When you leave the intelligence services, can you just go back to a normal life? Public interest and national interest are always in a delicate relationship, but who manages it? South Africa is filled with racial tension - both now and historically. What happened during apartheid if you loved a person with a different skin colour? Moe Shaik gives us his take on the limitations he faced when he was the head of intelligence. His book, ‘The ANC Spy Bible’, is sure to have tongues in South Africa's power sanctums wagging for some time to come. Brought to you by Nando’s.
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19.03.20 Pt 2 - Certain tribes are just better at cleaning their backside, let’s accept that. Is the rise of technocracies a threat to civil liberty? Is government intelligence run like James Bond runs his operation, or is it just a normal day job? Schabir Shaik - who loves golf - does not represent his whole family. And did Jacob Zuma's intelligence hand democracy as we know it to South Africans?
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The Covid-19 epidemic is now in South Africa and has spread beyond the “Italy 10”. What does this mean for the health structures that already exist in SA, are we prepared to contain it? OPEC and their indecisive nature means Russia and Saudi Arabia are now the kings of the oil world - if only for a while. The tension between the two nations means oil is cheaper, but will this affect your petrol price? What wage should we pay our MPs in South Africa? The Public Protector can’t protect herself right now, the triad she is a part of might be a house of cards. Brought to you by Nando’s.
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12.03.20 Pt 2 - The NICD is doing great work, let’s not wrap them up in the ANC mess of incompetence. What do governments spend their funds on in general? If you are having any trouble from a report on CNN, take the Donald Trump approach. Measures of austerity at state level sound good because saving your money is good isn’t it… or is it? Oh yes, wash your hands, you dirty pig!
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South Africa is officially in a double dip recession, strap yourself in! Does Cyril have the backbone to prevent 'triple dip’ by making the necessary pragmatic calls immediately? The unions have ‘declared war’ on Tito and government's plans to cut jobs and save R150 billion in the medium term. The sovereign wealth fund sounds nice, but is South Africa in a position to administer such? Will the world pivot from a China-centric production model after coronavirus stalls all production there? Bloomberg is out, Biden is now the front runner. Brought to you by Nando’s.
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05.03.20 Pt 2 - Can publishers in South Africa afford to be sued and go through the legal process? Fuel hikes are less than ideal for the people on the ground... taxi fares go up, bread costs more, and it’s going that way for South Africa soon. Being a high-level state employee in South Africa might very well be the best job on Earth. Tokyo Sexwale essentially says, “Bribery is okay if you win”… but if you lose it’s immoral.
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Tito takes a hard line at long last. The much-anticipated Budget Speech felt like Tito Mboweni has at last acted as an economist would by cutting state salaries, which although fiscally responsible, will come with a sting in the tail politically. The thorn in the side though is the R16b which has been extended to SAA as an injection - surely this is just “good money after bad?” Maybe it’s time to let SAA and Dudu Myeni both fall from their lofty heights and become creatures of the past. Apple has projected a $4b loss in profit because of coronavirus and their inability to obtain stock from China. And has the ANC failed the children of this country? Brought to you by Nando’s.
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24.02.20 Pt 2 - Bullying is a bad thing, we all agree already people. Coronavirus is not that bad, flu is so much worse. 90s cult show, Friends is making a comeback and Matthew Perry will be delighted to get the pay cheque. The new ad from Nando’s is sensational, it’s a golden nugget. Should you do a Kirk Douglas with your money, or should you leave cash to the kids? The Bachelor season 2 is here... we unpack. Drama, Cape Town, a dog-loving heartthrob - what more do you need? Charley Pietersen talks to us about #StopToStart and addressing a fatherless nation, and how we can curb this trend.
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Mhlanganisi Madlongolwana joins us for a sizzling episode of The Burning Platform, and he unpacks the highlights and lowlights of Cyril’s 2020 SONA. Is the field of politics in South Africa too emotive to allow for constructive intellectual engagement? As SA finds itself leaving 'Ramaphoria' and that honeymoon period of hope, what lessons if any can be drawn from Deng Xiaoping’s early reforms in China? Is coalition in government progressive, or does it put a stranglehold on bureaucratic processes which need to serve citizens? Did Elizabeth Warren put the final nail in her own coffin in the public debate with Michael Bloomberg? Is the Democratic Party falling apart, or is it just business as usual? Brought to you by Nando’s.
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Zombies in Knysna
26.03.20 Pt 2 - The Garden Route in South Africa is a place of civility, even in this inevitable period of zombies rising up to kill us all. One tricky question we have to answer now is whether gun owners are a threat to the society at large, or not especially in anxious times. Can small businesses survive Covid-19 and the lockdown of 2020? Mobile money - why isn't it a common element in South Africa already?
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