Shows
TimesLIVE - In The NewsStilfontein update: Alleged ringleaders arrested during gruelling rescueTimesLIVE provides an update on the rescue operation of illegal miners at the Stilfontein mine in the North West.
We hear the gruelling conditions faced by rescue personnel involved in the operations which started on Monday. Members of the South African Police Service also provide an update on the the arrest of alleged ringleaders and the continuation of Operation Vala Umgodi.
Audio gathered by TimesLIVE senior reporter Isaac Mahlangu.2025-01-1604 minTimesLIVE - In The NewsGcaleka and Mkhwebane and her husband fight in parliamentPublic protector Kholeka Gcaleka has accused Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s husband David Skosana of threatening the chapter 9 institution’s CEO Thandi Sibanyoni over the payment of Mkhwebane's gratuity.
More on timeslive.co.za2024-10-1007 minTimesLIVE - In The NewsRamaphosa made calculated move to make Mbalula ‘the sellout’, claims MalemaEFF leader Julius Malema says ANC secretary-general is “a sellout of note, always ready to destroy his own in defence of white supremacists”, adding that President Cyril Ramaphosa was deliberate in not putting his signature on the GNU agreement.
More on timeslive.co.za2024-10-1002 min
30 years of democracy'I am Nelson Mandela's great-grandson'- Mayibuye Melisizwe MandelaIn an exclusive interview with TimesLIVE, Mayibuye opened up about his identity after years of speculation surrounding his heritage. Mandela said he was born into the lineage of his great-grandmother, Baliwe Mandela, the former president's unmarried sister.2024-10-0759 min
Sunday Times Politics WeeklyANCYL's Ngudle warns a revolution is coming against white South Africans if industrialisation is not achievedThe ANC Youth League secretary-general has warned South Africa is on the brink of a revolution that will see young people rise up against white South Africans if the economy continues to be in the red.Mntuwoxolo Ngudle spoke to TimesLIVE Premium on the state of the economy, accusing the private sector of “treason” for failing to transform the economy.2024-09-191h 20
The SL CabinetSA divided in mourning Pravin Gordhan, Mboro's release and Amalanga Awafani drama – top stories of the weekTune in to our latest podcast episode where Sowetan reporters Koena Mashale, Herman Moloi and Nandi Ntini delve into the latest political shake-ups and controversies.
We start with the dramatic court saga of Paseka “Pastor Mboro” Motsoeneng, who received bail after ballistic tests revealed the gun he fired was not real.
We also dive into the sad news of former minister of public enterprises Pravin Gordhan passing away at 75. The team reflects on his legacy and impact on South African politics, as well as reactions to his death from the public and political figures.
Spor...2024-09-1342 min
The Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoLeaving my marriage: what is required of me spiritually?This episode centres on the story of Nompumelelo, a mother of three expecting her fourth child, who is grappling with the decision to leave her marriage after years of betrayal and deception.
Gogo Zipho addresses Nompumelelo’s concerns with compassion and insight, providing her with a spiritual and cultural roadmap to navigate the complexities of her situation. The episode touches on critical questions such as the spiritual impact of ending a marriage, the necessary rituals for leaving a marital home and the protection of children's spiritual wellbeing.
Gogo, Have I Been Scammed? is a TimesLIVE production.2024-09-0940 min
Business Day SpotlightSasol CEO Baloyi pushes for greater spending amid energy shiftIn this episode of the Business Day Spotlight podcast, Business Day deputy editor Tiisetso Motsoeneng is in conversation with CEO of Sasol, Simon Baloyi.
The newly appointed CEO is preparing to jack up the amount of money the energy giant spends towards its future, saying R1bn annual spending simply won’t cut it in a world increasingly shunning fossil fuels.
Business Day Spotlight is a TimesLIVE production. Producer is Demi Buzo.2024-09-0249 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoUnpacking the Letoya Makhene incident: The rights and responsibilities of initiatesLetoya Makhene, the former Generations actress turned sangoma, finds herself embroiled in controversy as allegations about her spiritual practices and personal life dominate headlines.
Recently she was featured on the Moja Love show Fake Gobela, where one of her former initiates accused her of being a fraudulent traditional healer, adding to the public dispute between Makhene and her soon-to-be ex-wife Lebo Keswa.
The initiate claims his initiation journey under Makhene was abruptly cut short due to alleged abuse by Keswa, leading him to leave Makhene’s home. He accused Makhene of owing him money, arguing he did...2024-08-2637 minTimesLIVE - In The NewsVavi ‘disappointed’ as Zuma never criminally charged for Marikana deaths 12 years after killingsSouth African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi believes the biggest injustice to victims of Marikana massacre 12 years after the miners’ deaths has been a “failure” to initiate a criminal investigation against former president Jacob Zuma and former minister of police Nathi Mthethwa.
Friday marked 12 years since 34 mineworkers were killed by police during a strike outside Lonmin Mine in Marikana, in North West.
Speaking to TimesLIVE reporter Sinesipho Schrieber Vavi he was disappointed that politicians who led the state at the time faced no legal consequences for the massacre.2024-08-1603 min30 years of democracy‘If ANC fully embraces Freedom Charter, EFF, MK and PAC wouldn't exist’ANC member and former Gauteng MEC for human settlements, co-operative governance and traditional affairs and former deputy speaker in the Gauteng legislature Uhuru Moiloa says if the Freedom Charter is fully implemented parties such as the EFF , MK wouldn't exist in 2024. Moiloa was speaking on TimesLIVE original podcast 30 Years of Democracy Podcast .2024-08-061h 33Sunday Times Politics WeeklyIn conversation with Zingiswa LosiIn this episode TimesLIVE digital politics editor Lizeka Tandwa talks to COSATU president Zingiswa Losi about the formation and the SACP stance on the government of national unity, the ANC’s path of renewal, and the party’s drop in the election results.2024-07-241h 02The Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoCleansing Fees: Are they too much?As we enter the second half of the Gregorian calendar year, many of us are gearing up and looking forward to the African new year in September and the change of season it brings.
I, and many healers, believe it is good practice to cleanse, declutter and reflect at the beginning and ending of cycles, seasons and journeys. However one signifies endings and beginnings in one’s personal context is not as important as doing the related spiritual work.
Fitting for the time of year, the conversation on pricing associated with cleansings has re-emerged on X.2024-07-0836 min
Boots on the groundDid apartheid racists convert or rehabilitate after freedom?Racist rants such as those by suspended DA MP Renaldo Gouws appear to show efforts to unite South Africa after apartheid did not yield the desired results. Do racists rehabilitate?
If you browse the archives, you will find apartheid ended because it was unsustainable after years of boycotts and sanctions by the international community. This and civil disobedience by the black majority, coloureds, Indians and some whites who fought to make the country ungovernable.
