Sunday Times Politics Weekly

ANC must take some responsibility for technical recession

A fourth-quarter GDP contraction of 1.4%, following a decline of 0.8% in Q3, has placed SA in a technical recession for the second year in a row. Load-shedding and the coronavirus outbreak mean that any quick improvement is unlikely. In this week’s Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the team says that…

4 Mar 2020 30 min

Public servants won't take Mboweni's budget lying down

Cosatu has warned the government that it will have “egg on its face” for wanting to cut the public sector wage bill, saying its behaviour in the saga was worse than the apartheid government's. The SA economy is in trouble and the public sector has made it clear that it…

27 Feb 2020 34 min

SONA and its fall out: who runs parliament in 2020?

It has been a dramatic political week for SA. There have been accusations of murder, claims of abuse, insults flung and histrionic walkouts. This drama ensued during Ramaphosa’s 2020 state of the nation address and has not ceased since. In this week’s Sunday Times Politics Weekly Podcast the team asks…

20 Feb 2020 37 min

Following the president: Africa calls for Ramaphosa to take charge

In this week's Sunday Times Politics Weekly podcast, the Sunday Times politics team follows President Cyril Ramaphosa from the AU (AU) summit in Ethiopia to the state of the nation (Sona) address in Cape Town. While shadowing the president, a theme has emerged as top dignitaries and political players call…

13 Feb 2020 31 min

Can Portia Derby turn around Transnet and DA loses control - again

2020’s political play opened up with a bang, as the Sunday Times Politics Weekly podcast hits your streaming apps once again. In our first episode for 2020 the Sunday Times politics' team discusses the unjust calls for new Transnet CEO Portia Derby to account for her ex-husband Brian Molefe’s sins…

5 Feb 2020 28 min

That's a wrap: The 2019 political year

In the final episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the politics desk covers the biggest political stories of the year. Its members discuss what happened and how events are likely to affect the country's political future. 

12 Dec 2019 26 min

SAA is past salvation, but who do we blame?

SAA continues to hemorrhage funds and politicians continue to argue about the future of the embattled state-owned entity. In this week’s Sunday Times Politics Weekly podcast, the team has a heated debate about what ought to be done with SAA and who is to blame for the situation the airline…

4 Dec 2019 28 min

VBS helps Malema loot millions and #SexInTheCity goes viral

The Sunday Time politics team gets into the nitty gritty of the biggest political scandals of the week. This week the team dives into allegations against EFF leader Julius Malema, who has personally benefited from millions of rands that were channelled to a company exposed as his own slush fund…

27 Nov 2019 26 min

Race muddies the discussion around competence in SA politics

In today’s Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the politics team discusses the appointments of new Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter and DA interim leader John Steenhuisen. Both appointments raised concerns within the political arena around competency and transformation. For more episodes, click here. Chat to us on Twitter at #STPoliticsWeekly Subscribe:…

20 Nov 2019 38 min

ANC MEC’s car hire 'scam' & the DA’s ‘non-racialism’ isn’t convincing

In this episode of Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the Sunday Times politics team deep-dives into the Kwazi Mshengu scandal. KwaZulu-Natal MEC Mshengu has been caught using an elaborate scam to justify his not using the state car used by his predecessor - instead blowing hundreds of thousands of rands in…

14 Nov 2019 35 min

EFF politicizes the Rugby World Cup - Let the nation celebrate

EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has earned the support of party leader Julius Malema, after the backlash he received for his controversial tweets. Ndlozi was slammed by South Africans, including rapper AKA, when he acknowledged Springbok captain Siya Kolisi for the national rugby team's world cup win, but excluded the rest…

5 Nov 2019 25 min

Political winds of change: Could anyone contest Malema as head of the EFF and will the DA be a "whitewash"?

“All positions will be contested. All members of the EFF are available to take up the leadership positions. We are available, but not for positions we may not have the capacity to occupy,” said EFF party leader Julius Malema, while addressing the media on Monday. Malema perhaps gave the clearest…

29 Oct 2019 34 min

The DA's darkest days: What happened & what now?

The DA is suffering a leadership crisis - Mmusi Maimane has resigned as leader of the party along with Chair, Athol Trollip just a day after Joburg Mayor, Herman Mashaba did the same. The Sunday Times politics team takes the opportunity to dissect the events of the past week. What…

24 Oct 2019 35 min

DA’s national spokesperson Solly Malatsi's comment on turmoil brewing in the DA

For political parties, the old adage “nothing succeeds like success” is so true. When you win, keep on winning and expand your electoral base, you’re on top of the world. But, when you shed support and lose parliamentary seats, internal divisions are unleashed as personality clashes and the hunt for…

16 Oct 2019 29 min

Zille rises again & Duduzane Zuma gives the commission bogus testimony

Former president Jacob Zuma's son and Gupta business associate Duduzane Zuma says he is not corrupt, but a victim of a “political storm” in SA, but renowned Sunday Times political reporter Qaanitah Hunter says that the explanations he gave were rehearsed and bogus. The Sunday Times politics team also discuss…

8 Oct 2019 33 min

SA Crime Intelligence seems to be full of criminals

In this week’s Sunday Times Politics Weekly, the team discusses allegations raised against former police minister Nathi Mthethwa by former KwaZulu-Natal Hawks boss, Johan Booysen. That he interfered in the appointment of Richard Mdluli as Crime Intelligence head and then unduly benefited from a secret service account. While Mthethwa has…

3 Oct 2019 29 min

Will the DA’s identity crisis dethrone Maimane?

A leader Mmusi Maimane on Friday dared his opponents in the party to take him on, proposing that the DA holds an early conference if they feel ready to oust him. Sunday Times politics reporters covering the story Aphiwe de Klerk and Zimasa Matiwane, are in studio to discuss the…

26 Sep 2019 31 min

Shocking #CrimeStats & the authoritarian EFF

The Sunday Times politics team tackles two controversial topics this week. They discuss the EFF suspending and charging a female leader who questioned the party's instruction for her to turn down a seat in parliament. They also deconstruct the latest crime statistics, delivered in parliament on Thursday by police minister…

17 Sep 2019 33 min

Self-righteous Hlaudi & Xenophobic politicians

With violence becoming a norm in Johannesburg, the Sunday Times politics team shares their views on the recent xenophobic attacks. The team also discusses Former SABC COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng's testimony at the state capture inquiry. Tune in and join the debate.

12 Sep 2019 43 min

Newsroom divided over gender-based violence

The Sunday Times politics team has a falling out in studio this week, while discussing potential avenues for addressing the pervasive surge of gender- based violence in South Africa. This, after the rape and murder of 19 year old UCT student Uyinene Mrwetyana.

4 Sep 2019 30 min