guest: Vouter Vessels

Budget Speech reaction: Pre today’s Budget Speech - calls were made for Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to scrap the Health Promotion Levy (the ‘sugar tax’) in his budget speech. But on the other hand, organizations like Healthy Living Alliance wanted Godongwana to increase the Health Promotion Levy tax rate from 11% to 20%. However government has decided to increase excise duties on alcohol and tobacco by between 4.5 and 6.5 percent respectively, and Healthy Living Alliance says this is a welcome move……and they join us now to elaborate further……

Guest: Nzama Mbalati, Head of Healthy Living Alliance

For the 2022/23 fiscal year, the old age, war veterans, disability and care dependency grants, will increase by R90 in April and a further R10 in October. The foster care and child support grants will increase by a once off R20 in April.

Guest: Nkululeko Majozi - Social Security Researcher at the Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute

Yesterday, a teacher from a school in Dundee in KwaZulu-Natal appeared briefly in court for allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year old learner on the school premises on Friday.

The teacher is set to be back in court on February 28 for a formal bail application.

It is alleged that the teacher called the girl to a storeroom offering to help her with school work, where he sexually assaulted her. The KZN education department has since confirmed that the teacher has been suspended.

But this is not an isolated case of sexual assualt in KZN schools - a few days ago, learners from Pietermaritzburg High School were demanding that teachers who have been accused of sexually assualting thier peers, must be axed. 

And just today, a Durban teacher has been fired after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a school pupil. The Education Labour Relations Council found the teacher guilty of sexual assault, dismissed him and ordered that he should not be allowed to work with children. The inquiry started on January 17 and was concluded on February 15. 

GUEST: Muzi Mahlambi: Head of Communication at KZN Education

To provide some relief to household. Treasury has announced that no increases will be made to the general fuel levy on petrol and diesel for 2022/23. To react to this is the IFP as they have been consistently calling on government to intervene in the ever-increasing fuel price.

Guest: iNkosi Mzamo Buthelezi: IFP Deputy President

Cash-strapped Denel has been instructed by the Johannesburg Labour Court to raise R90 million in the next 10 days to pay outstanding salaries and employee benefit commitments for Solidarity members in its employ. If Denel doesn’t comply with the court order, Solidarity will instruct the sheriff to seize its assets.

Guest: Helgard Cronje: Solidarity’s Deputy General Secretary

guest: Dennis bloem

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has announced that excise duties on alcohol and tobacco will increase by between 4.5 and 6.5 percent – meaning that as from today, a 340 ml can of beer or cider will now cost you 11c more. I’m almost certain that the alcohol industry will be disappointed by this as you know that they have been pleading with Treasury not to increase excise taxes. To react to this is….

Guest: Lucky Ntimane, National Convener of the Liquor Traders' Association of South Africa

Following the arrests of 80 supporters of the Citizens Coalition for Change party in Zimbabwe. We are now joined by the party’s spokesperson Adv Fadzayi Mahere to give us an update in terms of what transpired over the weekend. Also the latest news is that more and more opposition supporters continue to be arrested and some of them were arrested earlier today.

Guest : Adv Fadzayi Mahere, Spokesperson for the Citizens Coalition for Change party