Fresh from the racist years, South Africa embarked on practical campaigns to unite the rainbow nation, but it seems racists are hell-bent on airing th...2024-06-2729 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoMusic in the age of awakening: A conversation with Phila DloziFor artists and consumers of art, music is a construct that reaches far beyond the purpose of entertainment. Historically, in a South African context, artists have used music as a tool to drive social change and transformation in protest against the repressiveness of the former state. Today the musical landscape sees artists addressing the sociopolitical issues of our time — and a spiritual awakening of young people.
The emergence of genres such as amapiano has not only been reflective of the current social landscape but has also triggered interest in African spirituality. The reliance of African spirituality on exploring the or...2024-06-2051 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo Zipho'Storytelling helped me heal': Author shares methodologies to inspire hope and healingGogo, have I been scammed? is a platform for the discussion of issues such as faith, African spirituality and Christian methodologies, particularly how we use these tools to navigate real-life situations. Such situations include interactions and interpersonal relationships that leave you heartbroken, physically harmed and without hope.
In discussions with Bontle Moka, author and reproductive rights activist, host Gogo Zipho Dolamo explores trauma and healing within the bounds of faith and spirituality. Moka shares a survivor's tale of abuse, violence and survival. Having authored and published two books, Moka shares practical struggles related to turning to God and fa...2024-05-201h 00The Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoUnpacking the Sassa Mpumalanga ritual incident: What really happened?By now, we have all seen the video of Sassa officials conducting what appears to be a ritual at their Mpumalanga offices. The footage was captured by CCTV, showing one official holding a snake. It is said that residues of needles and other muthi-like substances were discovered at the offices.
On this episode of Gogo have I been scammed? we will be unpacking the possibilities of what the ritual could be and what it could be used for. I say what it could be, rather than what it is, because we must all be aware that each ritual i...2024-05-0743 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoFaith homes and healers: The Menzi Ngubane storyFaith homes and compounds are well known and received in African communities. These establishments support community members with illnesses beyond the scope of western medicine.
Faith homes and compounds led by notorious healers such as Ma’Ngconde, once crowned “the healer of the nation”, enjoy publicity by word of mouth. People share stories of triumph thanks to the intervention of healers and by extension their compounds. However, sometimes faith-based organisations can cause a disturbance in communities and in the lives of members.
In this episode of Gogo, have I been scammed?, host Gogo Zipho Dolamo is joined by...2024-04-2252 min30 years of democracyIn conversation with Irfaan MangeraActivist, youth leader and members of Rise Mzansi's National Leadership Collective Irfaan Mangera says South Africa needs new leaders who are capable enough to a progressive democracy.
He was speaking on TimesLIVE's orginal podcast 30 years of Democracy. Mangera shares insights into growing up a born free and his role in activisim and joining a political party.2024-03-1848 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoHuman rights and spirituality: reflecting on South Africa's landscapeIn Human Rights Month, host Gogo Zipho Dolamo engages in retrospective conversation with seasoned sangoma Nonkwenkwezi.
With the growing presence of iZangoma and traditional spiritualities in media, one wonders what this looked like pre-democracy and the new constitution in South Africa. Nonkwenkwezi offers insights on the social context and the manner in which iZangoma were permitted to exist in society pre-democracy.
The rights now afforded to iZangoma have limitations and responsibilities. Nonkwenkwezi helps us understand what some of those boundaries and responsibilities are.
Gogo have I been scammed? is a TimesLIVE production.2024-03-1851 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoThe significance of ukuzila in an African spiritual contextMarch signifies the month of human rights for all South Africans. With the constitution having been affected 27 years ago, this month we commemorate human rights for all, specifically religious and spiritual rights.
In this episode we briefly reflect on the progression of rights afforded to izangoma and their operation “in the shadows” at traditional medicine markets. We also acknowledge that in the absence of the constitution, practising certain aspects of African spirituality would be prohibited by law.
We exercise our rights in episode 13 by hosting the Machethes, Alyndale Mayibongwe and Gerald Tebogo, in discussion about ukuzila (which...2024-03-0453 min30 years of democracyIn conversation with Dr Mpho PhalatseMember of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and former mayor of Johannesburg Dr Mpho Phalatse says she wouldn't have joined the DA in the Helen Zille era. She was reflecting on the past three decades from being a medical doctor to joining a political party.
This is a TimesLIVE original podcast2024-03-041h 11The Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoNavigating relationships and spirituality Part 2: Marriage and family lifeThe month of love has been dedicated to unpacking the complexities of navigating relationships and spirituality.
This episode focuses on the relational aspect of love and spirituality within the parameters of marriage. Joining the discussion are couple Alyndale and Gerald Machethe, both journeying spiritualists.
As journeying spiritualists Alyndale believes: "We both believe in God and acknowledge our ancestors and the gifts they have passed on to us and we are [in] the process of finding ourselves spiritually and letting the guides show us the way”. Swiping right on one another’s profiles, the couple could never have b...2024-02-191h 06The Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoNavigating relationships and spirituality: Practical do’s and don’tsIt is inevitable that traditional healers deal with dating and romantic relationships in their practices and personal lives. From trying to navigate spiritual do’s and don'ts to facing ethical dilemmas from clients seeking love at all costs, relationships intersect with spirituality in a multitude of ways.
In this conversation, Gogo Zipho chats with sangoma Amina Deka Asma, also known as Mkhulu Thandolwethu, and her partner Cynthia Maboya. Covering a range of topics, this conversation delves specifically into the practicality of the red tape often surrounding the subject of dating in African spirituality.
Mkhulu Thandolwethu, a qual...2024-02-0548 min
The Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoNavigating relationships and spirituality: Practical do’s and don’tsIt is inevitable that traditional healers deal with dating and romantic relationships in their practices and personal lives. From trying to navigate spiritual do’s and don'ts to facing ethical dilemmas from clients seeking love at all costs, relationships intersect with spirituality in a multitude of ways.
In this conversation, Gogo Zipho chats with sangoma Amina Deka Asma, also known as Mkhulu Thandolwethu, and her partner Cynthia Maboya. Covering a range of topics, this conversation delves specifically into the practicality of the red tape often surrounding the subject of dating in African spirituality.
Mkhulu Thandolwethu, a qua...2024-02-0548 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoProtection Strategies: How to prepare for the new yearFamilies have ways that they ready their children for the year. For example, when visiting my grandmother, she would light candles and start praying for us days before we had to depart to our varsities and places of work and residence. A colleague in the Cape Town office told me what her family does — which is to ensure that everyone and their bags depart from indlu enkulu where a prayer is held. It is important in her family that all their bags and luggage be blessed before departure.
