Daily Maverick

In this episode, The Readiness Report’s host, Redi Tlhabi, takes apart the Army Chief’s eyebrow-raising trip to Iran, in the very week South Africa is scrambling to ease US tariffs. She calls it an own goal of epic proportions, a foreign-policy free-for-all, and a masterclass in how not to win friends or influence markets. 

This episode is brought to you by global investment manager Ninety One: 
https://ninetyone.com/en/south-africa 

Produced by Emilie Gambade, Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa 

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including Spotify! 

Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. 
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/ 

00:09 South Africa's Trade Dilemma 
00:36 Importance of US Market 
00:41 General's Controversial Visit to Iran 
01:02 Welcome to the Readiness Report 
01:10 DIRCO's Clarification 
02:28 Anti-US Sentiments and Reactions 
02:55 DIRCO's Statement Analysis 
03:49 Foreign Policy Confusion 
06:27 Strategic Interests and Missteps 
09:33 Leadership and Coordination Issues 
11:35 Strategic Gains and International Relations 
12:57 Call for Leadership and Strategy

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify!
Support journalism that protects democracy.
Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick

Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos
Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick
Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/
Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa

Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of The Readiness Report, Redi Tlhabi speaks with Judd Devermont, academic, former Special Assistant to President Biden, and author of Post Strategy, a Substack on US foreign policy in Africa, to unpack the evolving landscape of US foreign assistance and shifting global power dynamics. Together, they explore how aid strategies are changing, what’s beginning to unravel, and what it all means for diplomacy, influence, and Africa’s place in a rapidly transforming world.

This episode is brought to you by global investment manager Ninety One: https://ninetyone.com/en/south-africa

00:19 America's Shift in Focus Post-1994
00:38 Biden Administration's Global Focus
01:31 Challenges in South African Institutions
02:48 US Jobs Report and Political Manipulation
04:29 Diplomacy in Turbulent Times
04:39 US Foreign Assistance in Africa
05:28 Global Political Dynamics
07:40 Next Generation Diplomacy
10:19 Misunderstandings in US-Africa Relations
16:52 The Role of African Leadership
25:08 Special Envoys vs. Ambassadors
 

Produced by Emilie Gambade, Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa
You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including Spotify!

Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. 
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify!
Support journalism that protects democracy.
Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick

Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos
Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick
Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/
Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa

Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Power Chat, Daily Maverick’s Rebecca Davis speaks with investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh about his recent exposé on Independent Development Trust’s suspended CEO, Tebogo Malaka, and her attempt to bribe him. Myburgh unpacks how the story developed, what led him to a face-to-face meeting with Malaka and her spokesperson in a Western Cape restaurant, and the behind-the-scenes steps taken to expose the truth.

01:24 Understanding the Independent Development Trust (IDT) 
04:24 The Oxygen Plant Scandal 06:37 Investigating the IDT CEO, Tebo Malaka 
07:53 Political Schemes and Allegations 
10:31 The Bribery Setup 
11:24 The Meeting 
14:20 The Bribe Offer 
16:37 Documenting the Bribe 
20:51 Reactions and Aftermath 
22:18 Reflections on Corruption 
23:25 Ongoing Investigations 

Hosted by: Rebecca Davis 
Guest: Pieter-Louis Myburgh 
Produced by: Emilie Gambade, Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa 
Original Theme Music & Design by: Bernard Kotze 

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including Spotify! 
https://open.spotify.com/show/6vQ3HkDUOE5br035sJ8JpZ 

Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. 
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify!
Support journalism that protects democracy.
Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick

Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos
Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick
Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/
Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa

Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In what could be the most brazen act of attempted bribery ever recorded on camera in South Africa, the IDT’s suspended CEO and the entity’s spokesperson offered Daily Maverick investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh R60,000 in cash to bury an ongoing investigation into her dodgy property dealings. 

Reporting by: Pieter-Louis Myburgh 
Edited by: Malibongwe Tyilo 
In-studio filming by: Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa 
Produced by: Emilie Gambade 
Sub-edited by: Krash King 

Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify!
Support journalism that protects democracy.
Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick

Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos
Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick
Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/
Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa

Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of The Readiness Report, Redi Tlhabi sits down with veteran journalist Phillip van Niekerk to unpack the geopolitical chaos unleashed by Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs. From South Africa to Brazil, global economies are reeling, and the implications run deeper than trade. Are we witnessing the collapse of multilateralism, or the rise of something far more personal and dangerous? Tune in for sharp analysis and commentary, and to hear more about why this matters for South Africa right now. 

00:42 Trump's Tariff Disruption 
02:08 Global Reactions to Tariffs 
02:59 South Africa's Perspective 
04:30 Global Economic Chaos 
05:14 Impact on South Africa's Economy 
05:45 American Economy Under Strain 
08:16 Trump's Misunderstanding of Trade 
10:16 Legal and Political Ramifications 
11:54 South Africa's Trade Challenges 
13:10 Trump's Unpredictable Behavior 
17:16 China's Strategic Response 
18:34 Future Trade Relationships 
27:22 Geopolitical Chess Game 

Produced by Emilie Gambade, Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa 

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including Spotify! 

Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify!
Support journalism that protects democracy.
Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick

Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos
Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick
Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/
Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa

Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Daily Maverick’s Marianne Thamm reflects on the passing (and longevity!) of our rock gods and how the spirit of rebellion continues to evolve in a world increasingly defined by noise. 

Reporting by: Marianne Thamm 
Filmed by: Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa 
Edited by: Rufaro Chiswo 
Produced by: Emilie Gambade 
Sub-edited by: Kevin Flynn 

Marianne Thamm is a South African journalist, author and stand-up comedian. She is the assistant editor of the Daily Maverick and has written several books. In 2016, she released the memoir, Hitler, Verwoerd, Mandela and me. 

If you like this video, subscribe to our YouTube channel for more. Would you like to become a Maverick Insider and support our journalism? Click here for all the details: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify!
Support journalism that protects democracy.
Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick

Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos
Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick
Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/
Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa

Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some people don’t have an ‘inner voice’, but maybe those who do shouldn’t be smug, says Daily Maverick Associate Editor, Marianne Thamm. 

Reporting by: Marianne Thamm 
Filmed by: Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa 
Edited by: Joel Seboa 
Produced by: Emilie Gambade 
Sub-edited by: Ian Wolstenholme 

Marianne Thamm is a South African journalist, author and stand-up comedian. She is the assistant editor of the Daily Maverick and has written several books. In 2016, she released the memoir, Hitler, Verwoerd, Mandela and me. 

If you like this video, subscribe to our YouTube channel for more. Would you like to become a Maverick Insider and support our journalism? Click here for all the details: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify!
Support journalism that protects democracy.
Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick

Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos
Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick
Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/
Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa

Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this solo episode of The Readiness Report, Redi Tlhabi cuts through the panic and misinformation surrounding the US–SA Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025. Are sanctions really imminent? What stage is the bill really at? From Washington, Tlhabi explains the legislative process, the politics behind the headlines, and why it’s crucial to stay informed, not alarmed. 

00:27 Understanding the Legislative Process 
01:39 Current Developments and Misreporting 
02:10 Clarifying the Sanctions Situation 
04:10 The Role of the Global Magnitsky Act 
05:25 Review of Bilateral Relations 
06:28 The Real Motive: The ICJ Case 
06:48 Corruption and Accountability 
07:30 Foreign Influence and Domestic Issues 
08:19 Historical Corruption Cases 
09:08 US Multinationals and Corruption 
12:35 South Africa's Diplomatic Engagement 
16:04 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 

Produced by Emilie Gambade, Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa 

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including Spotify! 

Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify!
Support journalism that protects democracy.
Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick

Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos
Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick
Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/
Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa

Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Redi Tlhabi speaks with journalist and author Michela Wrong about the murky peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. What’s really driving this latest effort: justice, minerals, or Trump’s quest for a Nobel Peace Prize? Wrong unpacks the long-standing roots of the conflict, Rwanda’s covert military interventions, and the DRC’s strategic value in a world desperate for critical minerals. Together, they explore the price of transactional peace, the manipulation of genocide trauma, and the fragile political future of both nations.

Michela Wrong has spent more than three decades writing about Africa, working for the likes of Reuters, the BBC, Financial Times, Guardian, New Statesman and Spectator. Her books include “In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz”, the story of Mobutu Sese Seko, “I didn’t do it for you”, on Eritrea, “It’s Our Turn to Eat”, an examination of Kenyan corruption, and “Borderlines”, a novel set in the Horn. Her latest book, “Do Not Disturb”, is a critique of Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s repressive rule.

01:50 The Assassination of Patrick Cara
03:33 Rwanda's Involvement in the DRC
06:53 The M23 Rebel Group
08:21 US Involvement and Peace Deal
10:18 Skepticism and Hope for Peace
11:10 The Role of the US in African Peacekeeping
19:13 Paul Kagame's Leadership and Tactics
21:02 Kagame's Recent Disappearance
24:50 The UN Report on the DRC
26:36 Joseph Kabila and Eastern Congo

Produced by Emilie Gambade, Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa 

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including Spotify! 

Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify!
Support journalism that protects democracy.
Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick

Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos
Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick
Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/
Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa

Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a solo episode of The Readiness Report, Redi Tlhabi turns the microphone on her own industry — calling out how South African broadcasting has mishandled coverage of US–South Africa relations. From misplaced outrage to narratives driven by vested interests, Tlhabi unpacks the dangers of a media captured by factional agendas and reminds us what journalism is, and isn’t, meant to do. 

00:29 Media's Role in US-SA Relations 
01:19 The Influence of Vested Interests 
02:38 Understanding US Legislative Processes 
03:31 The First Proposed Bill 
08:07 The Second Proposed Bill 
10:21 The Importance of Background Checks 
15:09 Symbolism in Legislation 
16:16 Media's Role in Shaping Perception 
20:51 Opinion Pieces and Their Impact 
21:54 The Bigger Picture 
23:26 Call for Discernment 

Produced by Emilie Gambade, Bernard Kotze & Joel Seboa 

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including Spotify! 

Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/insider/

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify!
Support journalism that protects democracy.
Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick

Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos
Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick
Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/
Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/
Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa

Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.