Coversations With Gabriel

The Common Sense ZA
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The Common Sense's one-on-one interviews with politicians, businesspeople and other fascinating South African commentators

Episodes

  1. May 7

    Trying To Rescue Durban - Haniff Hoosen

    In this episode Gabriel Makin is joined by the DA's eThekwini (Durban) mayoral candidate, Haniff Hoosen. The conversation begins with Haniff's background, highlighting his over 30 years in South African politics and his decision to come out of retirement to run for mayor. After that the conversation turns to the problems that currently beset Durban: failing infrastructure, rampant crime and corruption and general mismanagement. As a counterbalance to this Haniff proposes the four steps that he sees as neccessary in order to reverse the decay of the city. Haniff then provides an assessment of what he thinks the chance of success is for the DA to win the eThekwini metro. The conversation ends with Haniff explaining why he decided to dedicate his life to opposition politics in South Africa.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Haniff Hoosen01:32 Political Journey and DA's Growth08:05 Durban's Political History and Current Challenges11:43 Factors Contributing to Durban's Decline16:51 Public Sentiment and Political Shifts25:43 Engaging the Indian Community in Politics27:49 Motivation for Political Involvement

  2. May 7

    Expropriation, Land Reform And Agriculture - Wandile Sihlobo

    In this episode Gabriel is joined by Wandile Sihlobo, who is the Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber and the Presidential Envoy on Agiculture and Land. The discussion begins with a brief introduction to Wandile and the overall state of South African agriculture, where Wandile highlights how the agricultural industry in South Africa is flourishing. From there the conversation turns to land reform as Gabriel pitches a policy proposal from The Common Sense that is intended to help with the financing of agricultural ventures for black farmers that want to enter the industry. Wandile is enthusiastic about the proposal and insists on a follow up coffee to discuss it in more detail. From there the conversation turns to the government's position on expropriation without compensation, where Wandile insists that the government position remains that land reform will happen on a willing-buyer, willing-seller basis and that the market principle still applies. Related to this, the conversation ventures onto the racial land ownership patterns. The conversation ends on the topic of rural safety where both Wandile and Gabriel agree that the awful violence that rural communities are subjected to must come to an end. Chapters00:00 Introduction to Wandile Sihlobo02:55 Wandile's Role in Government and Agriculture05:40 Current State of South African Agriculture08:47 The Impact of Expropriation Without Compensation11:48 Political Economy of South African Agriculture14:58 Supporting Black Farmers and Land Reform17:38 Innovative Financing for Black Farmers20:45 Expropriation Without Compensation Explained27:12 Understanding Land Reform and Expropriation Concerns28:49 The Landscape of Agricultural Land Ownership36:58 Investment in South African Agriculture41:11 Rural Safety and Crime in Agriculture51:18 Balancing Justice and Economic Growth in Land Reform

  3. May 7

    The Definitive Podcast On Farm Murders - Dr James Myburgh

    In this episode ofConversations with Gabriel, Gabriel Makin and Dr James Myburgh give a definitve historical analysis on the uniquely South African problem of farm murders. The conversation traces the ideological history and how the propaganda and underground campaign of MK in the mid-80s laid the groundwork for the later explosion of violent crime in South Africa. The conversation goes through the transcripts of the ANC's propaganda broadcasts to highlight how the leadership of MK directly sought to incite violent insurrection. James lays out the historical statistics demonstrating that prior to 1990 violence was common but contained, but after the unbanning of the liberation movements it took off massively. James then explains how in South Africa's post-democratic dispensation the ANC immediately sought to dismantle South Africa's effective policing capabilities, which meant that violent crime soared even further. The conversation ends with James and Gabriel lamenting how the issue of violence has become so normalised in South African society and the tragic implications of this.00:00 Understanding Farm Attacks and Murders11:00 The Role of ANC Propaganda and Radio Freedom21:52 The Shift in Violence Post-199032:25 The Kill the Boer Controversy and Its Implications42:07 The Surge of Violence in the 90s43:20 Post-Apartheid Violence: A Disturbing Continuation46:53 The Government's Response to Farm Attacks50:50 The Shift in Narrative: From Political to Ordinary Crime55:21 Understanding the Nature of Farm Attacks58:54 Jackie Selebi and the Deterioration of Policing01:02:38 Trends in Farm Murders: A Statistical Overview01:03:45 The Aberrant Nature of Farm Attacks01:08:50 The Political Re-emergence of Farm Attacks01:16:39 The Normalization of Violence in South Africa

