The Daily Discourse

Thousands of social grant recipients around the country stood in long queues yesterday to collect their pay-outs. The South African Social Security Agency provided early payments of social grants this month in an effort to lower the risk of COVID-19 infections. To get a sense of how the day progressed and what to expect today, we are joined on the line by…

Guest: Jackson Mthembu – Minister in the Presidency

On our legally speaking feature today we speak to Professor Dr Omphemetse Sibanda who penned an article about the impact the measures government is taking in fighting the Covid 19 is having on social justice. He points to a number of issues that point to the headache of finding a balance under the current circumstances as government is opening itself up to a lot of legal challenges. How then does the judiciary find a balance?

GUEST: Professor Dr Omphemetse Sibanda is a Professor of Law at the Faculty of Management and Law at the University of Limpopo.

As the country is now officially under lockdown, government is hoping for support for learners who may lose valuable study time. Well, this is the time now for the different role players to come forward and see how they can assist. One of those is Advantage Learn. They are offering their Maths Online platform free to help learners affected by the shutdown of schools

GUEST: James Lees - CEO of Advantage Learn

As we unite in the call by the president for all of us to stay home in an effort to defeat the Covid19, experts are worried about our mental state. Business people are worried on the one hand about their livelihood while ordinary citizens are worried about contracting the virus. How then do we prepare our minds and uphold a healthy mental state?

Guest: Dr Dominic Stott - Chief Medical Officer at Liberty

South Africa has been downgraded to junk status, according to Economists,
South Africa needs to restructure the economy to resolve inequality and unemployment on.

Guest: Miyelani Mkhabela - Economist

Around the townships and rural areas elderly people are queuing for their social grants. Many have been standing in line since 1am this morning. Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu on the other hand says she is concerned about a lack of police visibility at some pay-points as the elderly and people with disabilities access their social grants during the coronavirus lockdown. She was speaking in Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, where long queues have formed at social grant pay-points. Our reporters are out and about monitoring the situation and let’s cross to some of them to get a sense of what the situation is like on the ground. We start off with Sashin Naidoo who was in Alexandra this morning and is now at Jabulani Mall…..

GUEST: Sashin Naidoo – SABC reporter joining us on the line from Jabulani Mall in Soweto

Thousands of elderly people and people living with disabilities have travelled by bus and taxi from the rural areas around Mthatha in the Eastern Cape from as early as one o'clock this morning to collect their social grants

GUEST: Nkululeko Nyembezi - SABC reporter in Mthatha

Gender activists are worried that the lockdown may pave the way for gender based violence. The concern is how do victims of abuse report perpetrators under these circumstances.

Guest: Dr Lesley Ann Foster – Director of Masimanyane Women’s Rights and she also serves on the President’s advisory committee on gender

Staff at Correctional Services are threatening to go on strike. One of the major issues they are highlighting is that of safety for their health as they claim not having been given protective clothing.

Guest: Singabakho Nxumalo – Spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services

Some healthcare workers who are at the forefront of combating COVID-19 say they are fearful of contracting the virus, while others say they have decided to isolate themselves from their families. South Africa currently has more than 900 confirmed corona virus cases. The national lockdown, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa has started from this morning. Healthcare workers who will continue to work throughout the lockdown, say while their emotions are running high they will do all humanly possible to contain the virus and save lives. Prabashini Moodley reports..

GUEST: Cassim Lekhoathi, DENOSA Acting General Secretary