Is South Africa’s national budget really working for our households? Phumi Mashigo examines what a truly community-centred national budget would look like, from food affordability and social grants to VAT increases, austerity, and fiscal anchors. This conversation is joined by Mervyn Abrahams, Programme coordinator at the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group; Dr Siphesihle Qange, Programme Manager at Seriti Institute; and Liso Mdutyana from Institute for Economic Justice. The Burning Platform

What has been delivered since the last State of the Nation (SONA), and what does that mean for ordinary South Africans? In his address last year, the President signalled a renewed focus on healthcare - from advancing the National Health Insurance (NHI) roll-out, to infrastructure upgrades for hospitals and clinics, to responding to the loss of major foreign health funding from PEPFAR and USAID. This episode helps you assess whether those promises moved beyond rhetoric into real change. Phumi Mashigo is joined by Matshidiso Lencoasa, budget expert with Section 27, the public interest law centre that tracks government policy and spending on essential services. The Burning Platform

What has changed since last year’s State of the Nation (SONA) promises? At last year’s SONA, water infrastructure was particularly framed as a national priority yet in parts of Johannesburg, the heart of South Africa’s economy, and in municipalities across the country, taps still run dry. Treatment plants fail. Maintenance collapses. Phumi Mashigo, along with Dr Ferrial Adam from WaterCAN, a civic organisation focused on water accountability, look at how this all came to be and whether we can have hope that the dire situation will actually improve. The Burning Platform

Can South Africa defend human rights without the power to enforce them? South Africa speaks confidently about justice, peace, and human rights on the world stage. But holding that position requires real capacity, and that’s where things get complicated. Phumi Mashigo explores the consequences of a country that still wants to lead morally, but may no longer have the muscle to do so. How does this affect South Africa’s standing - and the lives of its people? Human rights activist and Chairman of the Rwanda National

Congress (RNC), Frank Ntwali, and defence analyst and associate editor of The Daily Friend, Ricardo Teixeira, join the conversation to unpack what’s

changing, what’s being lost, and what it all means. The Burning Platform

This edition of Democracy Unplugged is a forward-looking conversation on

where South Africa, and the world, is headed politically. Phumi Mashigo

picks the brains of Ismael Steenkamp, ward 29 councillor from the

Patriotic Alliance; Solly Msimanga, leader of the opposition in the

Gauteng Legislature from the Democratic Alliance; and Lerato Madisha,

grassroots activist and community leader within the Gauteng government

from Build One South Africa. This is an insightful look at the impact

and the future of democracy.

Want to be part of the live audience? Democracy Unplugged records once a

month from our Sandton studios. Email [email protected] to

request free tickets. The Burning Platform

Higher education in South Africa - are we future-proofing the country, or stuck in an old system? Just after the grade 12 results have been released, Phumi Mashigo hosts a conversation that cuts through the feel-good headlines and asks harder questions about the system. She’s joined by Hendrik Makaneta, education activist, former teacher and director of the Foundation for Education and Social Justice, as well as Dr Linda Meyer; the managing director of ADvTECH, Africa's leading private education provider. The Burning Platform

How do South Africa’s laws and policies come to be, and what can you do to be part of the change? Phumi Mashigo dives into the stages and processes involved in making or changing a law, with RISE Mzansi’s Makashule Gana and The New South Institute’s Ivor Chipkin. This episode brings an understand of the nation’s policy making process, how the public can participate in the legislative process, and shedding light on some of the legal changes we can anticipate in 2026. The Burning Platform

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