October is turning out to be a big month for enquiries into what happened to the money, with the continuing Madlanaga commission into allegedly corrupt police tenders, the spat between Lucky Montana and SARS, and the continuing Road Accident Fund hearing in parliament. 

Mark Barnes and journalist Tim Cohen discuss why people do such odd things with their alleged ill-gotten gains - like buy three Lamborghinis. Why is one, or even three, never enough? There is lots to discuss here, please do Listen Up!

Everything is united - except it’s not! In this podcast, Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen discuss the prospects of Unite for Change, comprising GOOD, Rise Mzansi, and Build One SA, and wonder why they are uniting rather than being united. And on that subject, what are the prospects for the United Nations, and must it unite for change? And gold. Listen up!

It was a big sporting weekend, but also a contrasting one. Rugby, well known for its calm, quiet, subdued supporters, who were out in force in Durban to see South Africa thrash Argentina 67-30 to top the table with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu breaking a test points record.

Contrast that with the European 15-13 victory in the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York. Golf supporters were, as usual, flagrantly out of hand, dropping f-bombs, harassing players and wearing odd pants. 

But what do we learn from this?

Mark Barnes and  Tim Cohen take the score. And then there is Johannesburg...

Listen Up!

If we are being honest about being honest we might admit that for politicians, being honest is full of risks. But then again, so is lying.

However, the honest truth is that Joburg - South Africa’s economic and cultural centre point - is very badly run and consequently it constitutes an opportunity for the DA’s new mayoral candidate Helen Zille.

Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen discuss Zille’s chances - and the problems she might face if she does win.

Then there is also the dollar. Listen Up!

Carrying the national debt is a lot like carrying a coffin: everyone pretends it’s manageable, but deep down everybody knows there is already someone inside.

Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen discuss in this podcast why people call it a “debt burden”, even though nobody seems to ever put it down - we just seem to carry it further down the road.

Our advice: if you are in debt, you need to attend very, very closely to your finances - much more than people usually do. Listen Up!

In deference to the blood moon, Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen discuss some left-field topics this week.

What does the non-breakup of Google mean for investors? What is the future of the DA? And perhaps most importantly, with government issuing guarantees left, right and centre, what is the state of the state’s balance sheet?

Hint: We should be worried.

There is a new phase of truth-telling going on in South Africa, and in this podcast Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen discuss the trend of whistleblowers popping up everywhere.
We are somewhat used to it, but we like it. The courage to speak out is our motto! Also, the Post Office and the international scene.

We live in an era where things feel broken, but are they? And if they are, how do you fix things?
Mark Barnes and London correspondent Tim Cohen banter on these topics, touching on wars, Transnet, the weather and of course, rugby.
We live in an era where audacity and modernity trump moderation and conservatism. That could be good - or bad. Listen up!

Why is the national dialogue not working? Was it a bad idea in the first place, or did it become a bad idea? Is it salvageable from here, and how?

Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen have some ideas about what the National Dialogue should be discussing, but is not. And why is it costing so much? Wasn’t it supposed to be voluntary?

We also discuss the Ukraine peace talks and the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing.

It's never great to be in a position where you feel you have to refuse a bribe, but should you be insulted that the bribe on offer is very small?

Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen discuss this and other questions related to South Africa’s incremental decline - and how to reverse it. The key question is whether SA’s cost of capital is too high to attract investment, and how to fix that.

And would it help if politicians were not as old as they are - and podcasters!