In this episode, host Zipho Dolamo is joined in conversation by...2024-01-2244 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoGogo, can I phahla in my rented space?There is much talk about whether ukuphahla is possible or effective when conducted in rented spaces. The general understanding or misconception is that iDlozi (ancestors) are specific about space and therefore cannot accept dwelling in rented homes/apartments or spaces.
In this episode, host Zipho Dolamo is joined in conversation by Gogo Ntombiyamanzi to unpack the misconceptions around ukuphahla and space while addressing issues like fear-mongering and how they seek to reinforce misconceptions.
Gogo, have I been scammed? is a TimesLIVE production.2023-12-0542 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoFriendship and self journeying in spiritualityOn this episode of Gogo, have I been scammed? we broadly talk about friendship, support, spiritual accountability and indigenous knowledge systems, not limited to African indigeneity. Additionally we’ll talk about healing oneself through alternative practices like meditation, yogic methods and breath work.
Host Gogo Zipho Dolamo is joined by certified Vinyasa and Buti yoga teacher and one of her dearest friends, Asande Mahlaba.
Mahlaba is also a tarot card reader who leans heavily on her prophetic abilities in navigating her life in spirituality. She has self-journeyed into healing by following her dreams and intuitions, in an...2023-11-2054 minBoots on the groundThe sombre stories of pupils at rural government schoolsIn this episode of 'Boots On The Ground', we follow a pupil to a rural school. Among the issues we hear about are drug use at primary schools, a school with only two teachers for nine subjects, and we speak to civil organisations.
About 41% of pupils who started school 12 years ago did not make it to grade 12 last year. We go on the ground to determine the real impact of the most disadvantaged schools and pupils.
The Schools Act compels the education department to follow up on dropouts by investigating the pupil's absence from school and provide a...2023-11-1529 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoSupport on religious and spiritual pursuitsOn this episode of Gogo have I been scammed? we are going to be looking at a less overt type of scam in the context of spiritual and religious journeys, that is thinking one can stay the course of one’s journey in the absence of support from one's family, friends or institutions such as the church.
The conversation is about adjusting to the demands of spiritual journeys and contending with the changes in lifestyle that follow, while facing challenges that threaten the course of the path and sometimes even your faith.
Host Gogo Zipho Dolamo refle...2023-11-0642 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoGogo how did you know you had ingulo/ the calling?How do you know when you are implicated by igulo yeSintu or the Calling? How can you tell that ingulo yesintu “or the calling” is the thing that is happening to you definitively?
Our host Gogo Zipho Dolamo is joined by Mkulu Mkululi Jonas and PhD candidate Sangoma, Gogo Khanyi also known as Nomzamo Ntombela.
In this episode we look at the physical, emotional, spiritual and psychological symptoms or telltale signs of igulo yeSintu or the Calling. We also unpack things to look out for, and where and when to get help.
Gogo have I been sca...2023-09-2750 minSunday Times Politics WeeklyMangosuthu Buthelezi - The man who tried to ride two horsesThis week on Sunday Times Politics Weekly we delve into the controversial legacy of IFP founder and prime minister to the Zulu nation Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who died at the weekend at the age of 95.
Buthelezi's legacy has been the centre of debate in recent days after his passing, with some labelling him a “warmonger”, a catalyst for violence and a prop or ally of the apartheid government.
On the other hand, his defenders have labelled him an iconic political figure and a struggle icon. The EFF's Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, speaking during a memorial service held in Buthelezi’s honour i...2023-09-1546 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo Zipho'My family paid R100k to resurrect our loved ones'Is it possible to bring people back from the dead? Instead of encouraging families to undergo a bereavement process and counselling, some healers often instil in them false hope that their deceased loved ones can be resurrected.
Our host, columnist, researcher and trained sangoma Gogo Zipho Dolamo is joined by a young woman whose family has been expecting the return of their late loved ones. Prophet and healer, Mkhulu Ngxoza also joins the conversation to help us unpack and extract teachable moments that could potentially help you in your pursuit of spiritual help and advice.
Gogo ha...2023-09-1241 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoGogo, I was scammed nearly R40 000!The exploitation and victimisation of patients by bogus traditional health practitioners under the guise of giving spiritual help and guidance is the focus of this episode of Gogo, have I been scammed?
Our host, gogo Zipho Dolamo. is joined by Dineo. who had an interaction that left her feeling traumatised and nearly with an irreversible hole in her pocket.
Sangoma uMamKhonjwa also joins the conversation to help us unpack and extract teachable moments that could potentially help you in your pursuit of spiritual help and advice.
Gogo, have I been scammed? is a TimesLIVE p...2023-08-2840 minThe Indigenous Corner with Gogo ZiphoSpecial greetings for sangomas? What's that about?How to respectfully and holistically engage iZangoma is the focus of this edition of Gogo, have I been scammed?
Topics of discussion include: does the way in which people greet iZangoma matter? what is holistic acknowledgment? the importance of and duty that iZangoma must educate.
Our host, Gogo Zipho Dolamo, is joined by lecturer, academic and sangoma Siphokazi, also known as Gogo Mahlobo, to help unpack how to holistically engage iZangoma and traditional health practitioners.
Gogo, have I been scammed? is a TimesLIVE production.2023-08-1426 min
Eusebius on TimesLIVEEusebius McKaiser's last podcast on TimesLIVE: Is there a viable alternative to the ANC?Our beloved contributor Eusebius McKaiser passed away suddenly on Tuesday. News of his death broke just hours after TimesLIVE published one of his popular politics podcasts. Never would we have guessed it would be his last. Listen to it below.
A TimesLIVE reader responded to a social media comment from political analyst Eusebius McKaiser by expressing skepticism about there being a viable alternative to the ANC.
McKaiser had opined: "We need to normalise mentioning the name 'ANC' when telling stories about the economic and deeply personal impact of blackouts, such as a child dying because of lack of...2023-05-3015 minEusebius on TimesLIVESouth African foreign policy inconsistent and incoherentIn this edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, the podcast host briefly frames the legal and political issues related to the ongoing controversy around the possible visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to South Africa later this year. While acknowledging that law and politics are intertwined in this matter, McKaiser tries to separate the nexus legal issues from the geopolitical ones.
There is a brief summary of what legal expert Dr James Grant said about the interpretation of the Rome Statute, a treaty that is domesticated in South African law. A key case that has featured this law is that...2023-05-0915 minEusebius on TimesLIVEFreedom Day but not yet economic uhuruMatshidiso Lencoasa is a budget researcher at Section 27, a well-known South African public interest law centre. With multiple degrees in accounting sciences, international development and education, she brings a uniquely important set of skills to the work of Section 27. She focuses on how best budget interventions, at all levels of government, may be used to get us closer to a South Africa that is substantively equal, and in which socio-economic rights are fully realised.
