The National Pulse

Today on Beyond we look at the role of the Technology Innovation Agency, an agency of the Department of Science and Innovation. How does the agency help people with ideas and innovation turn them into reality, commercialization of technologies from universities and SMES. How does it stimulate and intensify technological innovation and improve economic growth. We will hear about financing of ideas,...

Be wary of making "vexatious or frivolous land claims". This as a recent court ruling set a precedent that the state or its lawyers are responsible for the costs of baseless land claims. Land owners now have the right to request a court to award costs orders against the state or its legal representatives. Guest: Annelize Crosby, head of Agri SA's Centre of Excellence on Land

We move to the Eastern Cape now as we speak to MEC Fezeka Nkomonye about the first virtual National Arts Festival which has been extended by the way just in case you didn’t know. We are told the festival is proceeding pretty well as it has not only made it possible for struggling artists and crafters who have had no source of income for the past four months to put food on the table, but also expos...

About three hours ago, the eThekwini Municipality in partnership with Vodacom Durban July and Gold Circle held a panel discussion on how to revive the tourism and hospitality sector especially now during Covid19 and if you ask me it’s all about reminding you about that exciting travel experience that the city of Durban has to offer through its attractions. This campaign they call it, the Durban Vi...

World News today: Agnes Callamard, UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary execution has accused the US of having broken international law by assassinating Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Soleimani who was the head of the elite Quds Force branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed by a US drone strike near an airport in Baghdad, Iraq on January 3 this year. G...

Wendy Alberts gives us an update with regards to restaurants’ fight with the ministry of trade and industry. At variance here is the issue of liquor license and they want government to give them clarity on why the selling of alcohol at restaurants remains prohibited. Guest: Wendy Alberts, CEO of the Restaurants Association of South Africa

Have you ever wondered as to what it is that makes the people of this country South African? Well in case you didn’t, we are now joined by Ms Shamiso Hlatshwayo, Research Manager At Brand South Africa who will explain what exactly shapes the behaviours and thoughts people have of themselves, the country and fellow citizens. This as you might recall that Brand SA regularly gathers research input on...

Labour and Employment Minister Thulas Nxesi says government is looking at publishing regulations to introduce a quota system for the employment of foreign nationals in South Africa. The issue resurfaced following unrest in the trucking industry over the use of foreign drivers. This comes as South Africa's unemployment rate continues to rise due to the coronavirus pandemic. GUEST: Gary Eisenberg, a...

South African Funeral Parlour Association (Safpa) say funerals parlours in the Eastern Cape are running out of storage facilities as morgues were full of corpses. This as the province continues to see a spike in Covid-19 Infections and deaths. Concerned Parlour owners have written to Premier Oscar Mabuyane for assistance in alleviating the backlog... Guest: Vuyo Mabindisa, Spokesperson for the Sou...

Can The Next Pandemic Be from Your Livestock? Did you know that the last three if not four pandemics that have hit the world came as a result of animal to human transmissions? According to a study by the United Nations (UN), over 60% of diseases affecting humans originated from animals. It further states that global outbreaks like COVID-19 will become more common and increasingly prevalent if coun...

On World News today we ask, what’s behind Ethiopia’s ethnic violence? We ask this question following the murder of a popular singer Hachalu Hundessa who was from the Oromo ethnic group. Some reports coming from the country suggest that many Oromo people saw Hachalu as the voice of their marginalisation hence they embarked on protests post his death. Guest: Professor Mammo Muchie, Research Chair, D...

We dissect Stats SA’s Mid-year population estimates: According to the report released by Statistics South Africa today - South Africa’s mid-year population is estimated to have increased to 59,62 million in 2020. The report indicates that approximately 51,1% (approximately 30,5 million) of the population is female. Guest: Mr Iturralde Diego, Chief Director responsible for demographic and populatio...

