Chronic medication still a problem at some community healthcare centres

The Western Cape Department of Health says the problems with the roll out of chronic medication was this week addressed by senior area managers visiting the facilities, getting involved on the ground and directing patients into streams for better. I spoke to Faiza Steyn, the spokesperson for the Department of Health about the roll out of chronic medication yesterday morning on Voice of the Cape's Breakfast Beat programme...

Anti Gang Strategy Needs Rethink

Over the Weekend three people were shot in one day in Hanover Park, prompting the MEC for Community Safety Dan Plato to rethink the Anti Gang strategy he wants implemented. I spoke to the MEC for Community Safety on Voice of the Cape's Breakfast Beat Show yesterday morning, this is what he had to say....

SECTION27 Court Case postponed

Despite the Department of Basic Education and the Limpopo Department of Education indicating last week that they will oppose an urgent application launched by SECTION27 earlier this month, they are as yet to file their answering affidavit. The urgent application was to be heard in the North Gauteng High Court today. The attorney for SECTION27, Nikki Stein says that for the five months of this school year, the department has failed to deliver textbooks to learners in the Department. "SECTION27 launched an urgent application against the Minister of Basic Education and the Limpopo Department of Education in relation to their failure for five months this school year to procure and deliver textbooks for learners throughout Limpopo", says Stein. She adds that they have repeatedly engaged with the provincial government and the national government on the issue and most recently with the Head of the Intervention Team. "These parties have promised to order textboooks, but they have not honoured these promises. The academic year is almost halfway gone—yet learners in Grades R, 1, 2, 3 and 10 still do not have any textbooks. Textbooks for these learners have not been ordered and there is still no indication as to when final orders for textbooks will be made", says Stein. She says they will be asking the court to ensure that learners are provided with textbooks throughout Limpopo and to ensure that a catch up plan is put in place to provide additional classes to learners until their lost curriculum is recovered.According to Stein the application was set down for hearing today but was postponed to allow the respondents an opportunity to file answering affidavits. The matter will now be heard tomorrow at the North Gauteng High Court.

My Beloved Lamar, forgive me…by Thaer Halahleh to his two year old daughter, on the 75th day of his hunger strike

My Beloved Lamar, forgive me because the occupation took me away from you, and took away from me the pleasure of witnessing my firstborn child that I have always prayed to God to see, to kiss, to be happy with. It is not your fault; this is our destiny as Palestinian people to have our lives and the lives of our children taken away from us, to be apart from each other and to have a miserable life. Nothing is complete in our lives because of this unjust occupation that is lurking on every corner of our lives turning it into eeriness, a continuous pursuit and torture. Despite the fact that I was deprived from holding you and hearing your voice, from watching you grow up and move around in the house and in your bed, and that I was deprived of my role as a human and a father with my daughter, your existence has given me all the power and hope, and when I saw your picture with your mother in the sit-in tent, you were so calm staring in wonder at people, as if you were looking for your father, looking at my pictures that are hung inside the tent asking in silence why is my father not coming back. I felt that you are with me, in my sentiment and inside my mind, as if you are a part of my heartbeats, steadfast and the blood that flows in my veins, opening all doors for me spreading clear skies around me, and unleashing your free childish voice after this long silence. Lamar my love: I know that you are not to be blamed and that you don’t yet understand why your father is going through this battle of hunger strike for the 75th day, but when you grow up you will understand that the battle of freedom is the battle of going back to you, so that I can never be taken away from you again or to be deprived of your smile or seeing you, so that the occupier will never kidnap me again from you. When you grow up you will understand how injustice was brought upon your father and upon thousands of Palestinians whom the occupation has put in prisons and jail cells, shattering their lives and future for no reason other then their pursuit of freedom, dignity and independence. You will know that your father did not tolerate injustice and submission, and that he would never accept insult and compromise, and that he is going through a hunger strike to protest against the Jewish state that wants to turn us into humiliated slaves without any rights or patriotic dignity. My beloved Lamar keep your head up always and be proud of your father, and thank everyone who supported me, who supported the prisoners in their struggle, and don’t be afraid for God is with us always, and God never lets down people who have faith and patience. We are righteous, and right will always prevail against injustice and wrong doers. Lamar my love: that day will come, and I will make it up to you for everything, and tell you the whole story, and your days that will follow will be more beautiful, so let your days pass now and wear your prettiest clothes, run and then run again in the gardens of your long life, go forward and forward for nothing is behind you but the past, and this is your voice I hear all the time as a melody of freedom. http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/linah-alsaafin/thaer-halahlehs-letter-his-daughter-my-beloved-lamarforgive-me Tune in to Voice of the Cape's Drivetime show today with Shafiq Morton on 95.8, 90.7 and 90.9FM when we speak to the BDS Campaign about the hunger strike at 16h40 today.

R321 Million to Upgrade Transport Hubs in City

The City of Cape Town will be upgrading and expanding its public transport interchanges over the next five years, to accommodate the growth in demand for access and mobility across the city. There will be a specific focus on 25 interchanges with the improvements set to cost R321 million. This morning I spoke to the Mayco member for Transport, Roads and Stormwater, Councillor Brett Herron. This interview was first broadcast on Voice of the Cape's Breakfast Beat programme...

Maitland Refugee Reception Office faces closure

Last week the Department of Home Affairs announced that the Maitland Refugee Reception Office received a 30 day notice that their lease will expire on 31 May 2012. Refugee rights group Passop says that in May 2012 a decision of the South African High Court ruled in favor of the eviction of the Maitland Reception Offce as a consequence of the claims raised from neighbouring business that the office constitutes a public nuisance. Passop's Braam Hanekom says they are shocked that in two years the Department of Home Affairs has not been able to provide a solution to the eviction order by either instituting the necessary legal proceedings for appeal or identifying an alternative site able to suit the requirements ordered by the court. This morning I spoke to Passop's Braam Hanekom. This interview was first broadcast on Voice of the Cape's Breakfast Beat programme...