In this edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, she engaged the podcast host on various aspects of Freedom Day. They started off by acknowledging the importance...2023-04-2715 minEusebius on TimesLIVEA conversation with Mbali Ntuli about how to repair our flawed democracyGround Work Collective is a new initiative started by former DA politician Mbali Ntuli. She joined TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser, on his TimesLIVE podcast, to explain the motivation behind this non-profit company, and how it will achieve its goals.
Ntuli shared with McKaiser data that demonstrates a slow decline in both the share of registered voters who participate in South African elections, and decreasing interest among eligible new voters to actually register to vote. Ground Work Collective's core motivation is to help to improve on these figures, with a particular focus on the youth vote.
2023-04-2430 minEusebius on TimesLIVEPhalatse's speech was analytical but Steenhuisen emerged the better the better politicianThis afternoon, the two candidates for federal leader of the Democratic Alliance, John Steenhuisen, the incumbent, and his challenger Mpho Phalatse delivered their final leadership contest speeches at the party's congress currently underway.
TimesLIVE contributor and analyst, Eusebius McKaiser, watched the two speeches closely and, drawing on his experiences as a past World Masters Debate Champion and adjudicator of competitive debating and public speaking shows, analysed their performances.
Steenhuisen, with his wealth of political experience compared to Phalatse's, chose to focus on a very positive framing of what the DA had already achieved, and what it...2023-04-0130 minEusebius on TimesLIVEXILUVA: Will Bongani Baloyi's new political party bloom before 2024?Former ActionSA Gauteng leader Bongani Baloyi has started a new political party, Xiluva, meaning flower in Xitsonga. In this case, it refers to the protea, which is seen on the party's logo and was chosen, according to Baloyi, because of the flower's resilience.
He granted Eusebius on TimesLIVE an interview on what led to the party's formation and its values, and answered questions about the strategic and practical difficulties of being a new political player in a growing field of small and new competitors.
Baloyi told TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser that Xiluva's foundational values are ubuntu...2023-03-3051 minEusebius on TimesLIVEDeadly pit toilets remain because of shitty ANC governanceIn this episode of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, the host holds the government accountable by revisiting the tragic story of Michael Komape, who died after falling into a pit latrine at school in 2014.
McKaiser, a contributor and analyst for TimesLIVE, looks at the latest claims by basic education minister Angie Motshekga of progress made in ensuring the government complies with the agreed norms and standards every state school must meet. There remains, argues McKaiser, a gap between political promises and service delivery, which worsens educational inequalities between the haves and the have-nots.
McKaiser draws on archived material to highlight and...2023-03-2738 minEusebius on TimesLIVEEXPLAINED: Why Bongani Baloyi resigned from ActionSA and what the repercussions areTimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser has followed the story of internal disagreements within ActionSA closely. In this explainer episode of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, he details how the Gauteng leader of ActionSA came to his decision to resign from the party.
McKaiser offers analysis that focuses on the implications for ActionSA and opposition politics generally.
Have a listen.
Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.2023-03-1328 minEusebius on TimesLIVESABC ‘on the verge of financial collapse’Michael Markovitz (former SABC Board member and head of the GIBS Media Think Tank) explained to podcast host Eusebius McKaiser what the role of the board is in respect to the functioning of the SABC.
Markovitz argues that it would be naive to downplay the centrality of the public broadcaster in the life of our democracy just because some citizens also have access to commercial media and new media. First, says Markovitz, the media products owned by the SABC are not restricted to terrestrial channels, but also online and other platforms and products that reach millions of people who...2023-03-1232 minEusebius on TimesLIVELawyer defends legal enforceability of demand that government ends blaTimesLIVE spoke to attorney Siphile Buthelezi about the legal basis of the letter of demand he sent on behalf of clients to the department of public enterprises and Eskom.
On Eusebius on TimesLIVE, he was asked to justify the legal argument that underpinned this demand.
Buthelezi, as can be heard in the accompanying audio, is confident the state does not only have a political duty to ensure a secure supply of electricity but, specifically, also a legally enforceable duty to do so. He insists, despite pressure testing questions from the podcast host, several constitutional rights of citizens are...2023-01-1813 minEusebius on TimesLIVEMedia coverage of Maselspoort racist attack is too tameIn this edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, podcast host Eusebius McKaiser wears his hat as a political analyst and reviews the coverage of what happened at a resort in the Free State recently.
McKaiser argues and explains how certain frameworks chosen by reporters, subeditors, and editors unwittingly water down the seriousness of racism.
He also offers arguments in support of the view that editorial choices are not value-neutral (just as neither writing nor reporting are value-neutral speech acts).What we write, and how we edit, and frame stories, can reveal our most deeply-held political convictions, he concludes, even...2022-12-2930 minEusebius on TimesLIVEANC's top 7 is neither a win for the ANC nor the countryIn this edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, he is joined by seasoned journalists Sam Mkokeli and Sabelo Skiti.
They bring their collective institutional memories to bear on a range of questions: Who are the characters in the top 7? What do we know about their track records? Are they fit for purpose?
A big theme in this podcast episode explores whether the newly elected top officials can improve the ANC. Can it now “renew” as it so often promises?
The party used to be well known for effective electioneering, and the interlocutors spar on whether the new leadership can...2022-12-2033 minBoots on the groundCape of Cocaine EP 4 - 'go to prison, meet nice guys, become a nice guy'In February 2018 assassins murdered Bulgarian couple Angelo Dimov and Nessie Peeva in their home at around 11 am in the Cape Town suburb of Bergvliet.
It was not a house burglary gone wrong, it was a hit ordered by a British cocaine dealer who felt he was double crossed.
There was more to Dimov and Peeva than their friends in the Cape Town southern suburbs knew.
Dimov was an alleged member of the Bulgarian mafia, a secretive criminal organisation which would go from successfully cloning thousands of credit cards raking in millions of rand to drug dealing.
...2022-12-0439 minBoots on the groundCape of Cocaine EP 3 - Cocaine Inc: Chasing Ivanov, the Bulgarian mafia's fixerIt’s February 2014 and Hawks Warrant Officer Johan Combrinck has received a tip-off through Interpol that Bulgarian men were busy constructing a large drug lab in a mansion in the Cape Town suburb of Durbanville.
On the evening of 24 February Combrinck parked his car opposite the house and conducted a steak-out.
The smell of sulphur was in the air, a sign to Combrinck that chemicals used for processing drugs were nearby.
In the house Combrinck could see movement. And then a man wearing a hazmat suite and gas mask appears in sight. It’s the same equipment whic...2022-11-2730 minBoots on the groundCape of Cocaine EP 2 - The ghost ships haunting SA's shoresOut there with the legendary Flying Dutchman is a fleet of 'ghost ships' trafficking cocaine from South America to destinations around the globe. They are invisible to satellites and tracking systems and make lonely voyages undetected, sometimes across rough seas.
