For the past month, we’ve been collecting all your burning issues as part of our Parliament Challenge campaign. Entries are now closed and you can vote for the best submission on our Facebook page. Here are the five shortlisted entries:

Free sanitary towels for women 

Entrant: Pontsho Pilane (25)

It’s estimated that female learners miss out on a week of school per month because of their periods. Johannesburg-based entrant Pontsho Pilane wants to address this. She would like parliament to provide free sanitary towels to high school learners in underprivileged communities as well as address the shortage of gynecologists in the public sector.

Transforming higher education

Entrant: Gcobisa Yani (30)

At the core of the recent wave of nationwide student protests is the call for transformation. Gcobisa Yani, from Stellenbosch, wants parliament to fast-track transformation in South African universities. She suggests that a special emphasis be put on previously white universities.

Encouraging police transparency

Entrant: Anele Wondo (28)

Cape Town-based Anele Wondo’s is dedicated to making relations between young people and police easier. He wants parliament to develop mechanisms that would make it easier for both parties to talk to each other. Young people, says Wondo, should be given a platform where they can openly and easily discuss how crime affects them.

Digitising the public health system

Entrant: Palesa Khumalo (27)

Palesa Khumalo is proposing an app that would create an automated system to capture patient data accurately and with ease. As things stand, accessing the public health system includes long queues and paperwork that is manually stored  in physical filing systems. The suggest app, or mobile system would mean a patient’s file could be loaded at any hospital countrywide, cutting down the effort and cost required for physical paperwork.

Improving disabled people’s access to education

Entrant: Vicky Denise Chili

Over 500 000 children with disabilities have no access to education. This locks them out of the economy. Vicky Denise Chili hopes to change this. Her submission is aimed at improving access to education for disabled people, which would increase their chances of employment.

Be sure to visit our Facebook page. We’ll be posting each entry and you can vote by liking the one you think is the best. Terms and Conditions below:

1. By entering Parliament Challenge, entrants agree to all the rules set out below.
2. This competition is open to all residents or citizens of South Africa over the age of eighteen (18) years (any persons under the age of eighteen (18) must have their parent/guardian’s permission before entering). However, the following persons are not eligible to enter: directors; employees; advisors; and the immediate family members of these persons (including their spouses, life partners, parents, children, brothers and sisters).
3. The competition runs during the month of October 2015.
4. To participate in the competition and stand a chance to present to MPs and win a nights stay in Cape Town the following needs to be completed:
   1. Submit entry online or to a VIP team member before 19 October 2015.
   2. Be willing for your entry to be modified into a submission fit for presentation to MPs.
   3. Must be available and willing to be coached, mentored and actively take part in preparations (modifying submission and prepping to present the submission) in person, telephonically and/or via Skype (winner must have access to a stable Internet connection and the Skype application), so that he/she is adequately prepared for presenting his/her submission to MPs.
   4. Must be available and able to travel to Cape Town during the month of November 2015 – should the winner not reside in the Western Cape, transport to and from Cape Town will be provided with airport/station transfers provided.
5. Voting opens on 21 October 2015 and the winner will be announced on livemag.co.za on 9 November 2015. The winner will be notified telephonically. Should the initial winner not be reachable telephonically between 2-4 November 2015, another winner will be chosen.
6. There is only one winner who receives the prize.
7. The winner will be required to sign an indemnity form, provide a copy of his/her South African ID book and may be required to provide his/her banking details proof of banking and any other required documents to a representative from Livity Africa. The potential winner is not an actual winner until his/her submission is validated and his/her required documents completed and submitted to Livity Africa. In the event of non-compliance with these terms and conditions by the potential winner, the prize will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen, subject to all conditions herein.
8. Livity Africa, VIP nor Live SA is responsible for the personal safety of the winner or any personal and/or financial loss he/she may incur during his/her travels to and stay in Cape Town.
9. The prize is not transferable.
10. Winners will be required to appear across media including but not limited to television, radio, print publications, and/or online sites to endorse, promote or advertise the Parliament Challenge competition, VIP campaign and Live SA.