A brazen matric exam cheating scandal has rocked Mpumalanga, with pupils in several schools allegedly paying teachers up to R1,500 to join WhatsApp groups on which answers were posted while exams were in session. The scandal may include five more provinces and involve 1189 learners. While the Department of Basic Education has rejected claims that the scandal has a national footprint, it will investigate what has happened in Mpumalanga as it received the tip-off on their WhatsApp national hotline.

In this hour, we look at the social implications of a pervasive cheating culture on an ailing education system on our values as a society. We also unpack whether this scandal is a reflection of our society’s dysfunction playing out in important institutions that shape the minds of the next generation. What is the relationship between education, our values and self-worth? What leads these young people to cheat? What is our responsibility when it comes to how we respond to the pervasiveness of this conduct in society?

Guest: Prof. Mary Metcalfe - Professor of Practice at the University of Johannesburg

Guest: Saego Maapola - Educational Psychologist

Earlier this week, the United Nations commemorated Universal Health Coverage Day calling on leaders to make smarter health investments to ensure adequate access to Healthcare services. This year's theme is building the world we want: A healthy future for all.

Our next guest has written a report on how South Africa can strengthen its Healthcare system through the lessons it has learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. With a specific focus on primary Healthcare, the report highlights various areas of practice including testing and diagnosis for COVID-19 versus other disease such as TB, cholesterol, HIV/AIDS and diabetes. We are joined by…

Guest: Russell Rensburg - Executive Director of Rural Health Advocacy Project

On Friday last week, Dr Zulu Mathabo-Zulu gave a lecture at the University of KwaZulu-Natal entitled: Conceptualisation of Indigenous Knowledge & Historiography: African Cosmology and Philosophy. He is of the view that African knowledge systems are presently subjected to a plethora of clutches of Eurocentric treatment intended to deny; to deface

and to erase the rightful indigenous historiography using the ambient vestiges of the Euro-Christian Colonialism. He now joins us on the line to talk about what he believes is behind this and how do we fix it…

Guest: Dr Zulu Mathabo-Zulu - Research Scientist and Director: Madisebo University Research institute

The story that has dominated the year as we know it has been the elective congress for the governing party. Our timelines and newsfeed have followed the wall-to-wall coverage of the contenders for the top six positions. This week, a group of disgruntled delegates have challenged the nomination committee and may even take the party to court on the list. On the side-lines, the delegates will also see the delegates of the African National Congress finalize policy resolutions emanating from the Policy Conference that may become part of the 2024 election manifesto. At stake, the ANC’s policy credibility as it has lost just over 15-percentage points in voter support since the dawn of democracy and is in danger of losing 50% majority.

Guest: Lukhanyo Vangqa - Political Analyst

Guest: Zama Ntshona  ATM communications manager 

Last week Friday the 9th of December marked 40 years since the Maseru Massacre and we thought to reflect on it this morning. This was one of the bloodiest cross-border raids by the then South African Defence Force, year after a similar raid in Matola, Mozambique. It was in the early hours of the morning when the apartheid forces stormed the Lesotho capital targeting houses where ANC members were staying in exile. 42 of them and locals were killed among them were five women and two children. We’ve invited two survivors of that massacre to relate the story from personal experience. As we welcome...

Guest: Pumlani Kubukeli - Survivor of the massacre and former guerrilla commander for MK

Guest: Manyano Ondala – Survivor of the massacre (Was 15 at the time)

Over the weekend, the world commemorated International Human Rights Day and our focus in this morning's Chapter Nine institution works specifically in protecting and promoting the human rights enshrined in our constitution. However, our country has faced many challenges in the new democratic dispensation when it comes to ensuring that all South Africans feeling that their rights

are respected. In the past year, there have been a rise in human rights violations at various levels within our communities. This morning, we unpack almost 30 years of the nation's human rights tradition and the role of the SAHRC to implement its mandate whilst fostering social cohesion in a complex society. We are joined by...

Guest: Prof. Bongani Majola - SAHRC Chairperson

Guest: Yasmin Sooka - Human Rights Lawyer, TRC Commissioner and Executive Director of Foundation for Human Rights

Guest: Dr. Dale McKinley - Founding Member of the Right to Know campaign and independent political analyst

Beatenberg is a South African pop band formed in Cape Town, South Africa in 2008. The group is known for its style of pop that is influenced by jazz, classical, world and electronic music. Beatenberg became famous with their chart topping single 'Pluto (Remember You)', a collaboration with renowned house producer DJ Clock. The single 'Pluto (Remember You)' was the #1 most popular song on South African radio for over 15 consecutive weeks in 2014. Since then, Beatenberg has worked alongside Mumford and Son, Msaki and Tresor. The band recently returned from a tour of the US and Europe.

Matthew Field and Robin Brink met in high school and began playing together in their final year. The pair set out to perform Matthew's pop songs in the style of drum'n'bass, jazz fusion and other electronic music they had been listening to. In the following year, Matthew met Ross Dorkin, studying music at the University of Cape Town’s Music School. He now joins us to talk about his musical journey…

Guest: Matthew Field – Lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for Beatenberg

As we come to the end of 16 Days against Gender-Based Violence, we thought to look at a positive story coming out of townships in Cape Town. Heroes Academy SA is currently running workshops in local schools across Dunoon, Philippi and Khayelitsha over a 16-week period where they teach students the differences between positive and toxic masculinity. To tell us more about this and why they decided to take this approach, also why these townships, 

Guest: Kolping Mbumba - One of the Head Facilitators at Heroes Academy SA

Guest: Matthew Boyd - Chief of Operations for Heroes Academy SA

 Two weeks ago, we had opened the show with the country’s well-loved retired constitutional court justice who was reflecting on his days as an activist and the South Africa that was being envisioned during the anti-Apartheid movement. In September, the Clooney Foundation for Justice honoured Albie Sachs by naming the foundation’s inaugural awards after the judge. Sachs was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in Pursuit of Justice at an event held at the New York Public Library. The Albie Awards aim to highlight the work of

journalists, human rights defenders, women, girls and LGBTQI+ rights defenders.

Guest: Albie Sachs - South African activist, retired judge and author