Afternoon Drive with John Maytham

Guest: Reagen Allen | National Management Committee Member at Da Youth

At Grassy Park police station, a total of 31 detectives each carry a case load of about 250 dockets, with a ratio of about 1 379 residents per police officer.

 Reagen Allen, the DA spokesperson on community safety, joins us to discuss the reasons for a drastic shortage of police officials at a well-known crime hot spot as well as the urgent solutions that must be implemented. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Zelt Marais

Zelt Marais will join Mike on the Afternoon Drive to contribute to a constructive discussion about the issues currently facing the state of Western Province Rugby after Ebrahim Rasool brought a number of relevant issues forward yesterday afternoon.

This past Saturday, Western Province Professional Rugby chairperson Ebrahim Rasool published an open letter in which he criticised the “megalomania” that has defined Marais’ tenure.

  A vote of no confidence against Western Province Rugby Football Union president Zelt Marais did not take place as Monday night’s meeting reportedly fell apart.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Sean Mendis

Tomorrow is the official day that the national carrier, South African Airways, will be taking to the skies once again.

It’s almost a year and a half after being grounded due to the pandemic and the business rescue process.

It will kick off with three daily flights to its most popular destination - Cape Town.

We speak to Sean Mendis, an airline executive and consultant with nearly 2 decades of experience in African aviation, about how sustainable he thinks the relaunch will be.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Liz McDaid | founder member  at The Green Connection

Despite an ongoing legal fight and environmental concerns, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) on Tuesday approved three generation licences for floating powership provider Karpowership SA. 

The Environmental group 'the Green Connection' has responded by saying that the organization is likely to institute legal action against the Karpowership.  The organization's strategic lead, Liz McDaid, has described the decision as "flawed." She will join Mike Wills to explain her view and to assess the decision and its implications. 

Liz McDaid is a South African activist who is the "Eco-Justice Lead" for the Southern African Faith Communities' Environment Institute.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Stella Fleetwood, Service Line Lead at Ipsos

The pandemic will undoubtedly find increased resolve over time, but it does not seem that we will return to full-time commuting and packed office buildings. 

The IPSOS Mori Market Research Organization has conducted a recent study into the ways in which the definition of an ideal work environment has changed. 

Their study has shown that the majority of those working from home are not finding working from home challenging, but many miss their co-workers and technology.

A survey of employed adults in 29 countries for the World Economic Forum finds one in four now working from home more often than before the pandemic. The preference is for working remotely half of the time after it is over.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Cassey Chambers | Operations Manager  at South African Depression and Anxiety Group

In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, mental health is one of the greatest casualties of the universalization of insecurity, uncertainty, hunger and hopelessness. 

The numbers tell us that suicide has reached record rates in South Africa. The empty space left by the people whos lives have been stolen - and the tragedy felt by those that are left behind - is where that reality exists. 

Cassey Chambers is The NGO, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group. She will discuss the South African context, the particular symptoms of the tragedy that our society faces, the potential causes and hopeful solutions. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Shakira  Akabor, Postdoctoral Research Fellow  at University of South Africa

OMNY:

Shakira Akabor conducted a study aimed to assess the degree to which the school reward programmes system of recognizing hard work and scholastic achievements is the most effective by which to motivate learners to achieve.  She conducted the study with a total of 141 participants at two high schools in Gauteng. Her findings confirmed her thesis that the current rewards system was inconsistent with the aims of inclusive education. Schools should revisit the ways in which learners are encouraged to achieve.

Shakira Akabor is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of South Africa. Her research interests are on the ways in which we can include rather than exclude learners in the classroom. I am especially passionate about reducing competitiveness in classrooms and increasing opportunities for all learners to develop and learn to their full potential. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Ebrahim Rasool | Chair at Western Province Rugby Union Football Union (WPRFU)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Sarah Jackson

The former Rwandan hotel manager who is credited with saving the lives of over a thousand Tutsis during the 1994 genocide in that country, has been found guilty of 'terrorism' and sentenced to 25 years in jail.

Paul Rusesabagina, whose heroics were portrayed in the 2004 film, "Hotel Rwanda", was found guilty of backing a rebel group that was behind a series of deadly attacks in 2018 and 2019.

But rights groups, including Amnesty International, his family, and governments around the world have said that Rusesabagina, who is a vocal critic of President Paul Kagame, did not receive a fair trial.

He boycotted  yesterday's verdict saying he did not expect justice in a process he described as a “sham”.

Amnesty says it had noted numerous fair trial violations, including his arrest under false pretenses and unlawful transfer to Rwanda, enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention following his rendition to Kigali.

We speak to Sarah Jackson, the organisation's Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Babalo Ndenze | Parliamentary Correspondent at EWN

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.