Open, honest communication is important for healthy relationships.

For many parents – making sure our children feel loved and cared for is of utmost importance and we try and communicate this through various ways – hugs, gifts, quality time.

We want our children to know that they mean the world to us.

But what if you could not communicate this to your child? What if all of the usual channels of communication failed?

Pippa chats to Carolyn Hepburn | Film Producer at Motto Pictures

Pippa chats to Val Kadalie | CEO at Cape Town City Mission on the winter packs being donated to people affected by the storm.

Charlotte Powell, Kevin Brandt | Reporter at EWN  and Deidre Davids | Communications and brand manager at ACSA Cape Town also join in on the conversation.

Pippa chats to Executive Director at Section27 - Mark Heywood

A man who has spent most of his adult life fighting battles for social justice. From access to antiretrovirals to textbook deliveries and school toilets, activist Mark Heywood has helped achieve some historic victories in real David and Goliath-type battles – notably with the Treatment Action Campaign and more recently with Section 27 and the Save South Africa campaign.

Where he found the time to write a book in between all this, I am not quite sure, but write it he has – his new memoir is called Get up! Stand Up1 – Personal journeys towards social justice. Welcome to the show Mark.

Pippa chats to Shoprite marketing manager Niel.

Pippa chats to Paul Searle - Founder at Paul Andrew Searle Art.

Pippa chats to Jessica Shelver, spokesperson for Debbie Schaefer – Western Cape MEC for Education

We’ve been warned all week that a mother of all storms is headed our way and a strong cold front will lash the City starting this evening and building up until tomorrow.

Heavy rains and gale force winds are expected and Local Government and Environmental Affairs spokesperson James-Brent Styan told EWN this morning that disaster management measures are in place with air force on standby.  

With the situation looking so dire – will schools be open tomorrow? Or should children in certain areas rather stay at home? What preparations should parents make for tomorrow?

The Western Cape Education met this morning to discuss the severity of the storm and the steps taken to ensure the safety of children in the province.

Pippa chats to Dr. Shaheem De Vries, director for Western Cape Government Health Emergency Medical Services

Imagine you’re in an emergency – car accident, home intrusion, or your loved one has suffered a stroke or heart attack.  You’re obviously anxious, scared and a little frazzled. There’s lots of adrenaline pumping through your veins.

Somehow through all the panic you manage to remember the emergency number, get your hands to stop shaking and calmly dial 107. Someone answers.

In an ideal world – devoid of panicked emotions, wobbly speech and confusion – an emergency call would run smoothly and help will be dispatched to you quickly.

This is not always the case of course.  Having heard the chilling Van Breda call, many of our listeners have voiced concern about the quality of the response, and whether they can trust in the service going forward.

We’ve also previously had several callers questioning the level of technology in use and whether the service is working off outdated systems.

The director for Western Cape Government Health Emergency Medical Services, Dr Shaheem de Vries joins us on air now for more emergency call etiquette.

Welcome to the show Dr de Vries…

Additional information

Van Breda's call to City of Cape Town emergency dispatcher Janine Philander began at 7.12am on January 27‚ 2015‚ and ended at 7.37. The call was 25 minutes long.

On Tuesday‚ Philander said the call centre received around 100 calls a day.

Philander told the court she had been convinced it was a prank call because Van Breda was so calm.

Pippa chats to Marketing Manager at The Wedding Group Janet Gericke.

Pippa chats to Lavender Hill residents Sheila Jacobs, Naima Moses and Kim Pillay of the New World Foundation which was the driving force behind this book.

We have 3 survivors of domestic abuse in studio who recently put pen to paper to tell their stories The result is a book called #WomenSurvivingLavenderHill – a book that bears harsh testimony to the social ills plaguing this community, and to the stigma, suffering and lack of justice that is sadly a reality for too many women.

Pippa spoke to Ashley van der Hoven - Actress on Cut Out Girls on her new film