Yesterday, the National Assembly adopted the Electoral Amendment Bill which seeks to provide for the nomination of independent candidates to contest elections in the National Assembly or provincial legislatures, and also provides for the requirements and qualifications that must be met by persons who wish to be registered as independent candidates. The bill will now be sent to the National Council of Provinces for further consideration and concurrence. However, those who are opposed to it are arguing that ‘civil society has been given no other option than to rely on the courts and civil mobilisation to realise its constitutional rights.’ 

GUEST: Dr Michael Louis, Chairman of the Independent Candidate Association  

A federal judge in New York has issued a temporary stay blocking New York’s ban on guns in houses of worship amid another legal challenge to New York’s law meant to restrict firearms in areas deemed sensitive, which includes places like Times Square. To explain what this means is….. 

GUEST: Dr John Stremlau, Honorary Professor of International Relations @ Wits 

THE INNERVIEW: When grief is public – how do you cope as a parent? Under normal circumstances, most of us have the opportunity to grieve privately, with family and friends, when a loved one dies. But what happens when death goes viral and attract more media attention like the tragic passing of Bokgabo Poo? We find out from Irvin Ndlovu, Bokgabo’s father, who is joining us to narrate his own private and public experience of the death of a loved one and how media attention affects the grieving process.  

GUEST: Irvin Ndlovu, Bokgabo Poo’s father  

U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss has just resigned. This after a failed tax-cutting budget that rocked financial markets and which led to a revolt within her own Conservative Party. 

Guest: Prof John Keiger

A 16 month old baby has died and their mother is in a critical condition after being attacked by a giraffe in a private game reserve in Hluhluwe in KwaZulu-Natal. The child was taken to the nearest doctor’s room after the attack, but died on arrival. The woman was airlifted to a specialised facility. Circumstances around the attack are still under investigation.

Guest: Shawn Herbst, Nercare 911 spokesperson

In conversation with Professor Bonke Dumisa who has been very vocal about the state of the Durban CBD, saying he can no longer remain silent about the state of decay in eThekwini. According to him, many professionals are moving offices from the Durban Central Business District because of the state of decay. But where are the municipal service providers and what are the officials doing about it?  

GUEST: Professor Bonke Dumisa, Independent economist & an Advocate of the High Court 

Guest: eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela  

Zimbabwe has become Africa’s first country and the third in the world to approve the use of a long-acting injectable drug that can prevent infection with HIV. Regulators in Australia and the US have already given their backing to use the long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA), and the World Health Organisation welcomed the move by Zimbabwe. To explain, how this will assist in the fight against HIV is ….. 

GUEST: Dr Danford Masona, Secretary General for Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association  

Two police officers who were gunned down last week while on duty have been hailed as heroes in a memorial service that was held earlier today. Sergeant Batsha and Constable Malahlela were murdered while responding to a complaint of unnatural death in the area. They were shot by suspects who stole their service pistols and bulletproof vests before fleeing the scene. The suspects have not yet been arrested. As crime and violence increases in South Africa, their murder brings back again, the issue of safety for police officers on duty. We’re now joined by Richard Mamabolo, spokesperson for the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union. 

Old Mutual SME feature: In his 2022 Budget speech, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a bounce-back scheme to assist SMEs due to two years of economic turmoil and scant growth as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns, exacerbated by load shedding and the civil unrest of July 2021. As we reflect on what was said at the beginning of the year, we look forward to what we can expect in the medium-term budget next week, with regard to SMEs. According to Khanya Okumu, Head of Business Solutions at Old Mutual, government and financial institutions can play a vital role in helping SMEs thrive in the current tough South African economic environment. 

GUEST: Khanya Okumu, Head of Business Solutions at Old Mutual 

Does Minister Ronald Lamola and the correctional services department have a case to answer? The family of slain Hillary Gardee’s family is suing for R18 million in damages. One of the suspects in her murder, Hlabirwa Rassie Nkuna had been released on parole in 2019 after he was convicted for a variety of charges including armed robbery, murder and possession of a stolen vehicle. The family says Hlabirwa was later arrested after his parole for an alleged rape, but the charges were withdrawn. They say the department did not charge the parolee for violating his parole conditions and had it done so, Gardee would not have been his victim and they would not have suffered so much grief. Do they have a case? We are now joined by legal analyst, Advocate Modidima Mannya.