BizNews Radio

In today’s BizNews Briefing: Longtime columnist William Saunderson-Meyer unpacks Emma Powell’s political humiliation amid DA tensions; Dr Lennit Max sheds light on SAPS dysfunction and the ANC’s anti-corruption retreat; more insight from the Pretoria Girls High controversy; and the future of Trump’s global tariffs is explored. Plus, Palantir discussions from Bloomberg and The Financial Times - and a Cape Town influencer finds herself in sewage water...

In a bizarre turn of events, Gauteng’s Education Department suspended the headmistress of Pretoria High School for Girls - over garden maintenance. Alec Hogg speaks to her husband Mike Erasmus and school governing body chair Craig Hezlett, exposing what appears to be a political vendetta wrapped in bureaucratic overreach.

The only way to save the South African Police Service (SAPS) is to “sanitise” it from political interference and put proper management in place. So says former Western Province Provincial Police Commissioner, Dr. Lennit Max. He points out that currently, the National Commissioner, his deputies and the nine provincial commissioners are black. He says in terms of current regulations, the National Commissioner can only appoint from Major General upwards in consultation with the Minister. “that… is in itself political interference where the Minister must agree to an appointment”. Dr Max describes a breakdown in trust between Minister Senzo Mchunu - now on special leave - and National Commissioner Fannie Masemola - and says one of them will have to leave otherwise it will “affect the rest of the police and ultimately negatively affecting service delivery to the people”. He estimates that public trust in the police has dropped below 20% following the explosive allegations of police capture made by General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Dr Max also outlines the various legal mandates of the police as SAPS faces civil claims of more than R14 billion for unlawful arrests and detentions and another R741 million for shooting incidents involving members of the public.

Today’s BizNews Briefing features the latest news on Pretoria High School for Girls; the Newcastle Steel plant set for closure on September 30; Aussies wanting to buy back its port of Darwin from China; Nedbank struggles, Palantir booms and Gwyneth Paltrow transforms steps Coldplay C-Suite affair disaster into a marketing opportunity.

In today's BizNews Briefing, Deputy President Paul Mashatile faces fresh scrutiny over undeclared gifts and luxury properties. Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach calls for urgent reform at the NPA, while the ANC grapples with US tariffs and their economic fallout. Plus, Trump escalates tensions with Russia and questions US job data integrity.

On BizNews’ 12th birthday, Alec Hogg speaks with ArcelorMittal SA CEO Kobus Verster about the possible shutdown of its Newcastle steel plant. With 80,000 jobs at stake and Transnet, Eskom, and scrap metal policy failures bleeding the company dry, Verster says the IDC and government must act by 30 September or risk a social and economic disaster. The steel boss lays bare South Africa’s crumbling industrial backbone - and offers a last-ditch plan to save it.

In this discussion, security expert Brad Steyn, author of 'Undercover with Mandela's Spies,' dives into the chaotic South African political landscape. He criticizes President Cyril Ramaphosa for prioritizing international handshakes over assertive diplomacy amid the US tariff crisis. Steyn warns of a rogue investigation aimed at undermining whistleblower General Mkhwanazi and highlights the alarming infiltration of foreign agents. He also expresses concern over Deputy President Paul Mashatile's presidential ambitions, predicting potential turmoil within the ANC.

Julia Jansch’s filmmaking journey began in London and Los Angeles, where she worked on major reality television productions including Idol and The X Factor. Seeking to tell more personal and socially grounded stories, she returned to South Africa and founded her own production company, Southern Point Pictures. Her documentary My Father the Mover won the Best Documentary Short award at the Tribeca Film Festival. Jansch’s work drew the attention of Disney, which commissioned her short documentary The Academy, now streaming on Disney+. The film follows Azile Arosi, a young woman from Khayelitsha who joins a sailing programme at Cape Town’s Royal Yacht Club. Through sailing, Arosi finds healing and a sense of empowerment. In an interview with BizNews, Jansch said she is committed to telling South African stories of transformation. She described townships like Khayelitsha as places marked by hardship but also by profound resilience and hope. “There is hope,” she said, “for girls everywhere, no matter what their background.”

The future of many South African farmers hangs in the balance today with 30% export tariffs to the US set to take effect tomorrow. Wandile Sihlobo, the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) - who has been involved in some of the trade deal preparations - says: “I would say that the South African authorities have done a fair share of their work on improving the offering that they had made at the end of June in Angola. The key thing then is whether there will be sufficient time to provide enough thinking as to what is being put on the table, given that every country in the world literally is racing to have a conversation with the US authorities.” Meanwhile, Sihlobo urges a change in approach in how South Africa engages with the world.” I think…we must embrace free trade agreements.” He also gives an update on the Foot-and-Mouth disease outbreak that has taken South African cattle farmers out of the export market for a particular period. However, he celebrates the excellent grain harvest up North where it’s up double digit from last year. “We are looking at over 18 million tons of grain”. He also predicts a year of recovery for wheat, barley, and canola.

Economist Dawie Roodt warns that looming US tariffs on South African exports are politically driven and could significantly damage the country's fragile economy. In a BizNews interview, he criticises government inaction, highlights geopolitical risks, and calls for urgent reform. With economic growth stagnating, Roodt stresses the need for a new political direction and smarter international alignment.