The World Health Organization, WHO says it is reviewing new evidence on whether Covid-19 is airborne. The WHO's remarks come after 239 scientists from 32 different countries published an open letter to the organization calling for them to update their information on the coronavirus. Speaking at Tuesday's briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, Benedetta Allegranzi, WHO's technical lead for infection prev...

The South African Municipal Workers' Union (SAMWU) is calling for greater compliance after the death of 63 municipal workers due to Covid-19. The Union says 4571 municipal workers have also tested positive for the coronavirus. In the same breath, service delivery in the City of Johannesburg has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Guest: Nelson Mokgotho, 1st Deputy President of the Sou...

We remember ANC KZN spokesperson and former KwaDukuza mayor Ricardo Mthembu who passed away this morning, reportedly from complications linked to Covid-19 Guest: Mdumiseni Ntuli, Provincial Secretary of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal

Eskom has named four contractors linked to the Four-billion-Rand Kusile overpayment. The power utility says construction companies ABB South Africa, Stefanutti Stocks and Basil Read Joint Venture, as well as Tubular Construction Projects are the contractors that benefited from overpayments totaling four billion in the construction of Kusile power station. Guest: Eskom spokesperson, Sikonathi Mants...

Today, Vodacom is launching a campaign called Be the light to call everyone’s attention to the scourge of gender violence and appeal to South African men to become change agents and play an active role in ridding our society of gender violence. Recently technology was also integrated so that victims of gender based violence in the deaf community can also reach out for help. Guest: Ms Takalani Nets...

Truck drivers are threatening to continue with their national shut down if government fails to resolve their grievances. This after local truck drivers blockaded the M2 freeway at the Joe Slovo Drive off-ramp in Johannesburg in protest against transport companies employing foreign nationals as drivers instead of South Africans. Guest: Edward Muchatuta, who is a foreign truck driver Guest: Anonymou...

SANDF members are accused of killing a 37-year-old man in Dingledale, Bushbuckridge. It is alleged that the soldiers who were on patrol ordered a group of people to disperse. Apparently, the deceased who was sitting in a car with his girlfriend didn't immediately leave and the soldiers wrestled with him before shooting him in the back. We extended an invite to SANDF, they said they're not commenti...

SARS Tax Season: The South African Revenue Service will automatically assess 3 million South Africans tax returns from the 1st of August this year. This means that SARS will assess and complete taxpayers' tax returns with information obtained from employers, banks, medical schemes and retirement annuities. To explain why things are going to be done differently this year is…. Guest: Edward Kieswett...

South Africa’s Health Ombud, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, has been invited by the United States government to serve on a 12-member expert panel of the data and safety monitoring board for the first Covid19 vaccine clinical trials. Makgoba joins us now to discuss his new appointment. Guest: Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, Health Ombud

What is the Canine Parvovirus and how dangerous is it? The NSPCA has warned dog owners to look out for symptoms including diarrhoea, listlessness, loss of appetite and lethargy in their dogs and seek treatment immediately as the Canine Parvovirus is spreading fast across the country. Guest: Meg Wilson, NSPCA Spokesperson

Parliament's committees of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and of the Select Committee on Health and Social Services have shortlisted 30 candidates to be interviewed to fill vacancies on the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) board. Former president Jacob Zuma's daughter Thuthukile has also been nominated to fill a vacancy on the board. On Both Sides of...

The OR Tambo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape is facing fraud and corruption allegations amid the COVID-19 lockdown. R170 million was allegedly paid to a Bulk Water Service provider without any work having been done in exchange. And more than R4 million worth of invoices were allegedly submitted to the office of the municipal manager for signing off for work related to COVID-19 door-to-do...

As the reality of COVID 19 begins to take effect, more people test positive and many other South Africans succumb to the virus - the focus now shifts to our health care facilities - especially public hospitals. Can the public health sector cope with the numbers? Already we have heard reports that in Gauteng hospitals were full already - but that was quickly dismissed by the MEC for Health in the P...