The Battle of Hangberg Part 2

Part 2 of a five part series on Hangberg. This feature was produced by Voice of the Cape Reporters, Dorianne Arendse and Faatimah Hendricks

The Battle of Hangberg Part 1

This is part 1 of a five part series on the Battle of Hangberg. This series won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year in the Western Cape under the Community Media Category as well as the National Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award in 2011. In 2010 the City of Cape Town went into the fishing community of Hanbgerg to destroy what they said was illegal unoccupied structures. This led to fierce clashes between the locals and the Metro Police for two days. Voice of the Cape reporters, Dorianne Arendse and Faatimah Hendricks went back to the community to look at some of the socio-economic issues plaguing the community...

Special Report on Xenophobia

After the 2010 Soccer World Cup foreigners living in the townships in Cape Town feared that there would be an increase in attacks on foreign nationals living in South Africa. Cape Town journalist and current affairs producer, Dorianne Arendse spoke to various foreigners living in South Africa about their fears as well as government officials about the worrying trend of attacks on refugees.The feature was first aired on Voice of the Cape. This feature won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award in the Radio Feature Category in the Western Cape in 2011...

Trafficking of human body parts rife on the Mozambique-South African border

The following is a feature produced by Dorianne Arendse and Shafiq Morton and looked at a report that was released on the trafficking of body parts in Africa. Arendse and Morton won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year award in the Community Media Category for this feature in 2010....

Section 27 takes Minister of Basic Education to Court

On Friday Section 27 launched an urgent court application the Minister of Basic Education and the Limpopo Department of Education in relation to their complete failure to procure and deliver textbooks for learners throughout Limpopo. Earlier today I spoke to Nikki Stein an attorney at Section 27. This interviewed was first flighted on Voice of the Cape's Drivetime programme today...

Interview with Prof Jonathan Jansen

This week I had the opportunity to interview the Vice Chancellor and Rector of the University of Free State, Prof Jonathan Jansen. This interview was first broadcast on The Voice of the Cape's Drivetime Show....

Reaction to President Jacob Zuma's fourth SONA

Last week President Jacob Zuma delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address, to a joint sitting of Parliament. This is what some politicians had to say after the speech. This audio was first broadcast on Voice of the Cape's Drivetime Show on Friday 10 February 2012...

Soundbytes from Somalia Part 4

Last year, Voice of the Cape Drivetime Presenter, Shafiq Morton travelled to the Horn of Africa with humanitarian aid organisation, Gift of the Givers. During his stay in Somalia he had the opportunity to speak to various volunteers who were part of the aid mission. This is part 4 of a series of features on Somalia, produced by Dorianne Arendse and Shafiq Morton... Soundbytes from Somalia part 4 by Darendse

Soundbytes from Somalia Part 3

Late last year, Voice of the Cape Drivetime Presenter, Shafiq Morton travelled with humanitarian aid organisation, Gift of the Givers to the Horn of Africa. This is part 3 of a series of features on Somalia, produced by Dorianne Arendse and Shafiq Morton. SOMALIA SOUNDBYTES PART 3 by Darendse

Soundbytes from Somalia Part 2

Late last year, Voice of the Cape Drivetime Presenter, Shafiq Morton travelled with humanitarian aid organisation, Gift of the Givers to the Horn of Africa. This is part 2 of a series of features on Somalia, produced by Dorianne Arendse and Shafiq Morton. SOMALIA SOUNDBYTES PART 2 by Darendse

Soundbytes from Somalia Part 1

Late last year, Voice of the Cape Drivetime Presenter, Shafiq Morton travelled with humanitarian aid organisation, Gift of the Givers to the Horn of Africa. This is part 1 of a series of features on Somalia, produced by Dorianne Arendse and Shafiq Morton. SOMALIA SOUNDBYTES PART 1 by Darendse

MK Celebrates 50 year anniversary

Last week I had the opportunity to interview former Rivonia trialist, Denis Goldberg about the role he played in Umkhonto weSizwe. This interview was first flighted on the Voice of the Cape Drivetime Show host by Shafiq Morton on 16 December 2011. DENIS GOLDBERG PART 1 by Darendse DENIS GOLDBERG PART 2 by Darendse

Flame of Democracy lit at Constitution Hill

Last Sunday Deputy President, Kgalema Mothlante lit the Flame of Democracy at Constitution Hill to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the signing of South Africa’s Constitution. The torch used by Deptuty President Mothlante to light the flame came from a candle lit by former President, Nelson Mandela at his home in Quna. VOC Current Affairs Producer, Dorianne Arendse spoke to Lauren Segal one of the members of the Constitutional Hill Trust about the exhibition that is currently taking place at the Constitutional Court… CONCOURT ANNIVERSARY by Darendse This interview was first aired on Voice of the Cape's Drivetime show on 14 December 2011

President Jacob Zuma honours political prisoners

Last week President Jacob Zuma honoured 134 political prisoners who were executed at the gallows at Pretoria Central Prison during Apartheid. Voice of the Cape Current Affairs Producer, Dorianne Arendse spoke to Mac Maharaj, the spokesperson for President Jacob Zuma about the event which took place on 15 December 2011... Pretoria Central Prison by Darendse This interview was first aired on the Voice of the Cape Drivetime Show on 14 December 2011