The View Point

Parental alienation is a set of processes and behaviors conducted by a parent to deliberately damage the relationship between a child and another parent. In 2005, the United Nations' World Health Organization adopted this definition as part of their International Classification of Diseases and many advocates of father’s rights consider parental alienation a human rights violation.

There is an Amendment Bill on the Children’s Act before Parliament that sets to strengthen protective measures for children even further. It also aims to close institutional gaps and address the challenges that unmarried fathers face when it comes to their parental rights.

Guest: Adv Chris Maree - Senior Family Advocate | National Department of Justice and Constitutional Development

1. #COVID-19Vaccine (Dr. Zweli Mkhize holds media briefing to outline government procurement plans for the vaccine)
2. #MohokareRiverBorder (death of six people at Lesotho-SA & beefing up of border management as commuters return to work)
3. #AlcoholBan (Marked decrease in trauma unit caseload at Baragwanath Hospital & fewer road accidents recorded in GP)
4. #MatricResults2021 (Marking of NSC final examinations begins amid a COVID-19 second wave. Matric Results are expected on 22 February)
5. #SIU (Corruption reports undertaken by the agency quadrupled since March 2020)

Guest: Dr. Metji Makgoba - Independent Political Analyst

Slay Queen Cleaning Service

Helpers cook, clean and wash for us. They know some of our deepest secrets, and even know what the husband’s boxers look like. Without them, some families would be in chaos. Domestic workers are becoming so powerful that many marriages and relationships are threatened. There are cases of men sleeping with their helpers and it is said that these women are often younger, stylish, enlightened, single and struggling with financial issues, and many of the men they sleep with are doing well financially.
And then comes a cleaning agency called Slay Queen Cleaning Service – the name alone is a tell all! These helpers Slay Up and then come to your house to clean.

Guest: Refilwe Jawa - Founder | Slay Queen Cleaning Service

The South African Emergency Personnel’s Union (SAEPU) has expressed its concern about government’s readiness to deal with the second wave of Covid-19. They say that their concern was triggered by the number of deaths and positive cases reported per day recently and the report that the country has crossed the 1 million mark of positive cases.

The other worrying factor which they have brought up is the shortage of PPEs as they have dealt with the challenge during the first wave. They believe that the government is not ready to handle the second wave because they have witnessed (what they call) a disaster which happened during the first wave, with the assurance from the Health Minister that they are ready.

Guest: Mpho Mpogeng - President | South African Emergency Personnel’s Union

On Monday evening, the President announced that the country will be going back to lockdown alert level 3 – which means the will be no alcohol sold, gatherings are prohibited and the curfew has been extended.
When the country first went into lockdown, there we several complaint about the deployment of the SANDF and the harassment that people are faced with.

Now that the SANDF is no longer around and the SAPS has to enforce the law, what is our role in assisting the police? What should community policing forums and watch groups be doing now to prevent the loss of more lives and a further strain to the economy – because when the country is on lockdown, the economy is affected?

Guest: Andy Mashaile - Interpol's Turn Back Crime ambassador AND former chair of the Gauteng CPF board

The vaccine race and the challenges facing the continent when it comes to accessing affordable medication

We have seen a lot of South Africans complain about why the state is waiting until May 2021 for vaccine distribution when the Kenya and Morocco are getting their dosages before the end of next month. Whilst people love to point at our late payment to COVAX facility as a reason, there may be other factors involved that could help our listeners better understand our position and what South Africa (AU chairmanship) has done behind the scenes to help low income countries on the continent with health equity.

Guest: Prof David Walwyn - Graduate School of Technology Management, University of Pretoria | Director of Reseva (consultancy firm)

We’re in conversation with Mokhudu Machaba, a foundation phase teacher from Ngwanamago Primary School in Polokwane, Limpopo. She has spent the last 17 years of her life as a teacher and as much as teaching has brought her tremendous joy, she admitted it was a career she was never interested in.

Earlier this month, Mokhudu was named as a top ten finalist in the Global Teacher Prize 2020, which recognises the best teachers in the world. Now in its sixth year, the Global Teacher Prize award is the largest prize of its kind and Mokhudu said she was delighted to have been recognised among the best in the world.
As a foundation phase teacher she is required to teach all subjects and she has to identify the learners’ abilities and potential and be able to unlock their barriers to learning before they can go to the next phase.

Guest: Mokhudu Machaba

We’re in conversation with Dr. Ismail Mahomed from the UKZN’s Centre for Creative Arts. He will talk to us about Covid-19 has had an impact on the four large festivals - Time of the Writer festival (in March), Durban International Film Festival (July), Jomba Festival (August) and Poetry Africa (September).

He will also talk to us about the UKZN Centre for Creative Arts’ plans for 2021, kicking off with a virtual concert in collaboration with iSupport Creative Business and Popular Music. They will host a monthly series of performances supported by Concerts SA and the latest virtual concert features vocalist Drummer Riley G and his band.

Guest: Dr. Ismail Mahomed - Director | UKZN Centre for Creative Arts

Does South Africa suffer from the same denialismwith Covid-19 that we saw when the AIDS pandemic came about?

Guest: Dr Renne Schetteman - Associate Professor of Postcolonial and World Literature | Georgia State University

As a former high school teacher, she was frustrated when disadvantaged students African failed to seize opportunities for further learning as provided by government and private funders. As she worked as co-ordinator of the Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro Medical Collaboration programme in the School of Clinical Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, she realised that transnational partnerships are helpful but problematic.

Guest: Dr. Buhle Donda - Developmental Lecturer | School of Clinical Medicine, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal