Sunday Times Politics Weekly

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

ZANDILE GUMEDE SAGA: Has the ANC has lost control of KZN?

In this week’s episode, the Sunday Times politics team discusses the ANC’s loss of control in the Kwazulu Natal region. They focus on ousted e-Thekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, who has created a crisis for the ANC by holding on to the mayoral chains, despite a provincial executive committee decision instructing…

29 Aug 2019 30 min

CR17: Did Ramaphosa buy his position in the ANC?

Although it was not illegal for Ramaphosa to raise money for his presidential campaign, there are ethical questions and political consequences at play. We debate the controversy around the president in this edition of #STPoliticsWeekly.

22 Aug 2019 35 min

Is government high-jacking private healthcare infrastructure?

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday vowed that the National Health Insurance is here to stay. Ramaphosa was speaking a week after health minister Zweli Mkhize made public the NHI bill, which has been the subject of a lot of criticism. Most of the critics have pointed out a lack of…

14 Aug 2019 42 min

The sun sets quickly on Ramaphosa's 'new dawn'

This week the Sunday Time politics team delves into the report by the commission of inquiry into interference at the SABC. They also navigate the tricky territory of the unraveling of president Cyril Ramaphosa’s 'new dawn'.

6 Aug 2019 43 min