The Daily Discourse

Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has died. He was 95. According to reports he died in a hospital in Singapore this morning, where he has often received medical treatment in recent years.

GUEST: Lovemore Matuke, Zanu PF's Secretary for Security

GUEST : Daniel Molokele, Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)

Suicides! Breakdowns! Burn outs! What's happening to South Africa's employees and future workforce? To address this there is a Mental health conference, taking place at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town, specifically aimed at business. Mental health advocacy organisation Work Mind Matters is launching their inaugural conference this Friday, ahead of Mental Health Awareness Month, which takes place in October each year. This one-day business conference aims to start conversations around this concept and will provide business leaders with a platform for engagement and collaborative problem solving as well as realizing solutions that are a good fit for their organisation.

GUEST: Alison Hallett, the founder of Work Mind Matters and a qualified occupational therapist

Seeing how many retailers are taking strain due to economic reasons, also the high unemployment rate in the country, our guest this morning is of the belief that the solution is for us as South Africans to buy locally produced products. Also for retailers to buy locally manufactured products. But then what is it that makes them buy imports and how can we encourage them to rather source locally?

GUEST : Elsebe Koorsen – Owner of the Lux Box Gifting Services

Police in Durban have arrested a man who allegedly killed his three children and stepdaughter on Tuesday. This follows the grim discovery the body of his 16-year-old stepdaughter in a bush in New Germany, west of Durban where she was found hanging from a tree. The big question to ask is what possesses one to do something like this? What did the children have to do with the parents fighting? To help us navigate through these questions,

GUEST: Mbuyiselo Botha - Commissioner at the Commission for Gender Equality and activist

With one third of South Africans experiencing a mental disorder in their lifetime, and limited access to psychiatric treatment in the public health sector, there's belief that traditional healers can play an important role in the front-line of treatment for depression, anxiety and substance abuse. A 2009 first nationally-representative research into mental disorders, revealed that alternative, or traditional, medicine is widely used by South Africans, and that those suffering from anxiety or a substance abuse disorder were likely to consult traditional healers. To discuss this issue further we are now joined on the line by Specialist psychiatrist Dr Lerato Dikobe-Kalane, who calls for greater cooperation between conventional Western medicine and traditional health practitioners to improve access to mental health care…

GUEST: Specialist psychiatrist, Dr Lerato Dikobe-Kalane

NGOs in the Western Cape have called for an urgent national plan to address gender-based violence. The outcry follows the rape and murder of 19-year old UCT student, Uyinene Mrwetyana. Her body was found in Khayelitsha last Monday.

GUEST: Crispin Phiri, Spokesperson for the Department of Justice

Over the past few years major concerns have been expressed by civil society and the media about the environmental crisis. These concerns range from global warming, air pollution, pollution of the sea and impact on marine life and the extinction of thousands of species. With a point of no return estimated to be 12 years, the environmental crisis will obviously impact on the economy, jobs and life itself.
However, it is not clear what the trade union movement’s positions are and whether they will seek to influence government and big business to deal with the environmental crisis. In today’s Workers on Wednesday show we discuss the trade union view on issues related to the environment and how they plan to influence and ensure positive change. With us to discuss this we have

GUEST: Lebogang Mulaisi - COSATU Social Policy Coordinator

GUEST: Phakamile Hlubi - Media Officer and Spokesperson for Numsa

Violent attacks against foreign nationals have sparked outrage in South Africa and protests across the continent. Foreigner nationals living in the country have fled for safety, while others say they have nowhere to go. The recent scores of people have been injured; many shops have been looted and torched. Local women married to foreign nationals, and who have children with them, have spoken about the damage and toll the attacks have taken on their marriage and relationships and how they feel ostracized in their communities. This morning I am joined in studio by a married couple who have been affected by the recent violence…

GUEST: Anonymous, who is a Nigerian born, energetic gospel singer, based in South Africa. He's also a song writer, vocal coach and a worship leader.

GUEST: Precious, who is a South African Gospel sing, who is married to Anonymous

As the country reels from the chaotic situation that is taking place in our cities, where mass looting is taking place, traditional leaders are also adding their voice calling for calm. The EMBO KINGDOM, through His Royal Majesty Chancellor King BHUNGANE lll, says that it is calling for calm among what they refer to as “our people and Africans in particular”. They go on to say that they condemn the sporadic violence that we see among and against our African brothers and sisters in Gauteng Province and elsewhere in the Country. To hear what they have to say and what their concerns are,

GUEST: His Majesty King Bhungane the Third

Time now for our regular Tuesday feature the Global Perspective, where we profile countries around the globe. This morning we profile the Republic of Ireland, an island in the British Isles located west of Great Britain, which is known for its physical beauty, with vast areas of unspoilt wilderness and breathtaking sceneries of romantic ruins…

GUEST: Paula Molloy, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa