The Burning Platform - Level Up

WHO decides how we should feel?

How does one collate data when the governments of the world are hellbent on lockdowns as the only solution to solving a global pandemic? Has the gathering of data been transparent globally? Is the function of WHO to scare people so that they change their behaviour? How will Sweden be…

1 Oct 2020 57 min

Separate State & Administration

South Africa is now joining the global north in terms of unlocking its economy and society entirely, citizens are concerned about the tracking and that isn't going away. What is the biggest obstacle in unlocking efficient government in South Africa? Does Cyril Ramaphosa have the gumption to make the painfully…

17 Sep 2020 48 min

Lala Kahle George Bizos (Rest in Peace)

How is it that after all these years, the Eastern Bloc is still such a mess? Is the mainstream media in South Africa caught in a struggle envy trap? Are the ideological struggles of 2020 less meaningful than the war-ridden struggles of the 20th century? Has South Africa wasted 30…

10 Sep 2020 59 min

Where's our country gone?

Are South Africans vindicated in continuing to vote for the ANC? Should there be amnesty for those who confess to corrupt dealings in the past? Can the ANC save South Africa? Could Indian and Chinese border conflicts ignite WW3? Does Biden have any traits which make him a better candidate…

3 Sep 2020 55 min

Paywalls, violence & race cards

Roman Cabanac joins the panel this week. When news has paywalls, what's the logical conclusion? Does the ANC have an exit strategy for lockdown? BEE laws are changing again, is this for better or worse? The Film & Publications Act needs scrutiny, what is its real purpose? Is violence necessary…

27 Aug 2020 54 min

Retirement with no Power

How long should we give De Ruyter to turn Eskom around? The economic ramifications of South Africa's lockdown are yet to be unveiled - just how bad could things get? How are marketing spend and economic prosperity linked? Retirement funds are on the table now for the ANC government, how…

20 Aug 2020 51 min

The Cape... just Biden its time

Is the Western Cape's independence a realistic goal? Is the will of the majority important in democracy? Should South Africans be worried about South Africa's march towards policies resembling other countries who believe in centralisation? Will skittish foreign investment return after lockdown-induced investment moratoriums? The economic pain of lockdown is…

13 Aug 2020 59 min

Don't bank on it

The heat is now being turned up on society because they can't feed their children, how long can this go on before a violent outburst occurs? Is the banking sector in South Africa 'captured', and can this situation be salvaged? When a judge needs a lawyer to fight their legal…

6 Aug 2020 56 min

Blood in, Blood out

With large government gatherings being so predominant, how will society social distance if leaders don't? Is extremism sustainable, because as we all know, "the tiger will always eat the trainer." Should we gun train all citizens? Is the ANC turning into a mob-like organisation, using violence to oppress even the…

30 Jul 2020 58 min

Is big business still big?

Employment: we delve into the stats on South Africans’ opinions on racially-based employment; we also ask whether it’s possible to make cadre employment work. Politics: the strife of the Cape Flats is well-documented, and it raises the question: why does it seem that solving societal problems is not a priority…

23 Jul 2020 57 min

Zille's on the streets... the Twitter streets

"The emperor has no clothes... but I'm not saying it,'' has been the great failure of South Africa's citizenry lately. Can South Africans ever view contentious issues through a lens that's not tainted by race and power agendas? What is the role of dissenting voices like Helen Zille for the…

16 Jul 2020 55 min

Hubris & Heart attacks

Should we be testing everyone for Covid-19? Is there going to be a second wave in Johannesburg and if yes, is this a bad thing? What are the overall effects of the health sector's response to Covid-19 globally? Could South Africa reopen the economy through track and trace monitoring of…

9 Jul 2020 54 min

Can you trust the Covid-19 tests?

From Bridgette Motsepe-Radebe‘s alleged scandalous links to Botswana, to the impact of the elections in Somalia... Gareth, Kanthan and guest Jean-Jacques Cornish tackle the week's biggest political stories. And while we're all still grappling with the ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic, the team debates how unlocking countries should work. Nando's…

2 Jul 2020 54 min

Bheki & the hippos shut mouths

Why can't anyone just print money? What's the difference between consumer and asset inflation? Are public sector employees useful to an economy? And just who is Finance Minister Tito Mboweni referring to when he says: "The hippopotamus must shut its mouth"? The battle to be King of Ideology continues to…

25 Jun 2020 54 min

Keynesian Theory: Mankind's Crisis Crutch

Are Economic Keystrokes good, or are they a landmine for the tax paying citizenry? Can business function without a competent state intervening heavily to create conditions for economic prosperity? What is the role of tax in the economy? Is gender based violence linked to economic activity? We all hate Keynesian…

18 Jun 2020 53 min

Freedom comes at a price

Phumlani Majozi joins us to discuss the notion of good ideas and organising a country properly. Can government, business and labour ever march to a single beat? Hong Kong took decisive action after they were liberated, is that a replicable model for other nations who achieve liberation? Is the idea…

11 Jun 2020 59 min

Absolute power corrupts... absolutely!

Did the townships of South Africa get the lockdown right vs the suburban approach? Will South Africa's private healthcare system be crippled because of lockdown? How the country reopens will come at a political cost and the vultures are circling already it seems. The tensions between systemic power and racial…

4 Jun 2020 1 hr 07 min

Distributive justice VS Private security forces

Is it a good idea to have private security firms to carry out state justice? What is distributive justice and how does it shape ideology? Does the private sector serve society at large better than a capable state? If a government doesn't trust its citizens, what is the logical conclusion?…

28 May 2020 50 min

WHO should pay?

How does the formative ANC structure differ from the one we see today ideologically? Does Covid-19 render the political landscape fertile for totalitarianism in South Africa? Is the economic and philosophical illiteracy of news reporters dangerous for society at large? If we lose a generation of black graduates in the…

21 May 2020 54 min

So long goodwill Cyril

Frans Cronje joins us this week and his suggestions about policy vs on the ground policing of Covid-19 will not be served well by the annals of history. Is the dissonance between the ANC and the Western Cape government political, or is it led by fact? How should we read…

14 May 2020 1 hr 01 min