The Daily Discourse

In September last year we looked at the situation of waste-pickers and how their survivalist situation could be improved. We learnt about a project led by Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Mr Lebogang Maile, and the Waste Recyclers Project for which a pilot was launched in Tembisa then. The project promised thousands of sustainable jobs that would not only provide stable income for waste-pickers but also ensure that much more waste is recycled and savings for the state. In today’s show we revisit the situation of waste-pickers in the country and assess progress with the promise of the pilot project.

1. Simon Mbata, Chair of the South African Waste Pickers' Association (sawpa)
2. Eli Kodisang - Who is from WIEGO and Organizer for the Waste Integration project of South Africa
3. Eva Mokoena, Chairperson of the Interim Johannesburg Reclaimers Committee

In honour of the memory of the Gabisile Shabane, Channel Africa hosted a dialogue in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, ahead of International Albinism Awareness Day, which is commemorated annually on the 13th of June, which is today, to raise awareness on the plight of people with albinism. Gabisile Shabane, 13 year old girl, with albinism, from Witbank was murdered in February 2018 by witch doctors that cut her body parts and spread them as far as Swaziland. To this day some of Gabisile's body parts have not been found. 6 months later she is still not buried as the family is still waiting for all her body parts to be found. Gabisile has become the face of hideous crimes towards people with albinism in South Africa. Following Gabisile's death a young man with albinism Xolani Mkhize's grave was violated and some of his body parts were missing. Take a listen to the following clip of Provincial police spokesman, Brigadier Leonard Hlathi outlining the kidnapping and murders of Gabisile Shabane and Xolani Mkhize. Warning the following clip may disturb sensitive listeners...

CLIP: Provincial police spokesman, Brigadier Leonard Hlathi

GUEST: Puleng Molebatsi, who is the Producer and Presenter of Bophelong - (In studio)

In his 2018/19 budget speech delivered this week, Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba reinforced the country’s commitment to the implementations of the NHI with the following budget allocations:

-The NHI is allocated an additional R4.2 billion, over the medium term. This will be funded through an amendment to the medical expenses tax subsidy
-In a quest to improve overall healthcare services, the state is set to spend R205 billion on health in the 2018/19 financial year; an increase of R240 billion by 2020/21.
Earlier this month, Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi admitted that Healthcare system in the country is very distressed and going through the hard time. Motsoaledi is briefing media in Pretoria following widespread reports of the country's healthcare system being in a crisis. Healthcare workers at Charlotte Maxeke Academic hospital in Johannesburg have been on strike for some time now. This morning we ask, is NHI the solution?

Guest (Studio): Professor Alex van den Heever, Chair of Social Security Systems Ad

Time now for our African Perspective feature, where we profile different African countries. Today we profile the state of Somalia. Created in 1960 from a former British protectorate and an Italian colony, Somalia collapsed into anarchy following the overthrow of the military regime of President Siad Barre in 1991. Somalia hasn't had a government since 1991, when warlords and extremist groups like Al-Shabab took over, wreaking havoc across the country and producing one of the world's biggest humanitarian disasters. But despite the climate of fear and chaos, there is something admirable about the country and its people. For more on this, we are now joined on the line by...

GUEST: Amir Shaik, Chairperson of the Somali Community Board of South Africa

Throwing children from households on to the streets for doing drugs may become an easy way out in dealing with substance abuse by most parents. This morning, we discuss the trauma they put their family through, and also, asking the important question of what should the appropriate be behavior in handling a child who is addicted to drugs? Sipho Mathebula a former drug addict says according to him, young people resort to drug it is boredom and lack of resources to keep young people off the streets. This morning we find out, what drove him to drug abuse, and what did it take for him to come out of it?...
Guest: Sipho Mathebula - Nyaope survivor , currently working at the Creative Counsel

As long as inequality exists, the land issue is going to be part of the debate. We can't avoid that." This is according to Roelf Meyer, the Chairperson of the "In Transformation Initiative" and Former Minister of Constitutional Development. Speaking to the current anxiety experienced by South Africa's farmers on the land debate, he says there is willingness from the agriculture community to participate in land reform. Meanwhile the ANC wants government to immediately use section 25 of the Constitution to expropriate land without compensation
GUEST: Roelf Meyer, the Chairperson of the "In Transformation Initiative" and Former Minister of Constitutional Development

The network of journalists around the world, held a Journalism Summit: God and the Newsroom, in Ruimsig, Roodepoort, over the weekend. The purpose of this Summit was to discuss trends in religion reporting, religious literacy in the media and media literacy in the church, religious freedom and press freedom in South Africa and the continent more broadly. So, are there still too many impediments for an ethical and fair representation of religious issues in the media? To answer this question we are now joined on the line by my guests....

GUESTS:
From Nigeria: Mr. Eluem Emeka Izeze, who is a Fellow of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
From New York: Mr. Paul Glader, who is a Journalism professor, former reporter at The Wall Street Journal.

It takes more than pro-choice laws to end deaths from unsafe abortions", this according to Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, a Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Activist. Dr Mofokeng says In South Africa, the procedure is legal, but major barriers to access remain. Experts believe that 50% of abortions occur outside designated health facilities, despite South Africa legalizing abortion in 1997. For more on this we are now joined on the line by....

GUEST: Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, who is a Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Activist with the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition

Mining permits will be granted to thousands of illegal miners in an attempt to curb illegal mining. The Mineral Resources Department is formalizing Zama Zamas or informal miners. The Department handed legal papers to nearly one-thousand artisanal miners at the Mayibuye Multipurpose Centre in Kimberley in the Northern Cape last week. The informal miners had been illegally extracting diamond fragments from a site owned by the Kimberley Ekapa Mining Joint Venture for years. Meanwhile, the rural village of KwaMachi in Harding, KwaZulu Natal, has also been under the spotlight after a "gold" substance was discovered in Mbuthuma by road construction workers. The discovery has attracted interest from thousands of people, who travelled from as far as Johannesburg, Durban, Pietermaritzburg and the Eastern Cape to the area. MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Sihle Zikalala has called for the suspension of "gold" mining activities in Machi, saying those who continue to mine or sell the stones would be arrested. For more on this we are now joined on the line by...

GUEST: Lucky Seekoei, who is the Chairperson of the Northern Cape Artisanal Miners.

The man arrested for allegedly shooting and killing his son after he mistook him for a criminal at the Fred Norman Secondary school in Ennerdale south of Johannesburg has been released on a warning. Sibusiso Tshabalala applied for bail in his first court appearance in the Lenasia Magistrate's Court following the fatal shooting on Tuesday.

Guest: Adèle Kirsten, Director of Gun Free SA