Democracy Unplugged

Kanthan Pillay is joined by Mpiyakhe Dhlamini - an anarchy-capitalist, formerly a libertarian and formerly a socialist. The duo discuss Trump and the impeachment, and a potential recession in the horizon. Meanwhile, hot off the press, Minister Pravin Gordhan has announced what seems to be a bailout for a crippled SAA. Sexual allegations and that of an affair made public could be a devastating if not handled properly. Find out how best to deal with such a situation. Finally, the panel share their projections for the South African economy in 2020.

On the back of the SAA strike, their disgruntled employees are now up in arms over being paid only half of their salaries. Kanthan Pillay joins in via Skype and weighs in on this with a logical explanation. Dali Mpofu and Tembeka Ngcukaitobi are on different ends of a legal battle for the first time, in what’s been dubbed a legal ‘derby’. Gareth, who has personally dealt with them both in his own legal woes, gives his opinion.

Kanthan Pillay is joined by Jan-Jan Joubert and they get into all sorts, including the impeachment hearings. In other news, there's a new sheriff at Eskom, but is he the right person to turn this failed state-owned entity around? Kanthan voices some strong opinions on this topic. What do you think the future looks like for white people in SA? Jan-Jan has written a book about this topic, and Kanthan shares his opinion. The team also discuss the SAA debacle and where it’s likely to end.

Journalist Qaanitah Hunter is in studio - she has covered some of the biggest political stories in SA and has recently put it all into a book titled 'Balance of Power: Ramaphosa and the future of South Africa'. SAA has seen its fair share of controversy and is back in the spotlight for strike action, which will potentially leave many commuters stranded. The panel look into the contributing factors for the parastatal's financial woes. Then, Kanthan reveals his unsympathetic side...

We’re joined by Law graduate Jamie Mighti, and he has a very interesting theory on how we could boost our workforce through empowering the next generation of leaders using coding. The team then air their opinions of Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, and the ways in which they think we could boost our ailing economy. The BLF was recently deregistered as a political party, but could they have contributed to their own demise?

Kanthan Pillay and Dawie Scholtz join Gareth for some topical conversation. With the recent spate of resignations and reshuffling in the Democratic Alliance, the panel give their analysis on the matter. On the back of yesterday’s Budget speech, the two guests weigh in with their opinions, and, we get their thoughts on what the best solution is for Eskom with their current debt.

Right off the back of the major resignations from the Democratic Alliance (DA), Kanthan Pillay chimes in on these decisions with Gareth, a few hours after Mmusi Maimane and Athol Trollip have stepped down. Journalist Kgothatso Madisa calls in to express what he experienced at the DA press conference. Could the future of the DA lie in a coalition with the ANC? The team discuss this, and other big political stories of the week, including a chat about the state of Eskom with Giulietta Talevi, Money editor at the Financial Mail.

Barry Bateman uttered some comments not so long ago regarding EFF leader Julius Malema. The Burning Platform team weigh in on his apology, and the stance Primedia has taken on this matter. The team also discuss the state of the DA, and what the future looks like for their leader Mmusi Maimane. Kanthan Pillay explains why we are buying oil from Arab countries and overlooking our neighbours, Angola and Nigeria.

Gareth and Kanthan are joined by eNCA journalist Michael Appel, who gives his take on the State Capture Inquiry this week, and shares insight on Duduzane Zuma’s well-curated responses. An amended Employment Equity bill is on the cards, and Gareth seems to have some intel. Finally, the team get into the DA’s disarray as a political party.

Ivo Vegter joins the panel this week. Many people believe in religion, but today we take a closer look at why. Was Greta Thunberg used as a pawn in someone's agenda? There are mixed opinions in studio. Is the taxation regime in SA fair? Kanthan Pillay weighs in and breaks it down for everyone. The team chat about the morality of politicians accepting large donations, despite earning grossly high salaries.