Since 2005, the Africa Institute of South Africa under the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has been building research capacity and initiate collaborative projects among young academics across the continent. This week, it will host a conference brining together researchers from Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Uganda, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The scholars will assess the first decade of implementation of Agenda 2063. It will also analyse how peace, security, and youth leadership will lead to the development of the Africa we want. We are joined by…

GUEST Check Achu  Senior Researcher Specialist of the Africa Institute of South Africa at HSRC

Guest: Mashango Sithole, Coordinator of the Peer Assisted Learning and Foundation Provision at the Teaching and Learning Development Centre at MUT

In an attempt to strengthen academic support to students and stop the revolving door syndrome in higher education, where large numbers of students drop out without completing their qualifications, a study by Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) researchers identified the reconfiguration of the tutoring programme to be sustainable and efficient as a possible solution to improving student support.

Co-authored by Dr Phiwayinkosi Gumede, Acting Senior Director of the Teaching and Learning Development Centre at MUT, and Mashango Sithole, Coordinator of the Peer Assisted Learning and Foundation Provision; the study that a sustainable and effective tutorship programme, characterised by qualified and well-trained tutors, stable policy, adequate resources, effective coordination of the activities, and cooperation amongst key role players could be really effective in assisting students.

Guest: David Verity, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London AND Hospitaller in the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem

London-based opthalmologist David Verity is visiting South Africa as a special guest of the Order of St John. Over the weekend, he was in Durban as Guest of Honour and Keynote speaker at the Ophthalmological Society of SA national conference that was held from the 9th to the 11th of March. to be held at the Durban ICC from Thursday 9 until Saturday 11 March.

Guest: Paul Morgan, Head of Data, Analytics and AI at Altron Karabina   

 Chat GPT is a new technique that operates in dialogue format. The tool makes it possible to answer follow-up questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests. To some tech experts, the technique could create more jobs and boost productivity. However, it does not come without disadvantages or potential dangers. To help us unpack what we should know about this tech and how it may appear in our daily experiences, we are joined by…

Guest: Meike Wetsch, Coega’s Unit Head for the Capital and Funding Office and Coega MICT SETA Graduate Internship Programme Project 

We're in conversation with Meike Wetsch, Coega’s Unit Head for the Capital and Funding Office and Coega MICT SETA Graduate Internship Programme Project. She shares key learnings from her experience designing the Coega MICT SETA Graduate Internship Programme.

When Coega’s Digitalisation Work Stream looked at the post-qualification employment data of ICT graduates, they found that except for top graduates who find viable employment within three months of qualifying, the balance of Eastern Cape graduates remains unemployed for between eight to eleven months post qualification, with the bottom quarter of the qualifying class spending on average 18 months to two years seeking employment. 

Guest: Michael Bagraims, Labour Law Attorney at Bagraims Attorneys 

Health Minister, Dr. Joe Phaahla faces his first major challenge as he navigates the NEHAWU strikes as healthcare workers demand a 10% increase and housing subsidy as the illegal strike entered its second week. NEHAWU represents 112 000 healthworkers and the majority of those workers are rendering services in public hospitals as well as clinics. Government can only offer 3% to the workers and have been granted an interdict which forces essentials workers to return to their posts. Despite the court rulings,workers have prevented patients from access to public facilities and removed doctors from helping patients. Thus far, four people have passed on during the strike action. To unpack the labour stalemate and speak to what options the Health Minister has at his disposal, we are joined by…

After a two month wait, President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation tonight on the cabinet reshuffle. This has come after the announcement of a new ministry to address the energy crisis plaguing Eskom and the rolling blackouts that are currently at stage 5 loadshedding. Besides this announcement, the President has three vacancies to fill: the Department of Transport, Department of Public Administration and Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa. The new roles created in the Presidency illustrates the concerns opposition parties raised during the State of the Nation Address of centralizing power while not holding underperforming cabinet ministers accountable or firing them. How does the President’s changes influence the structural of governance?

Guest: Dr. TK Pooe, Senior Political Science and Governance Lecturer at the Wits School of Governance   

Just after Eskom’s long term load shedding forecast in January, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group sent out an online survey to members of the SADAG community. In a project led by Dr Bronwyn Dworzanowski-Venter of UJ’s Faculty of Humanities, SADAG was especially interested in uncovering specific pressure points that could lead to negative psychological and practical outcomes.

The uncertainty that comes with the constant rolling out of load-shedding was bound to cause anxiety and depression for many people, and this has been revealed in SADAG’s Load Shedding Survey.  Alongside helplessness, the majority of employed survey respondents were expected to deliver work, despite outages, adding high levels of performance anxiety and work-related stress. 

Guest: Fatima Seedat, Development Manager at SADAG

Despite president Cyril Ramaphosa promising to address South Africa’s power crisis with urgency, he has delayed the announcement of a new minister of electricity and a shake-up of his cabinet by almost an entire month. Many had expected the cabinet reshuffle before the State of the Nation Address on 9 February, but the president instead surprised the nation by announcing a new minister of electricity.

He said that the minister would be situated within the office of the presidency and would singularly focus on resolving load shedding and broader power crisis. Given the deteriorating energy situation – and having declared a national state of disaster over the crisis – the expectation was then that immediate action would be taken and the relevant appointments made. However, it was then said that the president wanted to wait until the Budget Speech on 22 February to reshuffle.

Guest: Prof Sampson Mamphweli, Head of the Department of Science and Innovation’s Energy Secretariat at SANEDI

Our next guest works with communities to address one of the biggest social ills in the country: Crime. His work at the Gauteng Provincial Community Police Board makes him responsible for promoting community-police relations. Their work provides oversight on the police working and assist the MEC of Community Safety in Gauteng to do oversight and account to the Gauteng Legislature Portfolio Committee Committee Safety.

Guest: Thokozane Masilela Executive Chairperson of the Gauteng Community Policing Forum 

#TuesdayTakeOver - Guest Interview

 TJ Masilela will be in conversation with Francis Lucas on school safety and gang violence. How does this impact our communities?

Guest: Francina Lucas ] Position AND org.: [• Chairperson of the Western Cape Community Policing Forum ]