The Atlantic Warrior is one of them. She belongs to the Bulgarian Mafia and trafficked cocaine from Brazil to Saldanha Bay off the South African West Coast. She is now missing after TimesLIVE Investigations journalist Aron Hyman spoke about her involvement in drug trafficking on Bulgarian national television.
Following the arrests of Asen Ivanov and his Bulgarian associates for...2022-11-2030 minBoots on the groundCape of Cocaine EP 1 - Discovery on the shores of Saldanha BayOn March 1 2021 the Windward, a Bulgarian mafia cocaine ship, was three days behind schedule docking at Saldanha Bay harbour on SA’s west coast.
Bulgarian cocaine fleet manager Asen Ivanov and his Bulgarian associates were waiting, probably worried their Myanmar crew had become lost in thick fog or rough seas.
Unbeknown to him, he had much bigger problems because watching the mafia’s every move was Lt-Col Johan Smit and members of the Western Cape police’s narcotics unit.
When the drug dealers approached the ship, the moment the police officers had been planning for months arrived.
T...2022-11-1834 minEusebius on TimesLIVEDid you know, dear voter, that coalition politics is not about you?Eusebius McKaiser invited TimesLIVE editor Makhudu Sefara to discuss a TimesLIVE editorial that caught the podcast host’s attention.
Sefara explains the editorial’s logic in support of the view that the politics playing out in Gauteng metros show political parties only care about power play and careerism, rather than about residents of the municipalities.
The mayoral battles in Ekurhuleni in recent weeks are the main example discussed by Sefara and McKaiser.
The editor argues that the DA’s Tania Campbell “is an accidental mayor” in the sense that her position is the result of the ANC and EFF be...2022-11-1123 minBoots on the groundCape of Cocaine - TrailerOne of the biggest cocaine busts in South Africa’s history, on the misty shores of Saldanha Bay, lifted the lid on an international drug-smuggling ring led by the Bulgarian mafia. But the syndicate brought more than just the drug to this country's shores.
Cape of Cocaine is a mini podcast series unpacking the group's operations and its dealings in South Africa. It's a tale of drugs, ghost ships, corruption and assassinations.
Join me, Orrin Singh, every Monday from November 14 as I delve into the inner workings of the Bulgarian Mafia’s operations on our shores, talking to journ...2022-11-1002 minBoots on the groundTruck drivers ‘flying’ to meet increased export demand blamed for road carnageThe horrific crash between a truck and bakkie that claimed the lives of 20 people, including 18 pupils, on the N2 in Pongola, northern KwaZulu-Natal, on September 16 has shone a spotlight on the cracks in SA's road freight industry.
The rising global demand for coal caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine has hurt the local trucking industry as it races to meet growing export demands amid a crisis. This increased demand has resulted in more heavy vehicles on SA's national roads, particularly on the N2.
In this episode of Boots on the Ground: Behind SA’s National Headlines, we...2022-09-2821 minEusebius on TimesLIVEExcited about Mmusi Maimane's return to electoral politics?Former DA leader Mmusi Maimane told TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser why he decided to register a political party to contest the 2024 elections.
On Eusebius on TimesLIVE, Maimane argues that communities are disempowered by the electoral system, which is why he focused his energies, after exiting formal politics in 2019, on electoral reform. He says effective political accountability requires that communities have the ability to recall parliamentarians who do not fulfil their mandate.
When McKaiser asked whether his will be a “classic political party”, Maimane said though it must be registered with the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) as a...2022-09-2322 minEusebius on TimesLIVEIFP spokesperson struggles to justify murder accusationIFP spokesperson and MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa joined analyst and broadcaster Eusebius McKaiser on his TimesLIVE podcast to explain why the party is marching to City Press this Friday.
Mkhuleko was at pains to explain they are doing so “as a last resort” in response to multiple “unsubstantiated” claims and “blatant lies” made by the City Press editor in his various columns, over several years, that IFP founder Mangosuthu Buthelezi is “a mass murderer”.
McKaiser pressure-tested the objective of the march, asking whether the IFP wanted Makhanya to stop writing and to self-censor. In a vigorous debate, Mkhuleko insisted the IFP is commi...2022-09-1547 minBoots on the groundRoyal Rumble - how are Zulu monarchs actually selected?Welcome to Royal Rumble, a short podcast series. This series is dedicated to celebrating the amaZulu Monarchy and its traditions; while unravelling the complicated power dynamics associated with traditional succession and leadership.
In this first episode of our three part series, we focus on the significance of traditional leadership and the contradictory parallel existence of a constitutional democracy and a traditional monarchy within SA.
SA already has a president, so why do its various clans need traditional rulers or kings? What authority and sway is associated with the title of king of the Zulu’s? How is...2022-08-1930 minEusebius on TimesLIVEMakashule Gana quits DA and explains whyMakashule Gana has today resigned both as a member of the Democratic Alliance and as a member of the Gauteng legislature. He spoke to TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser about the reasons behind this decision.
Gana has been a member of the party for twenty years, and occupied many leadership and governance positions during that time. He has served as DA Youth leader, deputy federal chairperson, and as an elections campaign manager. He has been a councillor representing the party in Johannesburg, as well as serving as a member of parliament (national assembly and national council of provinces).2022-08-0426 minEusebius on TimesLIVEA festival of ideas or dress rehearsal for elective conference?In this episode of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, he is joined by fellow political analyst Ebrahim Fakir, and they debate whether the ANC's policy conference this weekend will produce honest and productive debate on policy.
Fakir has written a trenchant critique of the ANC's obsession, as he sees it, with externalising its problems. The ANC, argues Fakir, still posits “colonialism of a special kind” as the prism through which to understand contemporary ills in society.
This approach, he argues, is anachronistic and dishonest, because it does not adequately refer to ANC governance failures which are the major drivers of our...2022-07-2929 minEusebius on TimesLIVEIs Sri Lanka a warning to the ANC?A year since the July 2021 unrests in KZN and Gauteng, there is still no clear factual account of what had happened. As covered in the Sunday Times last weekend, many individuals and families are living lives irreparably damaged by the riots, quite apart from the incalucable economic consequences for the country that resulted from the riots.
In this edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, Sunday Times investigative reporters Thanduxolo Jika and Sabelo Skiti joined the podcast host to take stock of the events that had shocked the nation, and the international community, a year ago. Some of the issues f...2022-07-1245 minBoots on the groundThe bloodiest days in SA's democratic historyIn today’s episode of Boots on the Ground, behind SA’s biggest headlines we commemorate the bloodiest days in our democratic history, by not only reliving what our country went through, but also trying to make sense of it.
