BizNews Radio

In today's BizNews Briefing, OUTA’s Wayne Duvenage slams axed Minister Nobuhle Nkabane for hiding corruption in a board appointment scandal. At the same time, Freedom Front Plus’ Corné Mulder says her sacking was inevitable due to dodged oversight. Action Society’s Juanita du Preez decries trust erosion amid Police Ministry scandals. William Saunderson-Meyer urges a no-confidence motion against Ramaphosa. While RW Johnson critiques Ramaphosa’s G20 missteps, isolating South Africa. Israel’s Syria strike catches Trump off guard, and Tesla’s Optimus robot serves at its Hollywood diner.

As the crisis in the South African Police Ministry and the Police Service is deepening, Juanita Du Preez of Action Society tells BizNews “We don't know who to trust.” She gives her take on all the latest drama: Brian Mogotsi, the alleged associate of the Police Minister and well-known campaigner for the Cyril Ramaphosa presidency, claiming he is actually an undercover cop; Police Minister Senzo Mchunu - who is supposed to be on special leave - being on the African National Congress campaign trail and reminding black generals in the police that they were appointed by his party; the incoming Acting Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia, seemingly taking a swipe at whistleblower General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi by saying that giving the police license to kill is not the answer to dealing with crime; and rumours that the general himself was on the brink of arrest by IPID, and that the Political Killings Task Team wanted to arrest the Minister and the Deputy National Commissioner… “…there are disinformation campaigns running as we speak because people have to cover their backs…if the rot didn't start at the top, then there wouldn't have been a need for for all these rumours to to swirl around…having an inquiry…where everybody gets to cover their tracks and create new alliances is not the way to solve it.”

Veteran columnist William Saunderson-Meyer joins Alec Hogg to discuss South Africa’s mounting political crisis, faltering leadership under Cyril Ramaphosa, and the crumbling promise of the GNU. With 32 years of insight from his "Jaundiced Eye" column, Saunderson-Meyer explores rising public discontent, institutional decay, and the urgent need for political change.

In today’s BizNews Briefing, the Walter and Albertina Sisulu Foundation urges President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down over alleged inaction on corruption. Ramaphosa defends his record during the presidency budget vote, including his handling of Minister Senzo Mchunu. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana confirms negotiations are underway to reverse looming 30% US tariffs. Plus, Netflix beats earnings forecasts, but investor jitters cause shares to dip.

Fall-out from the bombshell dropped by General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the dangers of whistleblowing in South Africa are back in the spotlight. On the latest Sunday Show, journalist Chris Steyn speaks to Forensic Attorney Sarah Burger about the killings, character assassinations and income destruction of whistleblowers who expose politicians and the politically connected. “I believe that a lot of the prominent whistleblowers in South Africa have been politically targeted. And that is why they sit 10 years on without any movement in those matters and without, for instance, larger accounting firms being held accountable. So there is a lot of political interference.” Burger says one of the reasons there is a lack of reforms to protect whistleblowers is to ensure instead that corrupt politicians and their associates stay protected. “Absolutely, it is not in their interest to stop feeding…” Burger also describes the horrors being endured by her and top Labour Lawyer Bradley Conradie after they had spent years reporting and exposing malfeasance and corruption at Fort Hare University. “…last year in 2024, shortly before the ANC and the elections and the campaigning took place, myself and Bradley were arrested in a militarised fashion, discredited, intimidated, embarrassed - and all of the good work that we did there over four and six years now hangs in the balance.” Despite currently fighting an epic legal battle for professional survival, Burger urges whistleblowers to keep exposing corruption.

Springbok forward Nomsa Mokwai doesn’t just hit hard on the rugby field for the Women rugby team - she also resuscitates patients in a Cape Town emergency room. With 13 Test caps to her name and a gruelling schedule that sees her swapping scrums for 12-hour ER shifts, Mokwai is one of many women juggling full-time work with national duty. At 32, she’s gunning for a spot in the squad heading to Twickenham for the 2025 World Cup - even if that means sacrificing family time and sleep. In an interview with BizNews, Mokwai shares how she balances life on the frontlines of medicine and sport, and why she hopes to trade her stethoscope for a full-time medical degree once her rugby career winds down.

A new report from the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) warns that South Africa’s deepening relationship with Iran carries significant consequences—undermining democratic values and threatening strategic interests, particularly with the United States.In an interview with BizNews, MEARI’s Benji Shulman expands on the report’s findings, raising the alarm over what he sees as a troubling alignment with an authoritarian regime. He argues that South Africa’s engagement with Iran risks damaging its constitutional integrity and jeopardising trade with the US, where Iran is increasingly viewed as a hostile actor. Shulman also details the ANC’s historical and financial ties to Iran, including alleged funding linked to South Africa’s International Court of Justice case against Israel, and MTN’s business interests in Iran’s cellular market. While Iran gains a rare ally in the Global South, Shulman questions what South Africa stands to gain—suggesting the relationship may be less about diplomacy and more about the Ramaphosa government being part of a strategic alignment against Israel and the United States.

There have been “very, very few signs of a military coup or a revolution in South Africa” , says Elections Analyst Wayne Sussman in his latest interview on BizNews. He was reacting to a coup being one of the key threats listed in the National Security Strategy report for 2024 - 2028. “I can't think of an actor in our Defense Force who'd be positioned to be able to lead a coup,” he says. However, Sussman agrees that some of the other key threats identified are real challenges. He says the assassinations of key figures in the lead-up to elections “means that we won't attract good people into politics, won't attract good people to stick their heads up and get involved with business leaders or civil society leaders”. He agrees that sabotage too is a big threat that has “metastasised through the mafias we see over the country, blocking economic growth, blocking infrastructure spend, blocking service delivery”. Sussman further gives an in-depth analysis of the latest by-election results and previews upcoming by-elections that could set the tone for the 2026 municipal elections.

In the most recent annual assessment of trade relationships, the US listed three pages of ‘non-tariff barriers’ imposed by South Africa, whose exports currently enter America duty-free. From August 1, Trump Tariffs will make SA goods 40% more expensive for Americans. Trade expert, former WTO senior official Johann Human rates the chances of SA avoiding Trump Tariffs at ‘zero’ and in this powerful interview, says unless Pretoria starts to take US objections, SA goods will soon be priced out of the world’s biggest marketplace, with a devastating impact on employment. He spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

In today’s BizNews Briefing, Prince Mashele slams Cyril Ramaphosa in a fiery SMWX interview; the ANC accuses the DA of undermining national interests amid tensions with the US. Alec Hogg hears from KZN exporters facing 40% tariffs and Dr Frans Cronje on why Helen Zille as Joburg mayor could be a political masterstroke. Minister Solly Malatse discusses Starlink’s South African prospects, and Trump denies plotting to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell.