Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced in his 2025 budget speech that there will be an increase in taxes on cigarettes and alcohol products, otherwise known as “sin taxes”. But when will these come into effect and can retailers apply the mark-up on their existing inventory? Lester Kiewit speaks to Prof. Corné van Walbeek, Professor at the School of Economics, and the Director of REEP (Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products) at the University of Cape Town.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The older generation in South Africa were taught a different version of South Africa’s history, and with it came a number of incorrect narratives. Lester Kiewit speaks to Thula Simpson, Associate Professor of History at the University of Pretoria, about the challenge of telling the “correct” version of history, given the old saying that “history is written by the victors”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hostage rescue after train seized by Pakistan separatists; the world digests a 25% tax on steel in Donald Trump’s tariff war, a road through the Amazon ironically being built for climate summit. Adam Gilchrist shares details on these stories with Lester Kiewit.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How is the City of Cape Town planning for growth over the next few decades? Will property sizes become smaller as a result of densification? Lester Kiewit speaks to Annelise De Bruin, Manager of the Metro Spatial Planning & Growth Management branch at the City of Cape Town.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lester Kiewit speaks to author and political commentator Ebrahim Harvey about whether the Democratic Alliance is de-campaigning the ANC from within the GNU. An example being how they have publicised their opposition to the proposed two percent VAT increase that did not materialise.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Companies have turned their sights to outer space as the new frontier to delve into and to develop a new range of products and services, but why should consumers care about space commerce? Lester Kiewit speaks to Brett Rogers, Influence Lead at HaveYouheard Marketing about some of the research findings from this field.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lester Kiewit speaks to Nedbank economist Isaac Matshego, about the key decision emerging from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Budget, which includes a scaling down of his original two percentage point VAT hike, to a 0,5-percentage point increase.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lester Kiewit speaks to Derrick Marco, an international election observer and former Western Cape manager of operations for the Electoral Commission, about South Africa possibly going the route of a digital ballot. They discuss whether an investment of this magnitude by the IEC is not better spent on voter education and strengthening the country’s democracy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is U.S. President Donald Trump the peacemaker he claims to be? How did he manage to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire deal? Lester Kiewit speaks to Daniel Levy, political analyst and President of the U.S./Middle East Project (USMEP).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Russia agree to U.S. terms of ceasefire? An intelligence rethink as the “5 Eyes Alliance” could be crumbling, a new Theatre of Dreams for Manchester United. Adam Gilchrist shares details on these stories with Lester Kiewit.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.