The Daily Discourse

Tuesday the second of April marked exactly a year since the passing of Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela also known as mother of the nation. She was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician. Today, like every other day, we remember this icon and all the good she did for the nation.

GUEST: Ntombizikhona Valela, who is a Writer and a historian doing her PhD on Winnie Madikizela Mandela at Wits University

Just last week, police confirmed that a female warder at the Goedemoed prison in the Free State was stabbed to death when she and another female warder were held hostage for nearly three hours by an inmate on Friday afternoon, police confirmed. This raises safety concerns in prisons. How are we ensuring the safety of prison warders in prisons?

GUEST: Minister Michel Masutha, who is the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

ANC Nelson Mandela Bay councillor, Andile Lungisa says his legal team will challenge the dismissal of his appeal bid against his conviction and sentence at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein. The Grahamstown High Court in Makhanda dismissed his appeal after his sentencing for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm by the Port Elizabeth High Court last year. This after he smashed a glass jug over the head of former member of the mayoral committee, Rano Kayser, during a heated 2016 council meeting…

GUEST: ANC Nelson Mandela Bay councillor, Andile Lungisa

Msunduzi Municipality in Pietermaritzburg has reportedly been placed under administration. For more on this we are now in conversation with Lennox Mabaso, the provincial spokesperson for the co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) in KwaZulu Natal

GUEST: Lennox Mabaso, the provincial spokesperson for the co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) in KwaZulu Natal

Preliminary investigations by the Department of Labor have revealed that some South African trucking companies hire only foreign national drivers. During in a meeting in Durban truck owners claim that they are forced to hire foreign drivers, due to the shortage of skills in the country. However investigations show that the department has not received a single application from any of these companies, to hire these drivers. In a joint meeting today, with truck driver's representatives, Transport Minister Blade Nzimande blamed the truck companies for the ongoing dispute between local truck drivers and the foreign drivers.

GUEST: Ishmael Mnisi, spokesperson for the transport department

The Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, has received objections to 53 candidates affecting nine political parties, contesting the polls on the 8th of May.

GUEST: IEC chief electoral officer, Sy Mamabolo

Journalists are now and again attacked for asking difficult questions and digging deep for answers. They are seen as bullies and as arrogant when they investigate stories. Today we ask are journalists being harboured from doing their job?

guest: Reggie Moalusi, who is the Gauteng Conveyor for the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF)

The Freedom Front Plus and Black First Land First will meet in the Johannesburg High Court this morning over the BLF's announcement that it is a black-only party. The FF Plus wants the Electoral Court to declare the BLF's registration as a political party invalid. In a statement, the BLF reiterates that it is blacks only organisation.

GUEST: Dr Corné Mulder, Chief Whip of the Freedom Front Plus

Climate change and air pollution pose significant short-term and long-term health risks to Southern Africa. So what is the physical impact of air pollution coupled with climate change on our environment? What adaptation measures need to be taken and how do we mitigate such changes to our environment? This morning we will look at the costs of air pollution on human health and economic growth

GUEST: Dr Jean-Pierre Mulumba

Time now for our regular Thursday SME feature, this morning we are in conversation with Navisha Bechan-Sewkuran, corporate and Government Affairs Manager at Mondelez and Jonathan Robinson, the founder of Bean There Coffee, to discuss issues around cooperatives and why they are not working that well in South Africa. My two guests will share how they are working with cooperatives from outside the country. Navisha orders cocoa in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, while Jonathan orders coffee beans from the DRC, Ethiopia and Kenya. So how can South Africa learn from other cooperatives in other Africans countries?

GUEST : Navisha Bechan-Sewkuran, corporate and Government Affairs Manager at Mondelez
GUEST : Jonathan Robinson, the founder of Bean There Coffee