Podcast Party The Burning Platform - Level Up

Local Government – Down but not out

Loading player...
Local government is meant to be the heartbeat of democracy. But as cities crumble, services collapse, and trust erodes, South Africans are asking: can our municipalities still be saved? In this episode of Democracy Unplugged, host Phumi Mashigo leads an honest discussion with a panel of political leaders tackling the state of local governance ahead of the 2026 municipal elections. From collapsing infrastructure to coalition chaos as well as lessons from the GNU, this episode asks what real local leadership should look like in 2026 and beyond.
6 Nov English South Africa Politics · News

Other recent episodes

How to break the corruption chain, with Xavier Bapoo, Stefan Grobler and Mike Bolhuis

What does it really take to root out corruption in South Africa? Stand-in host Xavier Bapoo speaks to former South African Police Service (SAPS) Anti-Corruption Unit head Stefan Grobler and specialist investigator Mike Bolhuis about the deep-seated culture of corruption exposed by the Madlanga Commission. This conversation lays bare the…
30 Oct 1 hr 06 min

South Africa's voice in the G20

What does South Africa’s G20 presidency mean for the country’s future? In this episode of LevelUp, Phumi speaks with Ercilia Mata Ubisse, Regional Head for the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and a member of the Startup20 Foundations & Alliances Taskforce, to unpack how small business, collaboration, and policy…
23 Oct 49 min

Morals in Dirty Politics | With ATM's Vuyo Zungula

How does a values-based politics survive in a system built on power and pragmatism? And what drives a leader who still speaks of conviction in an age of calculation? In the noise of South Africa’s political landscape in flux, African Transformation Movement’s parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula stands out for being…
16 Oct 51 min

Can business save South Africa?

South Africa is running out of time. Load shedding, unemployment, corruption, crumbling infrastructure - the challenges keep stacking up. But can business step in where government is failing and help put the country back on solid footing? Join us for this urgent conversation with moderator Justice Malala, political economist Moeletsi…
2 Oct 1 hr 22 min
All episodes