Afternoon Drive with John Maytham

We were overwhelmed on the show yesterday by queries from listeners having trouble with or questions about the vaccination registration process.

Premier Alan Winde answered as many of them as he had time for, but there were many that remained.

So we're joined now by Dr. Saadiq Kariem, Chief Operations Officer at the Western Cape Department of Health to answer a few more.

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We speak to Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, for an update on the Covid-19 situation and the vaccination roll-out in the province.

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It's day 399 of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture which continues in Johannesburg.

Today, it continued to hear State Security Agency-related evidence from two unidentified witnesses and is due to receive Gupta-related testimony from Nomachule Gigaba.

To find out what has been happening this week, we're joined by EWN's Nthakoana 

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Mike reviewed two non-fiction books:

SPOR: A history of ancient Rome by Mary Beard

The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company by William Dalrymple

 

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The Independent Electoral Commission held a press conference this afternoon to make an announcement about whether the current conditions were conducive to holding free and fair local government elections in October.

There has been strong opposition from some political parties who say the pandemic will make it difficult for electioneering and voting to take place.

EWN's Theto Mahlakoana is following the story.

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There has been anecdotal evidence of shortages of gas in Cape Town as the city experiences its first real bout of winter weather.

To find out how the supply chain works and if there is a problem, we speak to Avhapfani Tshifularo, Executive Director of the SA Petroleum Industry Association.

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A new study from North Carolina State University in the United States suggests that snacking late at night may impair your performance at work the next day.

It found that unhealthy eating or drinking before going to bed resulted in negative physical consequences the next day including headaches, diarrhoea, and stomach aches. This, researchers found, led to a negative impact on people's mental or emotional state which influenced their performance in the office.

We speak to Salome Kruger, a professor of nutrition at North-West University's Centre of Excellence for Nutrition

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The Democratic Alliance says the government’s slow vaccine roll-out is to blame for the need to suspend school contact sports.

It says the positive impact of school sport on children should not be underestimated and adds that the Department of Education should ensure that teachers are in line to receive the vaccinations.

We speak to the party's shadow minister of Basic Education, Baxolile Nodada.

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The Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association, which represents 6,000 primary care doctors in the city, has called for the Olympics to be cancelled. The international event is due to take place from 23 July to 8 August in the Japanese capital.

In an open letter to the prime minister, the Association says the country's Covid-19 cases are surging and hospitals and doctors "have almost no spare capacity".

So what are the chances of the Games going ahead, and how many countries may send their teams? We speak to the Daily Maverick's sports editor, Craig Ray, for his view.

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The Department of Basic Education has announced that all contact sports at schools are to be suspended with immediate effect.

It goes on to say that non-contact sports training can continue provided that all social distancing, hygiene, and safety measures are observed and that there is no physical contact between participants.

The department says this is because it appears that, despite following safety protocols, contact sports events still contribute to the spread of the virus.

It adds that it will continue to monitor the situation.

We get comment from Tygerberg Hospital paediatrician, Dr Mark Cotton.

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