  4. May 7

    Running To Be The DA's Deputy Federal Chairperson - Nicholas Nyati

    In this episode of Common Sense Conversations, Gabriel Makin talks to Nicholas Nyati about his running for Deputy Federal Chairperson of the DA. The conversation ranges through a number of topics, covering Nicholas's background, his entry into politics, his goals for the next DA Congress, and his goals for the DA. He also explains two of the six resolutions that he is proposing at the upcoming DA congress. The first concerns the DA adopting a formal policy of non-alignment in foreign affairs and the second concerns the DA proposing stricter regulations on online gambling.

  5. May 7

    Will South Africa Run Out Of Petrol? - James Lorimer

    In this episode of the Talking Sense Interview, Gabriel Makin and James Lorimer go into a deep dive into South Africa's mineral and petroleum resources. They explore where South Africa's oil comes from. What effect the Iran war could have on the country's oil supply and price. And South Africa's massive potential in the industry. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to South Africa's Fuel Sources02:07 Current Refining Capacity and Challenges06:26 The Role of Imports and Iran War11:31 Impact of Fuel Prices on the Economy13:31 Understanding the Oil Supply Chain15:19 Government's Role in Fuel Pricing17:39 Historical Context of Refining in South Africa18:56 Exploration Potential and Combative Environmental Activism27:08 The Economic Benefits of Oil and Gas Development34:02 Conclusion and Future Outlook

  6. Mar 30

    The New Johannesburg Polls - Helen Zille Interview

    In this episode of the Talking Sense Interview, Gabriel Makin and Helen Zille discuss the Johannesburg results from the latest SRF/The Common Sense poll. They unpack the DA's progress and what the polling data reveals about her prospects of securing a majority in the city.

  7. 12/02/2025

    Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein

    In this episode of Talking Sense, the Chief Rabbi of South Africa, Dr Warren Goldstein, drops in for a long-form interview with The Common Sense's executive producer, Gabriel Makin. The conversation touches on topics ranging from the Chief Rabbi's background, the intersection of Judaism and modernity, his experiences after the 7th of October massacre, the subsequent war in Gaza, the lessons learned from his activism for Israel and the South African Jewish commuity, the future of Jews globally in the face of rising Western antisemitism, and much more.

  8. 09/30/2025

    David Ansara - Talking Sense episode 4

    CEO of the Free Market Foundation, David Ansara, joins Gabriel Makin for this episode of Talking Sense. The topics range from the history of the FMF, the goals of socialist movements, how to fix South Africa, the cost of BEE and much much more.Links to the FMF:https://freemarketfoundation.com/https://freemarketfoundation.com/the-costs-of-b-bbee-compliance/

  9. 09/25/2025

    Dr Frans Cronje - Talking Sense episode 3

    Editor of The Common Sense, Dr Frans Cronje, sits down with The Common Sense's executive producer to discuss the launch of The Common Sense, the real South African story of the last 30 years, the 2024 election and where South Africa is heading.

  10. 09/25/2025

    Muzi Kuzwayo - Talking Sense episode 2

    In this episode of Talking Sense former CEO of TBWA/Hunt/Lascaris and founder of South Africa's promise, Muzi Kuzwayo, comes on to discuss what has happened in South Africa since 1994 and how it could be a success.

  11. 09/05/2025

    Mmusi Maimane - Talking Sense episode 1

    Executive producer of The Common Sense, Gabriel Makin, interviews the leader of Build One South Africa, Mmusi Maimane, about his experience with the 2024 election, the GNU, the progressive caucus, his deal with Rise and GOOD.

  • 11 Episodes

About

The Common Sense's one-on-one interviews with politicians, businesspeople and other fascinating South African commentators

Information

  • Creator
    The Common Sense ZA
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Common Sense ZA
  • Show Website
    Coversations With Gabriel