The Eastern Cape legislature’s portfolio committee on education has slammed the government for a shortage of almost 2000 teachers, including over 300 principals. The committee says the basic education department has failed to sufficiently budget to ensure vacant positions are filled in Eastern Cape schools. The department’s budget can only fund 80% of the vacant posts. The committee will table a report before the legislature and if accepted, the department will have a month to reverse its decision to leave the positions vacant for the rest of the year. We’re now joined by Vuyiseka Mboxela, Spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Education MEC, Fundile Gade.   

President Cyril Ramaphosa has given the green light to the Special Investigating Unit to probe dealings of the Free State premier's office, and specifically look into former premier, Ace Magashule's tenure. The investigation will include bursaries that were given to students and possible unlawful expenditure of government funds in relation to the bursary scheme. We’re now joined by SIU Spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago.

Can SA Post Office be saved or it will simply die a slow death? Minister of communications and digital technologies Mondli Gungubele joins us to outline the objectives of his department's draft business rescue plan that is aimed at rescuing the ailing SA Post Office from being liquidated. Given its terrible financial position, currently the organisation intends to retrench more than 6 500 employees.

GUEST: Mondli Gungubele, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies

South Africa is the latest country that has expressed its desire to host a peace summit between Ukraine and Russia. Earlier on today, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said “we must be receptive to the possibility of South Africa hosting the peace summit”. You may recall that last month, Denmark also expressed its interest to hold a peace summit. So what will it mean for a country like South Africa to host such crucial talks?

GUEST: Gustavo de Carvalho, Senior Researcher on Russia-Africa ties at the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at SA Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA)

The youth of Tshwane gathered today for the Climate Action Youth Seminar by the Ranyaka Community Transformation, to discuss climate change mitigating measures. The city was recently hit by floods that left many people in townships like Mamelodi homeless. What is the role of young people in fighting against climate change? We're now joined by Thabang Shongwe. Thabang is the co-founder of Backyard Farmers, an NPO that tackles food insecurity and environmental degradation through backyard farming initiatives. The organisation converted an illegal dumping site into a community park in Mamelodi. 

Social Enterprise, Kusini Water has partnered with Nedbank to provide clean water to the community of Hammanskraal. The area was hit by a cholera outbreak in May, claiming over 20 lives. President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the area today. Kusini Water is a social enterprise that builds water treatment systems using nanotechnology and and locally sourced macadamia nut shells. The company has been providing clean drinking water to communities across the continent. To discuss the partnership and water issues in South Africa, we’re now joined by Murendeni Mafumo, Founder of Kusini Water.  

Rogerwilco’s Township Customer Experience (CX) Report for 2023 reveals consumers prefer value over brands. It also shows 25% of respondents spend half their salary services and goods sold within the township, and 51% of respondents buy from spaza shops on a daily basis. This is a 7% increase from 2022. Another interesting finding is the fact that younger people in the township are opting for stokvels as a way to save money. The percentage of stokvel users between the ages of 18 and 24 increased from 37% in 2022 to 44% this year.  For more on that, we're now joined by Mongezi Mtati, senior brand strategist at Rogerwilco, and author of the Township Customer Experience Report.  

The minister of home affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has revealed that his department has decided to extend Zimbabwean Exemption Permits. The permits were due to expire in three weeks time, however, they will now be valid until the end of the year. Motsoaledi joins us now to elaborate further on this…..

GUEST: Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Home Affairs 

How do the holders of the Zimabwean Exemption Permits feel about the new extension. The department of home affairs extended the validity of the permits to December. This is to allow time to process the increase of applications for Visa Waivers from permit holders. The department says it receives between 1000 and 1500 applications daily. We're now joined by Luke Mufaro Dzviti, Chairperson of the Zimbabwean Immigration Federation. 

We hear from the Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (DASO) on why they don’t want Professor Patrick Lumumba to address an event at UCT. They say it is disgraceful that in a time when gay people in Africa are fighting for their rights and acceptance, the EFF Student Command would choose to give a platform to someone who advocates for their persecution and murder. Lumumba was recently quoted saying "Are you homophobic? My answer is yes. Do I think that those who belong to that club ought to be treated and cured? They are sick! They ought to be cured."

GUEST: Tom Welz, DASO UCT Branch Member

Guest: Reckon Mathebula - Provincial Secretary of EFF Student Command Western Cape