisis in local government.  GUEST: Velenkosini Hlabisa, Minister of COGTA  

Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has unveiled a major funding boost for women entrepreneurs. Launched in Kimberley, the Imbali For Her Programme channels nearly R900 million into supporting and growing women-owned businesses across the country.  Nthabeleng Mokitimi-Dlamini, Group Executive: Ecosystem and Stakeholder management at sedfa 

The African National Congress has dissolved its Eastern Cape Provincial Executive Committee after a failed provincial conference and a court interdict threw the party’s internal processes into turmoil — deepening divisions in one of the ANC’s key strongholds.  GUEST: Ongama Mtimka, Acting Director of the RaymondMahlaba Centre for governance and leadership at Nelson Mandela U...

The National Consumer Commission believes budget airline FlySafair may have broken the Consumer Protection Act by allegedly overbooking flights. The matter has now been escalated to the National Consumer Tribunal — raising serious questions about passenger rights and airline accountability.  GUEST: Hardin Ratshisusu, Acting Commissioner of the National Consumer Commission   

Johannesburg City Councillor for Weltevreden Park, David Brand speaks to Joanne Joseph about power challenges that the community has had over the past six days with City Power unable to restore electricity supply to the area.  Guest: David Brand: Ward Counsellor Weltevreden Park

Women in Cape Town who use public transport fear being victimised during they daily commute to workplaces and home. Joanne Joseph speaks to Prof Marianne Vanderschuren: from the Centre for Transport Studies at the University of Cape Town, who was part of the study. Guest: Prof Marianne Vanderschuren: from the Centre for Transport Studies at the University of Cape Town

Communities living alongside mines say they are paying the price for South Africa’s mining economy — with rising social problems, environmental damage, and little support from the government. Residents, together with civil society groups, say they’ve repeatedly raised concerns about the impact mining is having on their lives, from poor living conditions to health and safety issue...

Yesterday, we received a voice note from a listener who said a minor mistake from his youth is still haunting him years later. Despite trying to have the offence expunged from his criminal record, he’s battling to get answers and struggling to move on with his life. In a country where jobs are already scarce, a criminal record — even for a minor offence — can shut doors before yo...

Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating explosive allegations of corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system has once again asked for more time to complete its work — this time, a sixth extension. National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza has approved the request, giving the committee until the 12th of June to submit its draft report. The repeated delays are raising...

Air travel is stressful enough without landing to find your luggage cracked open, damaged, or worse — items missing. After travelling last week, our team experienced exactly that.  And for everyone affected, reporting the damage turned into a frustrating process of forms, queues, and complaints. So tonight we ask: are airlines and airports doing enough to protect passengers’ bagga...

Your financial health is important to us, which is why we have a weekly chat with financial advisor, Bryan Hirsch of Bryan Hirsch Colley and Associates. This week we're talking about the issue of relative wealth. 

For the first time publicly, King David School has spoken out about allegations of sexual abuse said to have taken place on its premises in the early 1980s. The complainant, now an adult and former student at the school, has accused two former teachers at King David High School of abusing him while he was a boarder there more than four decades ago. The case is once again shining a spotlight on his...

Yesterday, we brought you the breaking news of the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruling parts of the National Health Act unconstitutional. At the centre of the judgment was the controversial “Certificate of Need” — a policy that would have required doctors, clinics and hospitals, both public and private, to get state approval before operating in certain areas. The court re...

Water shortages are becoming one of the most frustrating realities for many South Africans — especially in Gauteng, where residents are battling repeated supply interruptions. To plug the gaps, municipalities have increasingly relied on water tankers. But that emergency solution is coming at a massive cost. Gauteng Infrastructure Development MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, says some municipalities have...

The worsening water crisis in Gauteng is now raising serious human rights concerns. According to Independent Newspapers, Gauteng Education MEC, Lebogang Maile, has approached the South African Human Rights Commission over the ongoing shortages affecting communities and schools across the province. Maile says the lack of reliable access to water is disrupting learning and violating a basic human ri...