Afternoon Drive with John Maytham

Guest: Ferial Haffajee | Associate Editor  at Daily Maverick 

The country's top court has sentenced former president Jacob Zuma to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after defying an order to appear before the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture. Constitutional Court judge Sisi Khampepe  said Zuma had been served with an order to appear before the Commission, and therefore knew exactly what was required of him and the consequences of his actions. She said the former president had willfully defied this order, adding that there was “no sound basis” for Zuma to claim that he was being unfairly treated. The Court ruled that the former president must hand himself over to police at either Nkandla police station or Johannesburg Central within 5 days to commence serving his sentence. As the Constitutional Court is South Africa's highest court,  Zuma cannot appeal the ruling through the national judicial system.

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Guest: Dr Lee Berger

Scientists in China have unveiled a skull that is about 146,000 years old and which they believe could belong to a new species of human that is our closest evolutionary relative.

Experts are saying the Dragon Man, as it is being called, is an incredible find and rewrites what we know about our lineage as a species, as well as the history of humanity. 

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Guest: JP Smith | Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security at City of Cape Town

A listener wrote in to the show saying he's recently noticed an increase in the number of livestock herds, often unattended, along the N2 from the R300 to Somerset  West.

In some cases, the animals have even been grazing on the island in the middle of the highway. He asked when the authorities are going to do something about this very dangerous, not to mention illegal, situation.

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Guest: Ebrahim Fakir - Director of Programmes at the Auwal Socio-Economic Research Institute.

A commission of inquiry, established to determine whether it will be possible to hold free and fair local government elections during Covid-19, will this week hear arguments for and against their postponement.

 The polls are due to take place in October.

 

Political parties, civil society organisations and medical experts are among those who will be making submissions to the inquiry, which is headed by retired Judge Dikgang Moseneke.

 

It will also be inviting the Independent Electoral Commission, the Department of Health and the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19 to make oral submissions. 

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Guest: Dr Konrad van Staden about the Resurgence Through Nature giveaway.

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Guest: Caroline Marx

Yesterday, the City of Cape Town announced that it was temporarily closing Rietvlei for any recreational activities because of a deterioration of the water quality.

It says it is currently trying to determine the cause of the pollution and that the vlei will remain closed until testing confirms it is safe to use again.

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Guest: Dr Keith Cloete | Head of Health at Western Cape Department Of Health

Yesterday, the City of Cape Town announced that it was temporarily closing Rietvlei for any recreational activities because of a deterioration of the water quality.

It says it is currently trying to determine the cause of the pollution and that the vlei will remain closed until testing confirms it is safe to use again.

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Guest: Julia Wood

The City of Cape Town says it has reintroduced for a trial period of 6 months the use of paintball markers as an aversion tool in areas on the Cape Peninsula that are adjacent to baboon troops’ natural habitat. Use of the markers resumed last Friday with ongoing oversight by CapeNature and the Cape of Good Hope SPCA. The city adds that its guidelines for the management of a sustainable baboon population on the peninsula is being reviewed, under the guidance of the two organisations, and together with other stakeholders.

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Guest: Prof Wahbie Long, an associate professor and clinical psychologist in UCT's Department of Psychology, about his book, "Nation on the Couch".

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Guest: Karyn Maughan

The Constitutional Court says it will hand down judgment tomorrow morning in the state capture commission’s contempt of court case against former President Jacob Zuma.

 

The Zondo Commission approached the country's top court after Zuma defied its earlier ruling that he should appear before the inquiry and cooperate with its processes.

The news comes as the Gauteng High Court today ruled that the Commission could have another 3 months to complete its investigation into state capture. 

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