You will hear testimony from looters themselves, who saw an opportunity and took it, community members who witnessed racial tension rip through their hometowns, vigilantes justifying gun-toting to protect their homes and recollections from journalists on the ground. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2022-07-0757 minEusebius on TimesLIVEDEBATE | Is Balenciaga’s ‘distressed’ R30,000 sneaker art, or expensive trash?Eusebius on TimesLIVE hosted an energetic debate about a controversial limited-edition sneaker released by Balenciaga.
The “distressed” design, which looks like very dirty, well-worn shoes that only people under conditions of extreme poverty may be reluctantly compelled to wear, retails at about $1,850 (R30,000).
Mikhail Brown, who writes about the politics of fashion, framed a fascinating debate in the Sunday Times recently on whether the dirty and broken sneakers could be considered art. He excavated the biography of the designer to make sense of what the motivations were behind this work.
In this episode of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, gend...2022-06-2947 minBoots on the groundSA’S IS CRISIS | State lets scores of fighters return from Syria in secret schemeThe government is repatriating hundreds of South Africans and their families, who for years fought for and aided the Islamic State (IS) in Syria, providing them with new identity documents and a means to resettle.
A TimesLIVE investigation can reveal the repatriations — done through the international relations and cooperation and home affairs departments, with the State Security Agency’s (SSA) approval — began in 2019, shortly after IS’s caliphate in Syria and Iraq collapsed.
The repatriations have met stiff resistance from SAPS and Hawks officers investigating terrorism cases. Anti-terrorism officers say repatriations are “growing SA’s IS ranks”, with police unable t...2022-05-0939 minEusebius on TimesLIVEIs the ANC too far gone to modernise?That was the framing question of this latest episode of Eusebius on TimesLIVE in which ANC member Chrispin Phiri articulated his critique of his party's suboptimal internal electoral processes.
The first part of the discussion reflected on the history of the party that has led to an opaque and insufficiently democratic set of practices. Phiri argues that historically the party had seen some candidates as endowed with the ideal skills for certain leadership positions but that this had the inadvertent effect of reducing internal contestation at times.
Alternatively, at other times, there appears to be vigorous contestation but...2022-05-0228 minEusebius on TimesLIVEEncountering God through feminist liberation-theologiesUniversity of Western Cape gender and religion scholar Professor Sarojini Nadar responded to an article by TimesLIVE analyst and contributor, Eusebius McKaiser, in which he had argues that the God he was taught about in Catholicism does not exist. McKaiser argues that the characteristics of being all-loving, all-powerful and all-knowing are incompatible with the existence of natural evils like devastating floods and earthquakes. Nadar did not reject all of McKaiser' philosophical analysis, but expanded the conversation by explaining why she had abandoned, in her own personal journey and academic work, a conception of God that invokes notions of "might, masculinity an...2022-04-2145 minEusebius on TimesLIVEThe true cost of ANC delinquency is worse than you thinkPolitical analyst Ebrahim Fakir painted a dire picture on Eusebius on TimesLIVE about the true total cost of the leadership crisis within the governing African National Congress. With fellow political analyst and podcast host Eusebius McKaiser, Fakir explored the consequences of unethical leadership within the ANC going unpunished. Many examples, from the perjury conviction of former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini to murder-accused Mandla Msibi being elected as ANC Mpumalanga treasurer-general, suggest that unethical and even criminal conduct are not obstacles to occupying positions of leadership within the governing party. The nexus question of this edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE...2022-04-0535 minBoots on the groundInside Gauteng's psychiatric healthcare crisisIn today’s episode of “Boots on the ground: Behind SA’s national headlines”, we dive into the state of psychiatric healthcare in SA, particularly in some of Gauteng's public hospitals in the inner cities and townships. We look at the challenges faced by hospitals when it comes to the treatment of psychiatric patients and how they have affected their staff and other patients, and what is being done to address this worsening issue. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2022-03-3122 minBoots on the groundHere is why kidnapping for ransom cases have exploded in SAIn today’s episode of Boots on the ground: behind South Africa’s national headlines, we dive into the secretive, underground world of ransom kidnappings. Why has this kind of organized crime become so prevalent? Who are the targets and how are they being targeted? How is it possible for syndicate to extort millions of Rands without leaving a trace? And what happens behind the scenes when high profile kidnappings take place? Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2022-02-2432 minBoots on the groundWhy are SA’s most deadly convicted criminals up for parole?In this week’s episode of Boots on the Ground: behind South Africa’s national headlines, we focus on the Van Vuuren and Van Wyk judgments that paved the way for lifers to be eligible for parole after 12 years and four months of serving their life sentence.
Parole for lifers has had devastating emotional impacts on the families of victims and communities. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2022-02-0126 minEusebius on TimesLIVEWhat does it all mean? Three crucial insights from part one of the state capture reportIn this week's edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE, Eusebius offers some initial insights, as TimesLIVE contributor and analyst, into part one of the state capture report.
He explains the difference between ordinary corruption and state capture, and why it is crucial to understand the true nature of state capture which is worse than mere corruption.
He also argues that we should reckon, as a country, with the true total cost of state capture which includes the damaging of our constitutional architecture.
McKaiser ends his analysis by challenging civil society to reframe the question of...2022-01-1117 minBoots on the groundWhat is really going on with the parliament fire?In today’s episode of Boots on the Ground: behind South Africa’s national headlines, we critically consider the information related to last week's parliament fire which held the country’s attention for the first week of 2022.
What does a raging fire at a strategic national key point mean? Is Zandile Mafe responsible? How could it be possible for anyone to slip into parliament undetected and cause this much destruction? And could it be linked to other strange happenings in SA? Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2022-01-1028 minEusebius on TimesLIVE‘Ramaphosa made fundamental mistakes after ascending to power’Veteran ANC leader and activist Mavuso Msimang has critiqued the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa in a frank discussion with TimesLIVE contributor and analyst Eusebius McKaiser.
Msimang argues that Ramaphosa’ fundamental mistake is being “too cautious” and playing a “long game” instead of moving quickly against those who are self-interested and not aligned with the values of the organisation. He says the president should leverage his popularity — knowing that personally it is even bigger than that of the ANC — to chart a new way forward. Instead, argues Msimang, Ramaphosa’s cautious approach allows those interested in corruption to regroup.In a wide-rangin...2021-12-1436 minBoots on the groundHunting Ndlovu: the story behind the capture and prosecution of Rosemary NdlovuFamily, for most, is a concept that represents togetherness, love and — despite the occasional conflict — a bond that supersedes most.
But recently convicted female serial killer and former police officer Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu saw her family more as a living pay cheque, ready to be harvested at will.
