The National Pulse

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...

We look at the relationship between Non-Communicable diseases and COVID-19 as well as the link between food and health – including how current policies affect systems and access to healthy food. This given the fact that many people who have succumbed to the virus presented with multiple co-morbidities – the majority being Non-Communicable diseases. Guest: Lawrence Mbalati, Programme Manager @ Heal...

Following the phasing in of extra grades, we hear from the South African Democratic Teachers' Union who even pre the announcement of the return date had expressed concerns that many schools were still struggling with water, ablution facilities and space to exercise social distancing Guest: Mugwena Maluleke, General Secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu)

Last week, the Progressive Student Movement threatened to shut down schools as from today if the department of education continued with its phased in approach to allow more grades to return to school. They insisted that the decision to send more kids back to school was premature. Today we speak to them to find out if their shutdown campaign was a success…. Guest: Kabelo Nthekiso, President General...

Today on Beyond Innovation we are in conversation Bojane Segooa, an academic, social entrepreneur, independent non-executive director and Chartered Accountant registered with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). She founded Innovation Africa Holdings - and one of the company’s flagship and leading product is a career guidance teacher training software that operates as a co...

The Congress of South African Trade Unions is calling for all public sector workers who perform essential services to receive risk allowances. Earlier Cosatu was picketing outside the KwaZulu Natal treasury offices. They are also demanding for package increments negotiated earlier with government. Guest: Sizwe Pamla – Spokesperson for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu)

Meanwhile the Minister of Human Settlements, Lindiwe Sisulu, says she is appalled by the victimization and abuse of residents of Empolweni in Khayelitsha, by Cape Town law enforcement officers. She says the barbaric eviction of a resident, humiliated as he fought for his basic right to shelter, is unconscionable. Four law enforcement officials have been suspended for manhandling a naked man during...

Did the City of Cape Town break the law with the eviction of residents of Empolweni in Khayelitsha? We now speak to the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI), who are challenging the Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation to halt evictions and the demolition of any structure which has been or is being constructed for the purposes of residential occupation... Guest:...

The SABC has launched a new editorial policy. The national broadcaster's CEO Madoda Mxakwe says the new Editorial Policies launched today aim to protect editorial processes and journalists at the public broadcaster. The policy launch follows a three year consultation process to review policies in the organisation after wide-spread allegations of editorial interference during the tenure of Hlaudi M...

National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) intends to disburse funds via direct payments into bank accounts of students, instead of the Wallet or institutional disbursement that has been happening previously. This in an effort to stop fraudulent activity… Guest: Dr Randall Carolissen - The administrator for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)

NGO's - Sonke Gender Justice, Gun Free SA and others held a webinar to discuss a civil society campaign to lobby for a "new normal" in which alcohol availability is permanently reduced as a way of preventing alcohol-related harm, especially interpersonal violence, domestic violence, gender-based violence and Femicide. Since 18 March, availability of alcohol has been limited under the State of Disa...

The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has passed the Civil Union Amendment Bill. The Bill prohibits marriage officers from objecting to marrying same-sex couples. Various organisations including Freedom of Religion South Africa made submissions to highlight the practical, alternative solutions to the problems identified, which would not require anyone to violate their conscience, religion and b...

The South African National Editors Forum has launched a relief fund for journalists who have lost their income due to the effects of the coronavirus. Two major publishing companies, Caxton Magazine Division and Associated Media Publishing closed their operations two months ago. SANEF says other smaller companies have also shut their doors in recent months leaving 700 people unemployed. Guest: Dr....

Zimbabwe Nurses' Association is calling on its members to boycott work, arguing that salaries that they earn currently can no longer meet their basic needs. The association, which represents roughly 15 000 state nurses, say they earn slave wages and that nurses in the country have been turned into paupers. Guest: Enock Dongo, President of the Zimbabwe Nurses Association