Today we are examining whether social grants are enough and what sustainable poverty reduction looks like in South Africa.

GUEST: Siyanda Baduza - Junior Basic Income Researcher at the Institute for Economic Justice

A first-of-its-kind judicial tribunal is happening today to determine whether a Free State high court judge, Judge Lepono Lekale, is medically fit to remain on the bench. The Judge has been on sick leave since 2018 due to an eye condition, making this the first judicial incapacity inquiry in the history of South Africa.

GUEST: Mbekezeli Benjamin, Judges Matter Research and Advocacy Officer

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has demanded that asset forfeiture orders against tender kingpins be matched with prosecutions, supplier blacklisting, and long jail terms. The foundation warned that stripping syndicates of Lamborghinis and mansions is no substitute for prison cells when billions looted from Thembisa Hospital left infants and patients without care.

GUEST: Neeshan Balton, Executive Director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation

The GRIT app is a valuable resource for anyone who might experience GBV in South Africa. The App provides a safe and confidential way to report abuse and can connect survivors with the support they need and it is also free to use, which makes it accessible to everyone.

GUEST: Leonora Tima, Founder and Managing Director of GRIT

The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) held an urgent press conference this morning to address the persistent challenges about the deaths, amputations, violence, and other related incidents that continue to undermine the safety and dignity of initiates.

GUEST: George Mahlangu, CRL Rights Commission Deputy Chairperson

The Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden has appointed its first female Curator and she joins us to reflect on her career journey and this appointment… 

GUEST: Annerie Senekal - Stellenbosch University's (SU's) Department of Botany and Zoology.

As South Africa prepares to roll out the next phase of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) demerit system, the conversation has largely centred on fines, licence suspensions and how many points motorists can afford to lose excluding what matters the most. 

GUEST: Kirstie Haslam – Partner at DSC Attorneys 

In recent months we have seen the government launching various crime combatting initiatives which include the deployment of SANDF but are these efforts accomplishing the intended objectives? The ATM has called on parliament to investigate the illegal mining operation vala umgodi. 

GUEST: Vuyo Zungula – ATM Parliamentary Leader 

Iran continued retaliatory attacks across the Middle East after a 10th consecutive night of US bombing, with the Revolutionary Guard saying it targeted US assets in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait. Massive fires also broke out on two tankers that “took an unsafe route” in the Strait of Hormuz. 

GUEST: Dr. Benjamin Spatz, Senior Lecturer: Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town

As South Africans continue to struggle with poverty and hunger despite the country's economic potential on this week’s ‘BIG ISSUE’ we explore systemic challenges, policy failures, innovative solutions, and community-led interventions. This afternoon we ask what poverty look like in South Africa in 2026?

GUEST: Solly Molayi - Acting DDG: Population and Social Stats at Stats SA