The Weekend View

TODAY is International Nurses Day. This year's theme is, "Investing in Nurses and the Economic Power of Care", which emphasizes a global call to reshape perceptions about nursing. This as there are amplified calls for countries to move away from a General Practitioner or doctor-centric healthcare system towards one that is more nurse-led. This however will also require advanced training and education, promoting leadership development, and advocating for policies that support nursing excellence and professional growth. The National Independent Nurses Association South Africa - NINA SA -  is an organisation whose vision is to provide support for nurses through the provision of education and training. It's chairperson, Grant Pepler, now joins us on the line.....

A global TB vaccine trial was launched THIS WEEK in Gqeberha to address South Africa's number one killer disease. The Wits Health Consortium announced the start of the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute's Phase 3 clinical trial to assess the efficacy of TB vaccine candidate, The trial is being held at the Isango Lethemba TB Research Unit located at the Jose Pearson Hospital in Gqeberha. The Eastern Cape has the highest TB incidence in the country. For more Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Dr. Pauline Howell, TB research specialist from the Clinical HIV Research Institute...

There was elation on site where a survivor was retrieved YESTERDAY after 118 hours of being trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building at George in the Western Cape. The multi apartment building was under construction when it collapsed on Monday. Eighty one people were on site when the building imploded. Forty-two have so far been recovered, of whom 13 were declared deceased. Another 39 are still unaccounted for. SABC reporter Tanya Krause reports...

There was elation on site where a survivor was retrieved YESTERDAY after 118 hours of being trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building at George in the Western Cape. Meanwhile , in the early hours of the morning (SUNDAY) , a body was removed under the rubble. For the latest Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Western Cape Chief Director for Disaster Management, Colin Deiner .

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law the Second Adjustments Appropriation Bill and the Electoral Matters Amendment Bill.  According to the Presidency, the two Bills will expand financial resources for South Africa's multiparty democracy, including support for independent candidates and representatives.  The Second Adjustments Appropriation Bill provides for a net movement of R290 million across functions and economic classifications in line with the requirements of the state and provides additional financial support to a number of departments and institutions. The Electoral Matters Amendment  which, among other provisions, amends the Political Party Funding Act of 2018 to provide for the regulation of the private and public funding of independent candidates and independent representatives. Analysts say the latter has also created a temporary gap in the law, removing the limit on how much funding political parties may receive from donors and they won't have to declare it either. Previously 
political parties warned that if Ramaphosa assented to the Bill, they would be forced to join civil society, which had already given notice of an intent to approach the courts to oppose this legislation on the grounds that it is unconstitutional. To unpack this Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Nkosikhulule Nyembezi, Policy Analyst and Researcher at Election Monitoring Network and  PAC Secretary General, Apa Pooe

The Nelspruit Specialised  Commercial Crimes Court in Mbombela, Mpumalanga YESTERDAY acquitted former State Security Minister, Bongani Bongo, and seven other accused, of fraud and corruption. The charges emanate from an alleged corrupt land deal amounting to over 70-million rand of tax payer's money. The money was used to purchase land for the Department of Human Settlement in the Emalahleni and Msukaligwa municipalities a decade ago. It was alleged that the accused inflated the prices of the farms. Bongiwe Zwane spoke to former minister Bongo for his reaction 

Emergency workers continued their search overnight for people who remain unaccounted  for following the collapse of a building in Victoria Street in George THIS WEEK.  Shortly after midnight THIS MORNING, rescue workers managed to retrieve the body of yet another person from underneath the rubble.  The death toll now stands at 14 . For the latest Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Western Cape Chief Director for Disaster Management, Colin Deiner 

President Cyril Ramaphosa THIS WEEK signed into law the Preventing and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill. The new piece of legislation outlaws offences of hate crimes and the offence of hate speech and allows the prosecution of persons who commit such offences. The offence of hate speech applies to any person who intentionally publishes, propagates, advocates, shares or communicates anything that can be harmful or induce hatred. While many have welcomed the new law as long overdue, some like the advocacy organisation, FOR SA ,see it as unnecessary and overboard. Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Liesl Pretorius, Head of Legal at For SA....

The Constitutional Court YESTERDAY dismissed former president Jacob Zuma's recusal application. The court did not give reasons for its dismissal, but they are expected to provide these in their written ruling on this case. Zuma had argued that six judges of the Constitutional Court that sent him to prison in the first place should not be involved in the current matter of his eligibility to participate in elections saying they can't act as both players and referees. After the dismissal the court then heard an application by the Electoral Commission of South Africa - IEC - to appeal against an Electoral Court ruling that paved the way for Zuma to run for public office. The IEC wants the apex court to appeal against the Electoral Court's ruling overturning the commission's decision to bar Zuma from running for public office due to his 15-month prison sentence in 2021.The IEC disqualified Zuma from running on the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party's ticket as a result of the sentence he received for contempt of court. The Concourt has reserved judgement in the matter.
Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Mbekezeli Benjamin, Research and Advocacy Officer at Judges Matter

Credit Bureau TPN  has just released its third national residential tenant survey which provides the property sector with insights into tenants' needs and wants. The survey has found that financial barriers are the primary reason people rent and more women than men are renting because they can't afford home ownership.  More than 170,000 tenants were surveyed, and 19,000 completed responses were received, making the TPN Tenant Survey Report the largest holistic tenant survey in South Africa. Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Waldo Marcus, Industry Principal at TPN Credit Bureau