Gauteng Premier David Makhura has revealed a new fifteen member Advisory Panel to implement strategy by the provincial government to tackle youth unemployment among many other issues that confront young people. The Youth Development Strategy, which is expected to be implemented from this year to 2030, is set to improve the participation of young people in the economy. The panel is co-chaired by Oagile Louw and Premier Makhura. Oagile Louw joins us now. 

Guest: Oagile Louw - Chairperson of the Gauteng Youth Advisory Panel 

Amidst challenges with the distribution of Covid-19 Social Relief Distress Grant, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has approximately paid 750,000 in claims. This comes at the back of months of appeals and reconsideration processes for the R350 COVID-19 SRD grants. The payments have been progressive in clearing the backlog due to reconsideration appeals between August and November 2021. 

Guest: SASSA Spokesperson, Paseka Letsatsi. 

THE INNERVIEW: As we commemorate Youth Day we ask – What does the culture of Activism look like and in South Africa and can young South Africans be more robust in their engagement of issues that affect them?

South Africa has a history of a robust youth activism culture. Many activists who were murdered by the apartheid regime died in their prime years. Think Steve Biko, Solomon Mahlangu, Hector Pieterson, the list is endless. There's a view held by many you of our parents that the current youth is politically apathetic, but is that really the truth? South African youth bear the brunt of many social ills, including unemployment. And we have seen them organising, Fees Must Fall was a highlight of youth activism in 2015, but at the forefront of many protests in South Africa, is a young person. Today we are speaking to a person who lives and breathes activism. Axolile Notywala's life has been centred around fighting for justice and being the voice for many who cannot speak for themselves. In his quest to hold government accountable, he was worked with many advocacy groups including the Khayelitsha Community Action Network, My Vote Counts Campaign, Equal Education, The Social Justice Coalition, Reclaim The City and many other orgaisations. Axolile has organised many protests and has been arrested on different occasions as a result. He's now the national coordinator for the Right2Know Campaign. We ask today, what does the culture of youth activism in South Africa look like? Axolile Notywala joins us now.  

Guest: Sebastian Pillay, Head of Share Investing at FNB Wealth and Investments

It seems like hard days lie ahead for the doctor who blew the whistle on the poor state of Gauteng's public hospital. Pediatrician at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Dr Tim de Maayer wrote an open letter last month and addressed it to Gauteng Health Department officials, painting a bleak picture of public hospitals in the province, asking if they would take their children to these hospitals. He was later suspended, but the suspension was lifted after the Gauteng Health MEC's intervention. It has now come out the doctor will be served with a warning letter and he is expected to apologise to the CEO of the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Dr Nozuko Mkabayi. Gauteng Health Spokesperson Kwara Kekana says the department maintains the matter has been resolved amicably and any disciplinary process is between an employer and their employee.

Guest: Professor Shabir Madhi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits University

A man has been arrested and a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and pointing of a firearm has been opened. This is after a video of an old white man assaulting a 16 year old while holding a gun went viral on social media. It is alleged the man attacked the 16 year old after he intervened when he pointed a gun at older boys who asked to use salt he was using at a food outlet.

Guest: Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo. 

The Khayelitsha Crisis Response Summit was held earlier today in the Western Cape. Police Minister Bheki Cele along with other community and law enforcement stakeholders were in attendance. The streets of Khayelitsha have become warzones, with several mass shootings taking place in recent months. Today, the summit heard that there were 26 victims of mass shootings in Khayelitsha since March of this year. While community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Reagen Allen urged residents to take back their streets, it is not so simple because gangs are involved in extortion-related crimes and it is believed that they are behind a series of mass shootings. 

Guest: Ndithini Tyhido - Chairperson of the Khayelitsha Development Forum

Malnutrition rates across east and south-eastern Ethiopia have soared in recent months as drought, displacement and conflict take their toll with about 1-hundred-and-85-thousand children now estimated to be suffering from the most deadly form of malnutrition. Children are bearing the brunt of a harrowing and multifaceted crisis in Ethiopia. A prolonged, expanding, and debilitating drought is grinding away at their resilience, already worn down by a gruelling conflict and two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Ethiopia and other Horn of Africa countries like Somalia and Kenya are suffering from a severe climate crisis-induced drought. More than 23 million people are experiencing extreme hunger across the three countries with 5.8 Million children acutely malnourished. 

Guest: Malama Mwila - Regional Advocacy and Campaigns Manager at Save The Children.

Auditor General Tsakani Maluleke says there is very little sign of things changing in the state of South African municipalities. Only 16% of the country's 257 municipalities received clean audits. So what will it take for South Africa to see some improvement in local governance?

Guest: Pranish Desai, Data Analyst at Good Governance Africa.  

Parliament has rejected the nomination of Reverend Frank Chikane for that post of inspector-general in the intelligence. Two thirds majority is required according to the Intelligence Services Act for a nomination to get approved. The Democratic Alliance as well as EFF opposed the nomination.

Guest: Political Analyst, Professor Dirk Kotze