A few months ago Eskom was the black sheep of public opinion, but last month we reported that the utility recorded its highest energy generation levels in six years.

It’s not out of the woods yet — chairperson Mteto Nyati says they will execute remaining aspects of Eskom’s recovery plan.

Nyati shares the formula they used to rescue Eskom from the brink of collapse.

Two years ago the president roped him in to help save the power utility. Nyati speaks about the plans they implemented to get to where there is no load-shedding for at least 160 consecutive days, the longest period in a while. He, however, is reluctant to say load-shedding has ended.

Load-shedding reached its peak in 2022 and last year to beginning of this year.

The utility regularly receives financial bailouts from government. Nyati says that will soon end because Eskom will stand on its own feet.

“We are saving from last year. Already in this financial year which start[ed] on 1st of April we have saved R10bn on last year.”

He talks to our digital politics editor, Lizeka Tandwa, in this episode of the Sunday Times Politics Weekly about the criticality of the leadership change in the company, which included appointing Dan Marokane as CEO and the importance of the executives’ relationship with him.

Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi outlines promising economic plans that will “break the backbone of unemployment” like expanding the Gautrain for residents and plans the government of provincial unity has to make Gauteng a world-class province.

Lesufi warns that the ANC is a “sinking ship” and speaks on the government of national unity. 

He exclusively speaks to Sunday Times political journalist Kgothatso Madisa a day after he delivered his state of the province address. Lesufi says “we can’t have everyone coming here [Gauteng]”.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has launched a disciplinary process against three senior party leaders implicated in the Zondo state capture report: Malusi Gigaba, David Mahlobo and Cedric Frolick.

After the formation of the government of national unity, the DA has emerged as an important player in the alliance. The party's federal chairperson Helen Zille opens up on the Sunday Times Politics Weekly podcast about the considerations of the architecture of the GNU and her relationship with some of the ANC's top executives. She also speaks about issues such as racism, service delivery, the economy and crime.

Zille, 73, a former journalist at the Rand Daily Mail who exposed the apartheid police cover-up of Chris Hani’s assassination, also opens up about how she transitioned from journalism to politics.

Besides being a wife, she is a mother and a grandmother. She talks about how politics has affected her life.

Production by: Bulelani Nonyukela.

In this episode TimesLIVE digital politics editor Lizeka Tandwa talks to COSATU president Zingiswa Losi about the formation and the SACP stance on the government of national unity, the ANC’s path of renewal, and the party’s drop in the election results.

ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe tells Sunday Times politics editor Sibongakonke Shoba that DA federal chair Helen Zille will collapse the government of unity.

“We are not going to have a parallel government run by Helen Zille. There’s one president here and that president is President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Production by: Bulelani Nonyukela.

Political analyst Dr Sithembile Mbete and Lizeka Tandwa from the Sunday Times politics team define and scrutinise the ANC’s options for governing models, such as government of national unity [which the party announced as its choice on Thursday evening], a grand coalition and a minority government. They also look at the party's conflicting ideologies and policies, the options for coalition partners and what it would mean for South Africa.

South Africa allowed Zimbabwe to be run into the ground, says Mmusi Maimane on the Sunday Times Politics Weekly, blaming the government for the influx of Zimbabweans into SA.

“If it wasn’t for the ANC’s policy on the government of national unity when [late former president of Zimbabwe Robert] Mugabe had lost elections we wouldn’t have this influx of Zimbabweans,” says Maimane as he is quizzed by Sunday Times deputy editor Mike Siluma.

Zimbabwean citizens fled to SA because of economic turmoil and political violence, among other reasons, in 2007. SA had been a mediator in that country’s political conflict. 

According to census figures there were just more than a million Zimbabweans in SA in 2022.

The topic of undocumented migrants is dominating the political agenda in the run-up to the May 29 elections. Maimane proposes borders be secured and foreigners be legalised. He believes he can document foreigners in two years.

Maimane has criteria for foreigners wanting to become citizens: learn SA's laws, speak South African languages and don’t set up your own community in SA.

That’s just the tip of the wide-ranging conversation with Maimane in this instalment of the podcast. Maimane talks about a grand coalition of opposition parties; parties he can work with; solutions to crime, saying localised policing, metro police and private police should be merged; and the controversial National Health Insurance which he says is populist and timed for the election.

Don't take our word for it — listen, and share your views.

Production by: Bulelani Nonyukela.

The DA should have burnt the ANC flag instead of the national flag, says ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba says in a wide-ranging interview on the Sunday Times Politics Weekly podcast.

The party stirred controversy earlier this week when it launched its election campaign advertisement showing the national flag in flames. The DA has defended the advert, with federal chair Helen Zille saying the alternative to being rescued is dying. The party’s election slogan is “Unite to rescue South Africa”.

Asked about his ambitions, Mashaba said: “Being president of the country or being a premier are the last jobs I want, but I am committed to finding a solution to our country’s problems.”

He said he blames former president Thabo Mbeki for many of the country’s problems, saying his advice proved to be “disastrous” and “he’s got the experience of destroying”.

Mashaba told podcast host Mike Siluma that ActionSA has proposed renaming eThekwini after the late Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

He also discussed his party’s plans for economic recovery and immigration.

Listen and share your views.

Anele Mda, an independent candidate vying for a seat in parliament, says political parties will be chasing after independents but she won’t work with any party. She is our guest on the Sunday Times Politics Weekly podcast with Sunday Times deputy editor Mike Siluma. 

We kick-start the conversation by asking her why it was important to publicly rebuke the IEC for not displaying her photo during the signing of the Electoral Code of Conduct.

Eastern Cape-born Mda tells us how she was bitten by the politics bug as a child and about her journey in politics. 

She is a former ANC member and founding member of COPE.

In a significant milestone in our democracy independent candidates have a seat at the table with established political parties for the first time in the country’s history to contest elections. 

“We are the ones who will set the agenda. Political parties will be the ones running after us, not the other way around,” she says.

Mda says she is not planning not to become entangled with any political party.

She also took swipe at some parties. “Imagine having to sit in the ANC in this day and age and lie and say there’s a good story to tell? What good story to tell? Imagine being in the DA and sit there and lie and say there’s a whole intentional embrace of Africans in the DA … Imagine me going to an EFF where I am going to be led by a demagogue that does not respect any woman leader … Imagine me going to Rise Mzansi, sitting there and acting as though ’no we’re an honest new political party that is not aligned’. Who funds you?” she said.

More is covered in detail in the conversation. Listen, subscribe for free and share with your circle.