The Best of the Breakfast Show with Xolani Gwala

A unanimous judgment handed down by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng in the Constitutional Court on Thursday affirmed Mbete's legal authority to decide on whether to hold a secret ballot or not. Breakfast show host Xolani Gwala spoke to Political Analyst Aubrey Matshiqi  who says, “ Neither a secret ballot or an open ballot is inherently rational or irrational. A secret ballot can shield parliamentarians who want to be dishonest where there is disjuncture between what they say publicly and how they vote privately.”

On Wednesday, Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu reported limited improvements in the audit results of South Africa’s municipalities for the 2015/2016 financial year. On Wednesday, Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu reported limited improvements in the audit results of South Africa’s municipalities for the 2015/2016 financial year. On Wednesday, Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu reported limited improvements in the audit results of South Africa’s municipalities for the 2015/2016 financial year about some of the positive outcomes in the report.

Chief Economist at the Chamber of Mines Roger Baxter says improper negotiations over a new Mining Charter tabled by Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane last week could affect investor confidence. The organisation met with an African National Congress (ANC) delegation to discuss its concerns on Tuesday. Baxter says “ We need a charter which actually reflects an outcome of a properly negotiated process where all stakeholders can defend and believe in the charter that has come out”

On Monday Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane said that Absa bank and its predecessor Bankorp unduly benefited and that the Special Investigating Unit would have to recover the funds. Absa now says there are numerous inaccuracies in the report. Songezo Zibi, spokesperson Barclays Africa Group Limited says “There are numerous misrepresentations and factual inaccuracies which are used as the basis for its findings”

Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane in her report, has recommended the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) should recover public funds to the tune of R1.125 billion from the apartheid era.  Speaking to Xolani Gwala on the Breakfast show she says she is not surprised by the expert reactions and currency markets following her final report that Absa bank and its predecessor Bankorp unduly benefited from an apartheid-era Reserve Bank bailout.

While low-level human traffickers have been convicted in South Africa, high-level human trafficking syndicates have never been prosecuted in the country. This is despite the country being identified as a human trafficking hotspot. Xolani Gwala spoke to Marcel Van der Watt, Human Traffic Incident Manager at the National Freedom Network who explained the extent of human trafficking in SA, as well as the challenges faced in dealing with the scourge.

In its new policy on HIV, the basic education department says parents and staff can no longer keep condoms out of schools and that roving health department teams or other qualified health workers will provide sexual and reproductive health services to pupils.

Dr. Amir Shroufi, South Africa Medical Coordinator at Doctors without Borders says “there is no correlation between condom access and promoting sex”

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says it is not compulsory for parents to take their children to school on today amidst the taxi strike that caused chaos on Joburg's major routes. He says for those that are writing their mid-year exams will not be disadvantaged because they did not come to school. Exam dates will be rescheduled to suit everyone.

Thousands of commuters in Johannesburg, Midrand and Tshwane have been left stranded as taxis embark on a strike blocking main routes. Some commuters report being forcefully taken off buses while traveling to work by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) members. Chief Operating Officer of Taxi Choice (Business arm of Santaco), Thulani Qwabe says it was not part of the association's plan to blockade the roads and cause chaos.

On Tuesday the Competition Commission confirmed its launched an investigation into pharmaceutical companies, including Aspen, Pfizer and Roche for their suspected excessive pricing of life saving cancer medication. Xolani Gwala spoke to a Member of the Cancer Alliance (Part of the Fix the Patent Laws Coalition) Salome Meye who says “ We also have knowledge of other drugs and other companies that we will take to the competition commission to investigate”.