Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit

Many people enjoy travelling and to experience activities that are on offer, but don’t take the plunge because they’re not in optimum physical condition or lack the courage to take part in an adrenalin-fuelled adventure. John Maytham speaks to Kirsty Bissett, MD of HaveYouHeard Marketing, about soft adventuring, where tourists can experience enriching recreational activities without the associated fitness requirements, training, skill, experience, or courage. 

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John Maytham spoke with Marco Morgan, an urban planner with GROWZA Think Tank, in response to a listener’s query about Cape Town’s traffic congestion and the redevelopment of Bellville as a secondary CBD. GROWZA, a South African non-profit, works to align African growth opportunities with global resources, aiming to drive social progress through community investments aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Marco shared insights on how redeveloping Bellville could decentralize business activity, reduce congestion into Cape Town, and bring much-needed innovation to the city’s urban planning. He pointed to examples of successful urban re-imagining in other cities and discussed how Bellville’s revitalization could help ease traffic pressure while enhancing economic and social dynamics.

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Aid issues in Gaza as Israel bans U.N. relief agency; NATO confirms presence of North Korean soldiers; vocals from beyond the grave – a new song from Liam Payne. Adam Gilchrist shares details on these stories with John Maytham.

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According to the INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard of 2023, Cape Town has the worst traffic congestion in South Africa, with the average driver delayed by 83 hours over the course of a year. The cities ranked worse than Cape Town are much bigger in terms of population and size, so this is clearly an issue which needs to be addressed considering the projected growth of Cape Town. In today’s panel discussion John Maytham speaks to Professor Johann Andersen, Adjunct Professor of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, Intelligent Transportation Systems at the Department of Civil Engineering at Stellenbosch University, and to Neil Slingers, Director: Transport Planning and Network Management, City of Cape Town.

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John Maytham speaks to Bjørn Tore Larsen, Norse Atlantic's CEO, about a new route between Cape Town and Gatwick, that hopes to offer less frills and lower prices to travellers.

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John Maytham speaks to Linden Birns, the MD of Plane Talking about safety concerns at the country’s airports after the National Minister of Transport told the Air Traffic Navigation Service bosses to get their house in order ahead of the busy tourist season. This comes days after staff shortages led to a situation where Johannesburg airspace was left uncontrolled for a number of hours overnight.

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John Maytham speaks to Western Cape MEC for Mobility, Isaac Sileku, about the upgrade to the Huguenot tunnel system, where the service tunnel will be refurbished and upgraded in order to accommodate vehicular traffic, and operate alongside the existing tunnel, which will also be upgraded once the first phase of the project is completed. 

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John Maytham speaks to Marecia Damons, news reporter at GroundUp, about the big stories being featured, including the collapse of a disability grant applicant while waiting in line at SASSA office; the parliamentary hearing on Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant fraud; and the commencement of a Pretoria High Court case on SRD grants brought by #PayTheGrants and the Institute for Economic Justice.

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John Maytham spoke to Hendrik Bekker, Executive Head of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School, about the school’s aggressive recruitment drive in response to post-COVID enrollment challenges. They discussed the impact of declining student numbers on the school's financial stability and the innovative strategies being implemented to attract new talent, including the introduction of a foundation phase for girls. Hendrik emphasized the school's commitment to holistic education through music and the importance of community support to sustain this esteemed institution.

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In the UK, there are calls for a graduated driving licence to be introduced for new drivers under the age of 21, preventing them from carrying passengers of similar age for a period of six months after passing their test. John Maytham speaks to Layton Beard of the Automobile Association of South Africa.

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