NIGHT FALL

Guest: Chairperson of the South African Local Government Association in KwaZulu-Natal Cllr Thamsanqa Ntuli

Guest: Prof Ntsikelelo Breakfast, Political analyst at Nelson Mandela University

Guest: Lebogang Ramafoko - Executive Director - Oxfam

South Africa’s national Health Department has raised concerns following the increasing rate of teenage pregnancies across the country. It has been recorded that over 145 teenagers have given birth in public hospitals on Christmas Day alone, while just over 1,700 babies were delivered.
More than 100,000 adolescent girls give birth in South Africa each year. Under South African law, a pregnant or teenage mother can continue her schooling through and after her pregnancy, but unfortunately due to lack of support or socio economic issues, many drop out of school….

Guest: Dalene Sechele-Manana, HR Director of Mercantile Bank

Burnout is well-recognised for its negative effects on a person's life and wellbeing, but less well-known is boreout - another sub-optimal state that is prevalent in workplaces and characterised by low motivation, low challenge, and low interest. It usually results from having too little to do, too little autonomy, or too few opportunities to use one's skills and passions in a way that helps you live up to your full potential at work.

Guest: Kwezi Mngqibisa, a senior research fellow at the University of Johannesburg

The Democratic Republic of Congo's Independent National Electoral Commission has published the preliminary election results. The first session focused solely on the diaspora vote by Congolese in South Africa, the United States, Canada, Belgium and France. Only 5,300 of the expected 11,000 voters turned out at the polls, with incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi taking lead followed by opponent Moise Katumbi.

Guest:Buyisile Mncina-Clinical Psychologist

Seasonal depression or SAD is a type of depression that happens during a certain season of the year—most often fall and winter. According to Experts, there is no clear cause for it

Guest: Na'eem Jeenah - Senior Researcher at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) 

Today marks 80 days since the start of the Israel and Palestine war. As people around the world celebrate Christmas day, the people of Israel and Palestine are reeling from the war stricken country. Israeli forces have killed some 8,000 Palestinian fighters in the Gaza war. Meanwhile United States President Joe Biden says he did not ask Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in a telephone call between the two leaders

Guest: Guest: Robert Mulaudzi - Spokesperson of the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, Trained Fire Fighter/EMT

In preparation for the festive season, the Department of Health has intensified Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with over 1 540 ambulances deployed across the country’s major routes and strategic points and hotspots. 

According to the department, this move aims to accelerate a turnaround time for emergency medical response during the festive season, a period associated with a high demand for emergency medical services.

Guest: Dr Corrin Varady - CEO of IDEA

Classroom demand for 2024 exceeds available space at schools across South Africa. Of concern is that school infrastructure allocations have been slashed. This, even as over 400,000 children with special needs,  are said to not in school due to inadequate accommodation caused by overcrowding and a lack of one-on-one attention from educators. 

Dr Varady, my next guest, urges the Government to offer virtual schools and virtual school models to remedy the situation and provide more democratised learning.
He has outlined a proactive approach – looking to technology as an immediate solution to support educators, he joins us this evening to share this approach. 

Guest: Susan Tolmay is the governance and justice manager at Gender Links 

Guest: Gugu Dlamini Xulu - African Transformation Movement (ATM) Women's League National Spolesperson