BizNews Radio

Monique Le Roux, a senior researcher at the CSIR who specialises in energy and electricity, applies her mind to the challenges and potential solutions for SA’s energy crisis. She also touches on recent revelations of corruption in the country’s public utility, as well as the delays in the renewables program. Le Roux emphasises the importance of gas as a low-hanging fruit, but the government’s lack of leadership and policy direction is a big obstacle. Also covered in the interview are the potential of fracking in the Karoo and its impact on the country’s energy supply. She spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews.

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Ukraine’s ambassador to South Africa has been waiting six months for an audience with the country’s Defence Minister to hear what happened with the Russian vessel Lady R, the alleged recipient of SA arms to Russia. Ambassador Luibov Abravitova remains hopeful on that, as she does about SA’s ability to recognise it’s impossible to be “non-aligned” on the UN Charter - or on granting immunity to international war criminals. It’s a fascinating interview by the Ukrainian diplomat charged with one of her country’s most challenging assignments. She reminds us that Ukraine and South Africa have a long history of cooperation and both are young democracies (Ukraine in 1991; SA in 1994) which sacrificed much for their freedom. Also, they both voluntarily gave up their nuclear arsenal, which, in Ukraine’s instance, the world's third largest, which was and in return for supposedly rock-solid sovereign nation protection guarantees from the US, UK and Russia. She spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews.

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Despite astonishing advances in science and technology over the last several decades, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, with an estimated 9.96 million people dying from cancer in 2020. Dr Thomas Seyfried, a professor at Boston College and a prominent researcher and professor in the field of cancer biology and metabolic therapy, believes this is a result of a misunderstanding as to what cancer is. Over a decade ago, Seyfried, a trailblazer in the arena of conquering cancer, published his groundbreaking book Cancer as a Metabolic Disease: On the Origin, Management, and Prevention of Cancer, which provided extensive information showing that cancer can be best defined as a mitochondrial metabolic disease rather than as a genetic disease. This theory has incredible implications for the development of new non-toxic cancer therapies. In an interview with Dr Seyfried, he explained the virtues of this concept, the dogmatic ideology that is suppressing its development in mainstream medicine, and how the current cancer treatment is killing patients. A stunning interview with thought-provoking revelations.

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There is much to admire about activist Ian Cameron. Smart, brave and articulate, he is best known for standing up to grandstanding police minister Bheki Cele at a public meeting in July last year. Cameron works at NGO Action Society and is focused on getting justice for the most vulnerable in South African society - primarily abused women and children living in poverty. This week, Cameron was in court again, fighting for the family of Siphokazi Booi, a woman whose horrific murder, he believes, would have been avoided but for police indifference. Cameron points to the deep malaise in the SA Police Service, which pays R1.2bn a year in taxpayer money to an astonishing 600 brigadiers and 200 generals - most of whom are political appointments. But there is a ray of hope from the Western Cape. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews.

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Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow Minister Dr Dion George says South Africa is already being punished with “silent sanctions” for the pro-Russia stance of the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Dr George - who was part of a recent DA delegation that engaged with “players” in the US State Department, the Senate and the House - tells BizNews that DA officials implored Washington to renew its special trade agreement (AGOA) with South Africa in 2025 - despite its unhappiness with the ANC alignment with Russia. He provides a list a solutions to protect the economy from disastrous consequences - and also assures South Africa that it is not all “doom and gloom” - and that there is still time to turn the economy around.

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The allegations of arms shipments to Russia have raised doubts about South Africa’s neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict. These accusations have strained relations with the West, risking the loss of South Africa’s duty-free access to the US market. The South African Reserve Bank has also expressed concerns about potential censure due to perceived closeness to Russia. In an interview with BizNews, a veteran writer on foreign affairs and diplomacy, Jean Jacques Cornish warned the South African Government not to underestimate the significance of the US government. People, he said, often say, “Don’t poke the Russian Bear, but he would say, “Don’t put your finger in the eye of the American Eagle, because it is going to cause you a lot of trouble.”

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After decades as South Africa's arch bear, political scientist Dr Frans Cronje has of late been a surprising outlier in the gloomy norm. In this interview, the chairman of the Social Research Foundation shares upbeat conclusions after detailed research into how to fix load-shedding. The solutions, he explains, are relatively simple and already being enacted. And from the ANC's perspective, should be perfectly timed to provide a welcome boost to flagging voter support just ahead of next year's critical National Election. He spoke to Alec Hogg of Biznews.

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The Democratic Alliance has launched a court application to force the South African Government to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin should he set foot in South Africa for the BRICS summit in August. In an interview with BizNews, DA Shadow Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Glynnis Breytenbach said that the DA is taking pre-emptive action to avoid a repeat of the Al-Bashir saga. She said the South African government is playing a dangerous game.

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The eyes of the international world are once again turning to South Africa after Russian President Vladimir Putin has been given diplomatic immunity to attend the upcoming BRICS summit. BizNews talks to Prague-based analyst and host of The Geopolitical Pickle podcast, Ronan Wordsworth, about the logistics and implications of such a visit: an advance party of Russian security agents to keep the paranoid Putin safe from assassination - and maybe even a body double or two. Wordsworth says South Africa is sending a strong message to the West, but warns that Russia may not have much to offer South Africa in return for its support. He also speaks about the return to Cold War dynamics on the Continent - and tots up what Russia, China and the US are bringing to the table.

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As we're one of its business partners, the AltVest story has been closely followed by BizNews. So one year after going public, it is disappointing that CEO Warren Wheatley's dream of delivering one private company listing a month has not been fulfilled. He says in this interview that a severely constrained South African consumer and realities of engineering a private equity revolution worked against AltVest - but with two underlying assets on its boards, there has been progress. Wheatley explains how the economic realities of an energy-starved South Africa forced the business to pivot. He also delivers a compelling Altvest listing sales pitch to Alec Hogg of BizNews.

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