The Daily Discourse

Last week Friday some NSFAS-funded students were being turned away from registering at universities because the government financial aid scheme had not yet paid their registration fees. The SABC spoke to some students who were turned away from the University of Johannesburg. They were concerned that NSFAS will pay their registrations fees after the process has been closed. The students’ main worry was funds to secure spaces. Take a listen to some of their concerns…

Guest: Dr Randall Carolissen, an administrator for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)

ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile last week denied reports that there are factions in the top six leadership of the party. Since the beginning of the week in Kimberley, different leaders have been conducting campaigns individually, something that is widely seen as factionalism in the ANC. On Thursday, ANC deputy president David Mabuza told the media during a campaign that the Eskom board and Gordhan had misled Ramaphosa when they said there would not be loadshedding before January the 13th. The Presidency then said unforeseen circumstances resulted in renewed power cuts. Clearly all of these points to divisions and looking back to the president’s speech on Saturday, what should we read into these developments?

GUEST: Xolani Dube, a senior researcher at Xubera Institute for Research and Development in KZN

Police in Upington, Northern Cape, had to rescue a group of migrants as anger in the community boiled over. Upington has been in turmoil for two days since the stabbing and killing of police officer Stefano Visagie. A man who's not South African is suspected to be the killer and that has triggered the community to attack shops owned by migrants.

GUEST: Stanley Peterson - one of the community leaders in Upington

Matric results have just been announced with Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga very that the pass rate is over 80% this time around. But now a very scary fact is being brought to light by Merle Mansfield - Programme Director for the Zero Dropout Campaign at the DG Murray Trust, who points out that while almost every child starts school in South Africa, over 40% won’t ever get to even write matric, let alone pass it. She goes on to say that this major failure of our education system has long been hidden from view – despite the fact that an under-educated population threatens not just the potential of individual learners, but the economic and social stability of the country.

GUEST: Merle Mansfield - Programme Director for the Zero Dropout Campaign at the DG Murray Trust

Today on our Health Talk feature we discuss vision loss. What is it. Medically it is a decreased ability to see to a degree that causes problems to fixable by usual means such as glasses. What are the most common causes of vision loss. Is there a difference between visual impairment and blindness. What are the symptoms and is it preventable

GUEST: Professor Trevor Carmichael, A Professor of Ophthalmology at Wits University and in the Private Practice.

Justice and Correctional Service Minister Ronald Lamola, has officially announce the 2019 Matric Results of offenders just a few minutes ago in Kimberley. This year 192 offenders sat for the National Senior Certificate at 16 schools at various correctional centres across the country. How does it work in prison and what happens to those who do well? To find out,
GUEST: Singabakho Nxumalo - Spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services

Would you quit your current job, which offers you some sense of security, gives you guaranteed payment every month, just to venture into the unknown, taking a leap of faith by starting a business? Well, that's exactly what Oscar Magudulela did. He saw that the moving company market had a gap for black-owned businesses, so he started L and M Removals, a moving, movers, removals and relocation company, with head offices based in Pretoria, Gauteng and branches in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, and Polokwane South Africa. For more on the company,

GUEST : Oscar Magudulela, the Managing Director of L and M Removals

Political Analyst, Steven Friedman, has warned that the South African government has tried to curtail the rights of refugees from protesting against the countries from which they fled. Friedman was reacting to the gazetting of a set of regulations in the Refugees Amendment Act, which came into effect on the first of January. Some of the changes in the Act include preventing asylum seekers from participating in any political activity as well as clamping down on businesses and regulations on where they can work or go to school.
GUEST: Professor Steven Friedman, who is a professor of Political Studies at the University of Johannesburg

The University of South Africa, UNISA, is encouraging all students wishing to apply or register with the university to do so online as the 2020 academic year kicks off. Unisa is the largest university system in South Africa by enrolment, attracting a third of all higher education students in the southern African nation. Through various colleges and affiliates, UNISA has over 350-thousand students, including international students from 130 countries worldwide, making it one of the world's mega universities and the only such university in Africa. To talk to us more on the 2020 registration process and other issues,

GUEST: Lusani Netshitomboni, Unisa's Acting Director of Communications, Marketing and Events

During the darkest days of apartheid Radio Freedom served as the voice of the ANC. Bongi Gwala speaks to its former Director Thami Ntenteni about the role played by radio as a revolutionary tool to fight for liberation & inspire many South Africans.

GUEST: THAMI NTENTENI - FORMER DIRECTOR AT RADIO FREEDOM