Sunday Times Politics Weekly

The collective noun for politicians is a lie of politician, and given the political week SA has had, it's little wonder why. From allegations of irregular spending that seem to have tainted health minister Zweli Mkhize illustrious political career, to the the circus around former president Jacob Zuma's corruption trial and finally to the seemingly unending State Capture Commission. No one could be...

What you will hear: (01:41)The government has tabled a revised offer of a 1.5% salary hike and a R978 cash gratuity for a year in a bid to end the stalemate in the public sector wage negotiations. This after almost three months of deadlocked talks at the Public Sector Co-ordinating Bargaining Council as the state previously insisted on a 0% salary hike and a wage freeze for the next three years —...

(01:30) With the National Executive Committee having confirmed ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s suspension, we consider if president Ramaphosa has managed to knocked out Magashule, or if Magashule is just down but not yet out. We consider whether Magashule will apologise for the falsified suspension letter he sent to the president and what this internal conflict means for the future of Luthul...

SA has had a dramatic political week. In this episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the Sunday Times politics team guides you through the ins and outs of SA’s biggest political news stories of the week. (01:56) The latest updates from the state capture inquiry, including Lucky Montana’s funding allegations against the ANC. We discuss what the allegations by the former CEO of the Passenger Rail...

SA has had a dramatic political week. In this episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the Sunday Times politics team guides you through the ins and outs of SA's biggest political news stories of the week. (01:14) The conversation begins with the Sunday Times politics team dissecting President Ramaphosa's responses before the State Capture Commission. The team considers if Ramaphosa did enough to...

SA has had a dramatic political week. In this episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the Sunday Times politics team guides you through the ins and outs of SA's biggest political news stories of the week. (01:09) The latest updates from the state capture commission, including the brazen burglary of the state capture inquiry administration offices in Parktown, where one computer and a monitor scre...

SA has had a dramatic political week. In this episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the Sunday Times politics team guides you through the ins and outs of SA's biggest political news stories of the week. (01:28) The latest updates from the state capture commission, including the failure of the estranged wife of former finance minister Malusi Gigaba, Norma Mngoma, to appear before the commission....

In this episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, we bring you an exciting interview between our host Mike Siluma and convicted former ANC councillor Andile Lungisa. Former ANC Nelson Mandela Bay councillor Lungisa was recently released from jail on parole. His release has angered many South Africans who took to social media to call out the ruling party for “wasting taxpayers' money”.  In this epis...

Tensions in the trucking industry have reached boiling point after a 45-year-old truck driver was shot and killed on Monday night, the latest in a string of attacks that has seen at least 30 trucks targeted in the past week. President Cyril Ramaphosa has spoken out against the carnage on SA's roads as truck drivers and companies have come under attack amid a spate of vehicle hijackings and protest...

In this week's episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the politics team, dive head-first into the topics of former President Jacob Zuma and his attempt to get Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo to recuse himself. They also consider what Shepard Bushiri's flee to his native country means for the future of his case and the country's politics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswi...

In this week's episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the politics team, with the help of commissioner Andre Gaum of the SA Human Rights Commission, dive headfirst into the topics of racial tensions at Brakenfell High and the arrest of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule.  They negotiate the fine line between a private social event and racial discrimination. They also consider what Magashule's a...

In this weeks episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the team looks into the system of coalition governments which has caused instability in many of SA's major cities. They discuss why they are becoming more prevalent in SA and why they cause such controversy. The team also tackles the latest from SA's longest ongoing political story, the state capture inquiry, where former SAA chairperson Dudu...

Politicians continue to frivolously spend taxpayer money. Well paid, expenses covered by the taxpayer and living opulently, SA politicians are living the high life.  In this episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the politics team finds themselves questioning the integrity of SA's politicians. They discuss the public works department's splurging of more than R226m of taxpayers' money to renovate...

From revelations of alleged “historical, personal, family and professional relations” to alleged subpoenaed bank statements, it's been a month of high drama between former president Jacob Zuma and deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo. In this week's episode of the Sunday Times Politics Weekly podcast, Sunday Times political editor Sibongakonke Shoba, deputy editor Mike Siluma and political reporter...

The Hawks on Wednesday arrested six people involved in the alleged masterminding of a R200m asbestos audit project in the Free State. Hawks spokesman Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi said that, "among those arrested are three senior government officials, three businessmen and five companies. The accused face 60 charges which include corruption, fraud, money laundering, contravention of the Prevention a...

SA's ruling party has been caught misusing funds ... again. The ANC this week came under fire and was accused of abusing state resources after a delegation of party leaders landed in Zimbabwe last week on a flight funded by taxpayers, for a meeting with Zanu-PF. In this week's edition, the Sunday Times politics team discusses this and the ANC's various past indiscretions. They come to the conclusi...

Identity politics and covert racism have without a doubt been thrust into the political spotlight this week.   In this week’s episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the team discusses the weeklong showdown between the EFF and Clicks over a racially demeaning hair-care advertisement posted on the Clicks website. They also dive into the DA’s new redress policy, which doesn’t address race. Hosted b...

This past weekend held an NEC meeting mainly dominated by discussions on the scourge of corruption in the ANC-led government. This follows media reports about ANC comrades, their family members and business friends helping themselves to personal protective equipment (PPE) tenders worth 100's of millions of rand in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In this episode of Sunday Times Politics We...

President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to take real action against ANC members found guilty of corruption, angry South Africans said in response to the president's letter to party members on Sunday. In this episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the politics team discusses the seven-page open letter, in which Ramaphosa said the anger of South Africans towards the ruling party is justified.  Hosted by S...

In today's episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the politics team discusses DA leader hopeful Mbali Ntuli tossing down the gauntlet on Monday by challenging interim leader John Steenhuisen to four televised debates as the race for the party's top position intensifies. The team also deals with the global embarrassment facing SA as a result of continuing Covid-19 corruption scandals. Hosted by S...

The president was in consultation on Wednesday night before an expected move to lockdown level 2. But the decision​, following the urging of directors-general, hinges on a nod from the virus command council and the cabinet. In this episode of the Sunday Times Politics Weekly podcast, the politics team considers SA's readiness to enter level 2 and what that may entail. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW...

Damaging claims of profiteering from Covid-19 contracts have split the ANC's top brass along pre-Nasrec lines, as leaders squabbled at the party's national executive committee (NEC) meeting over the weekend about how to deal with corruption allegations levelled against its leaders. In this episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the politics team discusses the latest allegations, the ANC's previo...

DA federal chairperson Helen Zille has been at it again on Twitter, this time claiming that there are more racist laws under the current government than there were during apartheid. These controversial comments have thrown the DA's racial politics into the spotlight, yet again.  In this episode of the Sunday Times Politics Weekly podcast, the team discusses Zille's tweets and what her presence mea...

An outcry and protests against gender-based violence are again gripping SA. This following an overwhelming wave of reports of women and children being murdered, raped and assaulted.  As the outcry begins to reach fever pitch, SA's political parties are chiming in with speeches of outrage and condemnation.  In this episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, we consider the comments made by various po...

In this episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, our political desk including political editor Sibongakonke Shoba reflects on South Africa's national lockdown thus far and how SA has responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Is our government to be commended or condemned for their sometimes controversial approach?  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...