What should citizens be watching — not emotionally, but analytically — as we head into 2026? Kicking off the new political year, Phumi Mashigo speaks to Dr Levy Ndou (political analyst and politics lecturer at the Tshwane University of Technology) for a catch-up on Jan 8, the 114th birthday of the ANC - a liberation movement that became a governing party, and now governs in coalition after losing its majority for the first time. Class is in session! The Burning Platform

What can we learn from 2025 to anticipate where the world is going next year? In this year-end conversation, State of the Nation host Mike Sham joins Phumi Mashigo for an unfiltered assessment of our political reality. This conversation cuts through the spin to examine local and global happenings, asking what the year truly revealed about accountability and the political path going forward. The Burning Platform

What will it take to turn South Africa’s municipal crisis around? Can

local government still be rescued before the 2026 elections?

In this follow-up episode of Democracy Unplugged, moderator Phumi

Mashigo brings together panelists from multiple political parties to

confront the question head-on. Featuring Afrika Mayibuye Movement’s

Sydney Baloyi, PAC’s Jaki Seroke, GOOD’s Sarah Mabotsa and Action SA’s

Kholofelo Morodi. The Burning Platform

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is re-writing the rules. Are we ready? In this episode of Democracy Unplugged Timothy Maurice Webster leads a dynamic conversation with AI experts George Nichas, Callan Abrahams and Mushambi Mutuma on how AI is reshaping work, creativity, governance, and daily life. The Burning Platform

What does South Africa need now, according to Floyd Shivambu? And will he be the answer to our political problems? Phumi Mashigo unpacks the evolution behind the headlines with him - from the ANC Youth League to the EFF, a stint in MK, and now his role in shaping the Afrika Maibuye Movement. Is this reinvention or conviction in motion? Floyd speaks candidly about ideological consistency, political disillusionment, organisational decay, and why he believes South Africa still needs a true revolutionary movement. If you've ever wondered what motivates a strategist to abandon comfort for controversy, this conversation is essential listening. The Burning Platform

Johannesburg is falling apart - power cuts, potholes, broken pipes,

waste piling up, and corruption choking the city that once symbolised

South Africa’s promise. But one of the country’s most formidable

political figures says she can fix it. Phumi Mashigo sits down with

Helen Zille, the former Mayor of Cape Town, Western Cape Premier, and

now 2026 Johannesburg Mayoral candidate for the Democratic Alliance.

She’s one of the most polarising voices in South African politics, and

the question that everyone’s been whispering is asked: Can she really

save Johannesburg? The Burning Platform

Local government is meant to be the heartbeat of democracy. But as cities crumble, services collapse, and trust erodes, South Africans are asking: can our municipalities still be saved? In this episode of Democracy Unplugged, host Phumi Mashigo leads an honest discussion with a panel of political leaders tackling the state of local governance ahead of the 2026 municipal elections. From collapsing infrastructure to coalition chaos as well as lessons from the GNU, this episode asks what real local leadership should look like in 2026 and beyond. The Burning Platform

What does it really take to root out corruption in South Africa?

Stand-in host Xavier Bapoo speaks to former South African Police Service

(SAPS) Anti-Corruption Unit head Stefan Grobler and specialist

investigator Mike Bolhuis about the deep-seated culture of corruption

exposed by the Madlanga Commission. This conversation lays bare the

forces eroding accountability, looking at political interference, the

dismantling of anti-corruption structures to the risks faced by

investigators on the front lines, exploring what it will take to rebuild

integrity and justice in South Africa’s institutions, and more. The Burning Platform

What does South Africa’s G20 presidency mean for the country’s future?

In this episode of LevelUp, Phumi speaks with Ercilia Mata Ubisse, Regional Head for the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and a member of the Startup20 Foundations & Alliances Taskforce, to unpack how small business, collaboration, and policy can reshape global development from an African lens. The Burning Platform

How does a values-based politics survive in a system built on power and pragmatism? And what drives a leader who still speaks of conviction in an age of calculation? In the noise of South Africa’s political landscape in flux, African Transformation Movement’s parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula stands out for being both familiar and unexpected: a young leader who speaks the language of faith, morality, and transformation. In this episode, he speaks to Phumi Mashigo about making his way through the dynamics of politics: the old liberation parties are grappling with legitimacy, new alliances are reshaping the centre, and voters are searching for voices that sound like conviction - not convenience. The Burning Platform