Democracy Unplugged

Most small businesses have not received any support or relief funding during the extended lockdown, and the recent looting activities haven’t helped. Economist Mike Schussler and Township Entrepreneur Developer Bulelani Balabala join the team to talk about the state of SA’s economy, and how to potentially save it.

Dr Jonathan Witt and Leeto Nthoba join the team to analyse the difference between pro Zuma actions and the actions of looters. Plus a look at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s timid response, and why his leadership style makes the situation worse.

Jacob Zuma turning himself in is the hot topic of the day. What are the implications of this, and can we trust the ANC again? These are just some of the things that the team - alongside Sipho Shezi (published author on politics and international relations) and Mighti Jamie (multi award-winning international debating and public speaking champion and coach) unpack this week.

With everything that has transpired in the news, the team wonders if Jacob Zuma will really go to jail. They have a candid conversation with Chris Fisher, legal researcher at The Helen Suzman Foundation, about Zuma’s sentencing and what to expect. Gabriel Crouse from the Institute of Race Relations then sheds some light on racism, and how it might not be the problem it’s perceived to be.

Is there ever a quiet week in politics? Never, right? So if you’ve missed out on some of the buzz, The Burning Platform is here to catch you up on things, with analysis from one of the country’s sharpest minds. Gareth Van Onselen - who is a liberal, a humanist and a published author... but most of all, a political animal with a deep love for ideas, statistics and argument - joins the team this week.

There’s arguably never been a more important time to look at energy in Africa. In this edition of The Burning Platform, the team speaks to an expert on this matter. NJ Ayuk has spent two decades negotiating African oil and gas deals, and now has a grasp of the continent's energy landscape that few can match. He shares why Africa's fledgling natural gas industry can become an international powerhouse, how the continent can improve its notoriously unreliable, economy-sapping power industry, why American energy companies should stop curtailing their investments in Africa, and why the continent's energy industry needs more women.

Between abrupt power cuts, press releases that leave us confused and schedules that change by the day... what is Eskom doing and where is it headed? What do you need to know about it? To get to the bottom of this, the team speaks to energy expert and mining consultant Ted Blom, someone who always speaks his mind on this topic.

According to Phumi, education is a long-term solution, but we need short-term fixes to get the South African economy back on track. Martin van Staden - jurist and author - joins the teams to unpack his approach to public policy from a libertarian perspective. Which are the best performing economies, and what should our government be doing to improve the lives of the unemployed?

Another week in South African politics that has been anything but quiet. This week, key politicians came under the spotlight with new allegations of corruption. One of those politicians is Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, who has spoken out at a briefing against the controversial multi-million rand communications tender awarded by his department to a company called Digital Vibes. Wayne Duvenage, CEO of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, chats to Gareth about all this and more.

According to the Institute of Race Relations, Critical Race Theory and race-based policy are at odds with what most South Africans want. The report further provides a robust argument for why, even with the best intentions, BEE as a practical implementation of Critical Race Theory can never work as intended. Where does that put the country today? Writer and analyst Gabriel Crouse joins the team to discuss further.