A group of Communication professionals working alongside government have established a special website for Covid-19, to ensure a flow of accurate information. CovidCommsSA has been setup to translate and produce informational material on the Covid-19 outbreak in South Africa.

Guest: Chris Vick, communications specialist

The South African National Blood Service has expressed concern that their supplies may run low as the country prepares for a 21 day shutdown. The Blood Service has called on South Africans to continue donating blood even during the 21-day lockdown. So how will donations work given the new restrictions? To answer this we're joined on the line by...

Guest: Silungile Mlambo, spokesperson of the South African National Blood Service

Sex workers are urging President Cyril Ramaphosa to consider them as lawful employees and help them during the national lockdown. In a statement, released yesterday, the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (Sweat) and the National Movement of Sex Workers said: “We are not sure who exactly will be prioritised in the plans laid out by the president as he says ‘we are going to support people whose livelihoods will be affected’. “We call on the president to make urgent provision to the Temporary Employer and Employee Relief Scheme to include sex workers because sex work is work and they too need help as their livelihood has been disrupted,”

Guest: Lesego Tlhwale, Advocacy Manager @ Sweat

Is South Africa ready to deal with the high-risk medical waste generated by the spread of the coronavirus? Thashnee Budram from Averda, integrated waste management provider to government and industry, explains the steps taken to manage hazardous medical waste, which are now being applied to the waste resulting from the Covid-19 quarantines.

Guest: Ms Thashnee Budram – general manager (healthcare) at the waste management company AVERDA

Zimbabweans are panicking following news that doctors and nurses have downed tools in protest against non-availability of personal protective clothing in the main hospitals. Doctors and nurses are demanding special protective clothing and risk allowances to deal with the risk.

Guest: Masimba Ndoro, Vice president of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association

In conversation with Sandile Zungu about the role of business in combating Covid19. The Black Business Council and other companies and business associations, have established a Project Management Office aimed at ensuring collaboration with government, and to use the available business resources and capacity to support public sector initiatives.

Guest: Sandile Zungu – President of the Black Business Council

Guest: Dr VVO Mkhize, an Honorary Lecture in the School of Religion Philosophy and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, founder & President of Umsamo Institute

Boko Haram extremists have killed at least 50 Nigerian soldiers in an ambush near Goneri village in northern Yobe state. The incident was the first major attack on the military forces this year by Boko Haram which has waged terror attacks in the West African country for over a decade. Nearly 3 million have been displaced and over 50,000 killed in the violence, according to a report by the country's National Emergency Management Agency.

Guest: Dr Akinola Olojo, Senior Researcher in Transnational threats and international crime at the ISS

These movements have addressed a letter to the Presidency of South Africa and the Covid-19 National Command Council, calling for an end to the issuing and execution of all eviction orders for the entirety of the pandemic.

Guest: Nomzamo Zondo, Executive Director at Socio Economic Rights Institute of South Africa

Meanwhile, Lobby Group Afriforum says the ANC abuses COVID-19 to push racist agenda against SMME's. AfriForum says "the criterium of the emergency funding package for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises should be set aside, which stipulates that only black-owned businesses would qualify for financial relief".

Guest: AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel