POWER Talk

A collective of doctors from across South Africa has lambasted the South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) for failing to represent the interests of health professionals with many facing deteriorating working conditions. The doctors, say their urgent call to Samatu to “confront the deepening crisis” in the health system has fallen on deaf ears as junior doctors continue to face mass unemployment, and public-sector clinicians struggle with resource constraints and excessive unpaid overtime hours. Denzil Taylor is in conversation with Senior Medical Doctor, Dr. Simon Spoor and Dr Senior Medical Doctor, Dr. Akesh Maharaj. 

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BandaBanda is a celebrated South African musician, producer, and creative entrepreneur with a rich career spanning multiple facets of the music industry. Born and raised in Durban by his grandparents Ester and Jame Banda, he was deeply influenced by African values and music from an early age. These roots continue to inspire his work and define his identity as an artist. Denzil Taylor is in conversation with Musician, Producer, and Creative Entrepreneur, BANDABANDA. 

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The Road Accident Fund (RAF) provides compulsory cover to all users of South African roads, citizens and foreigners, against injuries sustained or death arising from accidents involving motor vehicles within the borders of South Africa. This cover is in the form of indemnity insurance to persons who cause the accident, as well as personal injury and death insurance to victims of motor vehicle accidents, and their families. Denzil Taylor is in conversation with Road Accident Fund Head of Corporate Communication, McIntos Polela, Legal Practice Council Legal Officer in DC, Tebogo Mokoena and Manager and Risk Compliance at LPC, Suraysha Pather.

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The Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA’s) bid to rid its ranks of corruption moved ahead this weekend with another round of arrests in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.  On Saturday, 14 June, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (The Hawks) arrested five people who were allegedly part of a syndicate involved in passport fraud. Among those arrested was a former Home Affairs official from the DHA’s Prospecton office and a municipal project volunteer from the Commercial Street office. The DHA confirmed that three other people were arrested. Denzil Taylor is in conversation with Immigration Law Expert, Ashraf Essop.

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The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a South African grassroots anti-apartheid movement that emerged in the late 1960s, largely due to the banning of the African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). The movement, spearheaded by figures like Steve Biko, aimed to foster black pride, self-reliance, and solidarity, ultimately challenging the psychological and physical effects of apartheid. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with Co-founding member of the South African Students' Organisation of the Black Consciousness Movement, Prof. Barney Pityana. 

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TikTok, the short-form video platform developed by Chinese tech company ByteDance, was launched globally in 2016 and quickly became a dominant force in the digital content landscape. In South Africa, the platform began gaining significant popularity around 2019, driven initially by the youth demographic seeking new and creative forms of expression. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with Tik Tokers, Tadeus Mbatha and Kananelo Thamae. 

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Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic hub, is falling apart. The state of the road, electricity, and water infrastructure is showing clear signs of collapse. As the country’s largest city and primary economic hub, Johannesburg is home to over 5.5 million people and contributes nearly 16% of South Africa’s GDP.  The City is home to the headquarters of major corporations and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and is a crucial centre for commerce, finance, and industry. However, despite its importance, the city is crumbling due to mismanagement, corruption, and failing infrastructure. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Dada Morero.

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Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Iran early Friday morning, targeting locations it said were related to Iran’s nuclear program.  Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, the country’s most senior military official, was killed during the strikes, alongside the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, Iranian state media reported.  Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with Director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg  and Senior Researcher, Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection and Humanity, Na'eem Jeenah.

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Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) publishes the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) every quarter. GDP measures the size of the economy and its growth rate over time and is the most familiar and widely recognised feature of the national accounts.  The international gold standard for national accounts compilation is the System of National Accounts 2008 (SNA 2008), published jointly by the European Commission, International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations, and World Bank. SNA 2008 is the foundation and primary methodological source for Stats SA in calculating South Africa’s GDP.  Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with Statistician General, Risenga Maluleke.

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The minister responsible for the National Lottery has awarded an “emergency” 12-month temporary licence to Ithuba Holdings, the company that has operated the National Lottery for the past 10 years. The awarding of the temporary licence was made just hours before Ithuba’s contract ended on 31 May 2025.  According to the Lotteries Act, an operator’s licence is valid for eight years but may be extended once for a maximum of two years. Ithuba’s original licence, issued in 2015, was extended for two years in 2023 and ended on 31 May 2025. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is in conversation with National Lotteries Commission Chairperson, Prof. Barney Pityana.

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