She once took her employer, the University of Cape Town, to court over issues of racism and now Professor Elelwani Ramugondo is tasked with transforming the institution. She has been appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Transformation. This is the first time that the position will be occupied by a black person. Ramugondo is a UCT alumni and has worked in different capacities over the years. So, how is she planning to change things for the better at UCT? She joins us now on the line…

Guest: Professor Elelwani Ramugondo – Incoming Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Transformation at the University of Cape Town

Parliament has failed to pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill which would have seen the expropriation of land without compensation. The ANC managed to secure 200 votes and was supported by smaller parties such as the Al Jamah…but the other parties are not happy with the bill in its current form. What does this mean for the land reform project and where to from here? For more on this we are joined on the line by…

Guest: Dr. Farai Mtero – Senior Researcher at the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies

The World Health Organization yesterday (Monday) called for a “massive, urgent” effort to get the new malaria vaccine into the arms of African children. This they said during their annual malaria report warning that that about 180,000 more people were dying annually from the disease than had previously been thought. Another scary revelation is that children in Africa were the hardest hit. Let’s speak now to someone who deals directly with malaria in the SADC region to find out how they interpret the latest report…

Guest: Sherwin Charles - Co-founder of Goodbye Malaria

Late last week the Johannesburg Metro Police made a huge bust in Midrand, not on drugs, but people waiting to be trafficked. An Ethiopian national was arrested and 33 of his countrymen who were victims waiting to be “distributed” to clients were rescued in Glen Austin. As if that’s not bad enough, we also have cases of parent who hire their babies out for R50 a day. Just how big is this problem of human trafficking in our country and why does it seem like authorities are not winning against it? To help us understand, we are joined on the line by…..

Guest: Captain Juanita Wright - The Salvation Army National Anti- Human Trafficking Coordinator

Environmentalists continue to stage protests against oil and gas giant Shell as it prepares to start with its seismic survey which seeks to find offshore oil and gas reserves. The company was expected to start embarking on a five month study off the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape last week but was taken to court. It has since been given the green light to start after the Makhanda High Court dismissed a case by environmentalist. However, another group is taking Shell to court over the same matter on the 14th of December. For more we are joined by... 

Guest: Hloniphizwe Mtolo - Shell SA Country Chair

We are heading into the last few weeks of the year when we try to do everything that we haven’t done during the year. Many are asking if they will get a bonus and if you are lucky enough to get one, what should you do with it? Well, let’s allow Bryan to share some wisdom with the lucky ones….

Guest: Bryan Hirsch, Chairperson of Bryan Hirsch, Colley & Associates (Pty) Limited

KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane says while HIV is no longer a death sentence, ignorance and stigma remain critical problems in fighting the disease. She was addressing the opening of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa in Durban. The weeklong Pan African programme brings together scientists, healthcare workers, people living with HIV and government leaders. At the last minute, organisers announced that the conference would take place virtually in light of increasing COVID-19 infections. To tell us more on this and also what the main concerns are when it comes to dealing with HIV and Aids, we are joined on the line by…

Guest: Sihle Zikalala – KZN Premier

More and more universities are making vaccinations mandatory. Scores of universities including Rhodes University, the University of Joburg, the University of the Western Cape, Wits University and the University of the Free State have this policy in place while other are still consulting. Student bodies are encouraging vaccinations but say making it mandatory may not be the solution. For more on this we are joined on the line by…

Guest: Professor Ramneek Ahluwalia – CEO: Higher Health

Let’s tell you now about a campaign by the Imbumba Association for the Aged to create widespread public awareness about the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development’s (EC DSD) R56-million spending cut from NPO services providing social care. The Association is warning that the funds are supposed to help NPOs provide services for older persons, child protection services, people living with HIV and AIDS and persons with disabilities. To find out what some of the reasons are behind this, we are joined on the line by..

Guest: Noluntu Mlakalaka – Spokesperson for the Imbumba Association for the Aged

Health experts have appealed to members of the public to remain calm as the number of children admitted to hospital due to covid-19 infections continues to rise. These are mostly children under the age of five. The country has reported a sharp increase in covid-19 related infections with as much as 16 000 cases registered yesterday (Sunday) across the country. The rise is driven by the new omicron variant. For more on this we are joined on the line by…

Guest: Prof Mignon McCulloch – Chairperson of the SA Paediatrician Association