Afternoon Drive with John Maytham

Last month, the government began offering Covid-19 vaccinations to adolescents aged between the ages of 12 and 17s, with a goal of reaching at least 6 million people within this age group. But some experts are suggesting that South Africa should be focusing instead on the large number of people older than 50 who are yet to be vaccinated. We speak to Prof Linda-Gail Bekker, director of the UCT-based Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation.

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Marine activists and scientists are up in arms over plans by oil giant, Shell, to carry out a seismic survey off the Wild Coast in a search for oil and gas deposits. The tests are due to get underway on the first of December and will last up to 5 months, covering 6,011km² of ocean surface. Our next guest, Dr Judy Mann, a conservation strategist at the South African Association for Marine Biological Research’s Oceanographic Research Institute says seismic surveys have a negative impact on all animals in the ocean.

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Researchers at Stellenbosch University say that South Africa's abundant sunshine means there is huge potential to harness the renewable energy source to power up electric vehicles. Their study looked at the energy requirements of electric minibus taxis on journeys within and between towns and cities across the country using GPS tracking data and a traffic simulator. And it was found that it would need that a solar installation equivalent to half a tennis court per taxi to ensure that the its daily energy requirements were met by solar supply at least half the time. The solar panels would be installed at taxi ranks and informal stopping areas. To find out more, we're joined by the lead researcher, Thinus Booysen, a professor of electrical and electronic engineering at Stellebosch University.

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Coalition talks are continuing between political parties across the country in a bid to reach deals for the governing of hung municipalities. There is less than a week to go before the end of the 14-day period within which councils have to hold their first Local Municipal Council meetings. We speak to Steven Friedman, a professor of political studies at the University of Johannesburg.

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Analysts believe that plans to allow private companies to use the country's rail system will result in a better and more reliable freight network. They say the Transnet ’s rail network has a lot of unused capacity and that the move by government to allow third-party operators in the sector will ease pressure on South Africa’s roads.

The African Rail Industry Association estimates that some 58 million tonnes of freight will move from road to rail transport when this is finally permitted. We speak to James Holley, the CEO of Traxtion a railway service company.

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Do you still send out Christmas cards? With just over a month to go until the 25 December, is it too late to send that once a year mail to aunties and cousins and friends across the country and abroad. And with the Post Office in disarray, can they arrive on time. The state-owned entity owes the SA Revenue Service millions of rands for taxes relating to salary payments and its CEO on Tuesday told Parliament it needs an R8 billion bailout.

We speak to Nombulelo Ngubane, the Post Office's regional manager for the Eastern and Western Cape.

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Guest: Professor Diana Hardie

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Guest: Qaanitah Hunter | Political Editor at News24

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Guest: Dr. Katrin Ludynia explains to John the reasons that researchers and locals alike are raising strong concerns about the largely unregulated interaction with these wild animals, particularly over their moulting period which is also peak tourist season: November to January. 

During this time, the birds stay ashore for up to 21 days to shed and regrow their protective feathers. This is when the birds are “more susceptible to disturbance, as they can’t access the water to escape as they are not waterproof at that time”. 

Dr. Katrin Ludynia is a research manager at the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB).

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