Chief executive of diversified miner Sibanye-Stillwater, Neal Froneman joined the BizNews team on a day where one of the world's largest precious metals producers announced record financials. Froneman notes that although the robust commodity prices were a tailwind for the business, operationally performance was excellent. There has been much speculation around the renown deal-maker looking to merge with the likes of Gold Fields or AngloGold, creating a mining behemoth that could compete with international peers such as Barrick Gold or Rio Tinto. Froneman says this is off the table and Sibanye will rather try to accelerate its move to commodities that will benefit from the shift to a clean energy economy.

A first in South Africa’s post-1994 history occurred this week when a substantial majority of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) voted to uphold a gross misconduct finding against Western Cape judge president John Hlophe. This decision by the JSC paves the way for an impeachment process by parliament. In order to unpack the process and the allegations against Hlophe, BizNews spoke to Paul Hoffman SC from Accountability Now. While many many hope that this is a turning point for the country, Hoffman stated frankly that ‘I think the turning point should have come many years ago. If he is impeached, which I doubt will happen, but if he is impeached - that will be an indication that the ANC s commitment to the rule of law is genuine and not lip service to the rule of law. If the ANC votes in his favor, it will be a turning point towards the cliff that is marked 'failed state'.’

Counterpoint Value Fund manager Piet Viljoen joins BizNews founder Alec Hogg as co-host of the BizNews Power Hour to weigh in on a number of topics in the news. Viljoen shares GG Alcock's sentiments on the SA unemployment rate and says that pharmaceutical companies should make money from producing vaccines, despite what many might say. "If they make money out of this, I think it's a good thing. I'm all for people making money by solving problems for other people. I think that's how the world should work and it should work that way more often," he says. Viljoen also chats briefly about investing, Old Mutual, and Italtile's positive results despite 18 months in a brutal Covid-19 pandemic.

In this episode of the BizNews Power Hour, Alec Hogg is joined by co-host Piet Viljoen talking vaccine producing company stocks; Advocate Paul Hoffman unpacks judge Hlophe's impeachment; Italtile CEO Jan Potgieter on the group's year-end results; Paul Whitburn, director and portfolio manager at Rozendal Partners, on China’s current communist moves and the BizNews Power Hour Team.

News headlines:

*A substantial majority of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) voted to uphold a gross misconduct finding against Western Cape judge president John Hlophe, paving the way for an impeachment process by parliament.

*State-owned airline company South African Airways (SAA) has announced it will resume flights on 23 September 2021.

*SA’s greenhouse gas emissions increased 10% in the 17 years since 2000, according to the latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, which was published by the department of environment, forestry and fisheries this week.

Italtile's outgoing chief executive Jan Potgieter joined the BizNews Power Hour on a day that the retailer announced record financial results. Italtile has been one of the best performing companies on the JSE for the better part of a decade with management's decision making and capital allocation at the centre of its success. The home improvement trend has been a tailwind for the industry but Jan remains confident that its disciplined investment in organic growth will continue to lead the business to new heights. Jan's tenure ends in December, another unfortunate case of 'brain drain' in South Africa, although he outlines his successor Lance Foxcroft is a more than able replacement to lead one of the darlings of the local bourse.

GG Alcock joined the BizNews Power Hour, on the day after the unemployment data for South Africa were released. The figures showed horrific numbers, but Alcock provides some context on the numbers - and the way they’re put together. The author of “Kasinomics: African Informal Economies and the People Who Inhabit Them” weighs in on the world-leading unemployment figures, noting that “we have to define how we measure unemployment. One of the big problems with the numbers that we see is that it says unemployment, not formal unemployment.”

"A mandatory vaccine policy is absolutely critical," says Professor Keymanthri Moodley, a bioethicist and director of the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law at Stellenbosch University. Professor Moodley joined BizNews to explain exactly why she believes that a mandatory vaccine policy is necessary for 'high-risk environments'. She says that healthcare workers are exhausted and will soon develop compassion fatigue, a dangerous prospect for anyone who needs urgent medical attention. She also says it's the only way to ensure an increase in economic activity and prevent further lockdowns. "It's in the best interest of the government and the country to have a good mandatory policy in place and to ensure that people are healthy and safe and can return to employment and other activities as soon as possible," she says.

In this episode of the BizNews Power Hour, Alec Hogg is joined by co-host Magnus Heystek; Kasinomic's GG Alcock on unemployment stats versus the local economy; the launch of Altron Fintech's Household Financial Resilience Index with Dr Roelof Botha; why mandatory vaccination is in the public interest with Keymanthri Moodley and the BizNews Power Hour team.

News headlines:

*South Africa’s government unveiled a master plan aimed at harnessing a R28bn cannabis industry that could potentially create as many as 25,000 jobs and help attract foreign investment.

*South Africa’s economy is 11% bigger than previously estimated, after statistics authorities changed the way they calculate gross domestic product.

*National Treasury has submitted the Second Special Appropriation Bill to parliament, seeking to unlock R32.9bn in extra funding.