Ndlovu was found guilty of the murder of five of her relatives and one of her lovers. She arranged the brutal murder of her lover, sister, cousin, niece and two nephews to cash in on life and funeral policies, and according to the investigating officer on her case, tried to cash...2021-11-1644 minBoots on the groundWhere is the international outrage for Lindani Myeni?KwaZulu-Natal rugby player Lindani Myeni had been on the phone with his wife Lindsay. He had told his wife he would be home “soon”, but Lindsay and their two young children would never hear from him again.
Myeni was shot by officers in Honolulu’s police force while they were responding to a call about an alleged burglary in progress. He was outside and unarmed at the time of the shooting.
Police shootings have been a hot issue in the US for many years. Research by renowned American news agency the Washington Post and the business data platform Statis...2021-05-3141 minBoots on the groundThe children orphaned by Covid-19Grace Rohan cannot understand why at seven years old she no longer has a daddy while her mother, who is in her 40s, still has hers.The grade 2 pupil from Durban and her 18-year-old brother, Daniel, are mourning their father, José, who died of Covid-19 in February, a month after he turned 51.About 1,600km away in Langa, Cape Town, Sindiswa Lugulwana, 70, asks God to grant her a long life. She cares for three orphaned grandchildren whose single-parent mothers - twin sisters Phumla and Phumeza - both died of Covid-19 in January at the age of 45.And in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, Dewald B...2021-04-1626 minBoots on the groundRaped and then raped again: an 11-year-old's horror storySomewhere in Burgersfort, Limpopo, there is an 11-year-old girl whose life will never be the same. She sits quietly on a bright red wooden bench beneath a tree, gripping her father's hand.
Her parents fear she is on the verge of another epileptic fit. Since her second rape, the fits have intensified.
As her father speaks about the family's anxious wait for her HIV results, the girl watches leaves blow across the dusty front yard of their home.
She is seated just a stone’s throw away from the outdoor toilet that served as the scene of he...2021-03-1915 minBoots on the groundOne year of Covid-19: Reflecting on SA's biggest momentsToday marks exactly a year since the first Covid-19 case was confirmed in SA. Since that day there have been 1,517,666 confirmed cases and 50,462 Covid-19-related deaths countrywide.
In this episode of Boots on the Ground: Behind SA’s National Headlines, we relive some of the most memorable moments from the pandemic - moments we ought not to forget, as we continue to wage war against Covid-19. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2021-03-0536 minBoots on the groundCovid-19 is no hoax, people are dying to keep you safeSouth African front-line health-care staff have been tirelessly battling the Covid-19 pandemic since the country's first cases were recorded in March last year.
In the latest official figures,close to 47,000 South Africans have died as a direct result of the virus, and the actual death toll is estimated to be a lot higher.Every day South African paramedics, nurses, doctors and other front-line workers risk it all, in an attempt to save as many people as they can.
In this episode of Boots on the Ground: Behind SA’s National Headlines, we send one of our tou...2021-02-1022 minBoots on the groundMurdered over a mine: the story of Fikile Ntshangase's assassinationSix bullets. That’s what it took to silence 65-year-old KwaZulu-Natal grandmother and anti-mine activist Fikile Ntshangase.
Her crime? Standing firm in opposition to the expansion of a coal mine in her community.
In today’s episode of Boots on the Ground: Behind SA’s National Headlines, we look into the assassination of uMama Ntshangase, an anti-mine activist from northern KwaZulu-Natal, and we consider the environment of intimidation in which she and other vocal anti-mine activists find themselves. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2020-11-1722 minBoots on the groundMarikana | Justice delayed is justice deniedWhen the ninth anniversary of the Marikana massacre comes, the trial of the police officers implicated in the murders of five people who were killed at the mine on August 13 2012 — three days before the massacre — will be nowhere near conclusion.
This as the court case, which is being heard in the North West High Court, was postponed on Friday.
Both the state and defence agreed to have the matter postponed to May 10 2021. When the case returns to court then, it will only sit for three weeks before being postponed again to July. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2020-10-3022 minBoots on the groundA war is raging: cash-in-transit heists escalateSA’s cash heist season has struck early with armed gangs launching waves of deadly attacks which have already left 24 people dead and dozens injured this year.
Criminologists and CIT companies say driving the surge, which began in August two months ahead of the annual November heist peak, is the easing of lockdown regulations.
Despite the lockdown, SA Banking Risk Information Centre data, showed a 29% increase in cash van attacks between 2019 and 2020. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2020-10-1723 minBoots on the groundThe killing of Kinnear: a community demands justiceIn this episode of Boots on the Ground: Behind SA’s National Headlines, we look into the assassination of Lt-Col Charl Kinnear, one of SA’s most respected police officers and commander of the police's anti-gang unit.
The Boots on the Ground podcast is dedicated to unravelling some of SA’s biggest news stories. It follows Sunday Times reporters as they investigate the stories making the headlines. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2020-10-1117 minBoots on the groundSurvivors recount their farm attack experiencesWhen she hears of a farmer and their family brutally attacked, tortured or murdered, emerging Bloemfontein farmer Mimmie Jakobs has flashbacks to the moment three men burst into her home.
Stabbed multiple times, beaten to a pulp, her jaw broken, face fractured and left for dead, Jakobs, who farms lucerne and pecan nuts, stumbled for nearly 14km through neighbours fields through the dark before she found help.
Seven months since her attack in February, and following multiple week long hospital admissions, Jakobs, likes hundreds of established and emerging farmers who have survived violent attacks, is battling...2020-10-0123 min
BusinessLIVE - For Your EarR18m exit package given to three Eskom executives was no big deal, says Venete KleinFormer Eskom board member Venete Klein has implied that the cash-strapped power utility paying R18m to three executives, who were sent packing having done nothing wrong, was not a big deal.
Klein was giving evidence at the commission of inquiry into state capture on Thursday. Her evidence was centred on the controversial departure from the power utility of three top executives in 2015.
The executives, CEO Tshediso Matona, director of finance Tsholofelo Molefe and group capital head Dan Marokane, were suspended in March 2015 by the then Zola Tsotsi-led board.
Tsotsi testified earlier this week that the idea had emanated from...2020-09-1002 minBoots on the groundThe uncollected dead of Covid-19A new directive from the health department that anyone who dies of natural causes outside a hospital be tested for Covid-19 before a death certificate is issued has thrown the funeral industry into confusion.
The instruction, issued on Wednesday by health director-general Sandile Buthelezi, has sparked anger and confusion among undertakers and health professionals who say it will delay burials and pose health risks.
The directive states that "testing must be done before the human remain[s] are released to the funeral undertaker".
The new regulation is aimed at improving statistics on the number...2020-08-1721 minBoots on the groundThe collateral death toll of Covid-19According to the official figures released on Sunday night, 10,408 people have died in SA as a result of the coronavirus.
While more than over 10 000 deaths is already a significant number, funeral parlours have reported a spike in the funerals they are being required to cater for. They report numbers which are much higher than the official reported death toll.
So what are we dealing with here?
Our reporter Graeme Hosken spent the week combing through the death-toll figures with SA’s undertakers. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2020-08-1022 minBoots on the groundProspective transplant patients face a Catch-22 decision due to Covid-19It’s month four of SA’s national lockdown, and while most of us have begun to settle into the new normal, the danger Covid-19 presents for our country has not yet dissipated.
SA is now one of only five countries to have recorded over a half million confirmed Covid-19 cases. While these are daunting numbers for all of us, for South Africans desperately waiting for a live-saving organ transplant, the mounting risks have them praying for a vaccine.
In this episode of Boots on the ground, we discuss how the pandemic has affected South Africans who...2020-08-0219 minBoots on the groundTrouble brews over the latest alcohol sales banPresident Cyril Ramaphosa banned the sale and distribution of alcohol for the second time on July 12, citing “clear evidence”, that the use of alcohol places undue pressure on medical facilities. However, the president's evidence is still hotly contested in the Ministerial Advisory Committee.
This episode of Boots on the ground: behind SA's national lockdown looks into the scientific validity of the latest ban. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2020-07-2727 minBoots on the groundThe fight to prepare: Will SA's hospitals be ready for the worst of Covid-19?It's week 14 of South Africa’s national lockdown, and it is crystal clear that preparations of the most morbid sort are underway. From the development of field hospitals to the creations of added burial capacity, there is a mad dash underway in SA's health sector.
The questions the country face is: have we done enough, and are we ready for what comes next?
In today’s episode, we consider those very questions.
This short podcast series follows Sunday Times reporter Alex Patrick and senior reporter Graeme Hosken as they track, record and reflect on the...2020-07-1227 minBoots on the groundLockdown day 100 | Complacency killsSaturday the 4th of July, marks SA’s 100th day in lockdown.
The country has progressed from a very daunting lockdown level 5 to what people are now calling lockdown level 3 lite. With the easing of lockdown restrictions many South Africans seem to have lost their fear of Covid-19, with some people holding that the virus is just a flu that ought not to be feared.
This is strange, because Covid-19 has really bared its teeth in our communities recently. There has been a spike in both infections and in Covid-19 related deaths.
SA has to...2020-07-0421 minBoots on the groundWitnesses relive the day Collins Khosa diedIn this episode of Boots on the ground: behind SA’s national lockdown, we speak to the witnesses and victims who were present when Collins Khosa died.
40-year-old Collins Khosa died on April 10 after he was allegedly assaulted by soldiers.His life partner, Nomsa Montsa, alleged in an affidavit that Khosa had been sitting with his brother-in-law inside the yard of their Alexandra home when soldiers carrying sjamboks entered and accused them of violating lockdown regulations.
A scuffle broke out and, according to Mantsha, Khosa was taken out of the yard and was choked, had beer poured over hi...2020-06-2128 minBoots on the groundIs cigarette ban turning citizens into criminals?In this episode of Boots on the ground: behind SA's national lockdown, we chat to restaurateurs turned cigarette smugglers.
In light of the North Gauteng High Court ruling that the lockdown regulations are "unconstitutional and invalid", we ask if certain lockdown regulations are criminalising our society. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2020-06-0826 minBoots on the groundLevel 3: What decision will you make for your child?With lockdown level 3 looming, SA parents need to make some hard decisions around how best to begin exposing their children to Covid-19. In this episode of Boots on the ground, we consider some of the difficult choices parents have had to face since lockdown began and what decisions still need to be made as schools prepare to open their doors on Monday. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2020-05-3121 minBoots on the groundIf not science, then what is lockdown based on?In this episode of 'Boots on the ground': behind SA's national lockdown we look at the toll lockdown is having on the South African economy and consider Prof Glenda Gray's accusation that government’s risk-adjusted Covid-19 strategy is “unscientific”. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2020-05-2416 minBoots on the groundLevel 4: Not as free as we had hopedSA has been in lockdown for over 50 days and one thing is clear: people want their basic freedoms back.
So while the announcement of lockdown level 4 was initially met by cheers, it has also unintentionally made the national lockdown a lot harder to govern. Fluctuating laws and regulations have seen a pushback from the country’s citizens.
In today’s episode we follow SANDF soldiers into Alex, as they try to uphold the newly established curfew, while winning back the trust of the people in the area. We also speak to those pushing back against lockdown regu...2020-05-1728 minBoots on the groundSurvivor's guiltIn this short podcast series, we follow Sunday Times reporter Alex Patrick and senior reporter Graeme Hosken, as they track, record and reflect on the real events and people that make up SA’s biggest Covid-19 news stories. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2020-05-0230 minBoots on the groundHolding on to our humanityIn today’s episode of 'Boots on the ground: behind SA’s lockdown', we place under the microscope the plight of our neighbours both locally and across our borders, and consider what happens to our humanity when we ignore the suffering of those around us. Sunday Times · TimesLIVE2020-04-2525 minBoots on the groundThe fight for survivalIt’s the end of week 3 of SA’s national lockdown and Friday would have marked our first day out of lockdown, had President Cyril Ramaphosa not announced a two-week extension.
In a way it is the end of the beginning, but by no means the beginning of the end.
The truth is, as South Africans confront the prospect of week 4 of lockdown, the balance between lives and livelihoods has come into stark focus.
Will the inability to earn mean that some South Africans will starve before they face the prospect of contracting Covid-19 or i...2020-04-1824 minBoots on the groundInside SA's essential servicesOn today's episode of Boots on the Ground: behind SA’s national lockdown: Graeme goes on a ride-along with SA's late night lockdown enforcers, Alex has a Covid scare and SA’s lockdown gets extended by another 2 weeks!
This immersive podcast follows Sunday Times reporter Alex Patrick and senior reporter Graeme Hosken, as they document the second week of SA's lockdown in remarkable detail.
Take a trip outside your front door without having to leave your home, by tuning into Boots on the ground: behind SA’s national lockdown.
PLEASE NOTE: This podcast may contai...2020-04-1025 min
Sebenza: Behind the HustleHow this author juggles her career and being a self-published authorUnless you are JK Rowling, Stephen King or Robin Sharma you can’t always guarantee that being a published author will guarantee you fortunes. Sometimes you hardly have any control over how your book will look or how much profits you make from your hard work.
To understand how to take ownership of your own manuscript and make sure you rake in the profits, we speak to Lebo Nthongoa, about how she manages to juggle her career and promote her two part novel, The Nothing Ones.
Nthongoa was born in the Free State and grew up in Pretoria. After she wo...2019-02-1927 min