The Talking Sense Podcast

The Common Sense ZA
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The Common Sense's main weekly podcast focusing on the state of the world.

  1. 19h ago

    The ANC's Two Eras | The Water Bill | Shell | Jason Arday | SA's Verdict on US Companies

    In the latest episode of Talking Sense, with James Myburgh, Richard Tren, and Simon Lincoln-Reader, and hosted by Gabriel Makin, the panel looks at new SRF polling showing that South Africans support closer alignment with the United States. Majorities back exemptions for American companies from BEE, guarantees against expropriation, and protecting America’s security interests. Black voters were also more supportive than white voters on BEE exemptions, with 60% backing the policy compared with 55% of white voters.The panel also also looks at the ANC's two eras, the new Water Bill, the Constitutional Court's Shell ruling, primaries in the United States, and the Jason Arday affair. Become a member and support The Common Sense — Common Sense Plus is 99 rand a month and gets you the full archive of articles, explainers and the data behind South Africa's most important trends: https://www.thecommonsense.co.za/subscribeSite: https://www.thecommonsense.co.zaPanel: Gabriel Makin (host), James Myburgh, Richard Tren, Simon Lincoln-ReaderChapters:0:00 Pre-show: the AI wunderkind vs Wall Street4:25 March on March and the AfriForum model8:32 US fundraising spam and ActBlue12:03 Show start: this week's stories13:14 Did the ANC ever really deliver? (subscriber question)22:35 The new Water Bill25:59 The Shell ruling, Eskom and net zero36:29 The United States' primaries: Florida50:01 Jason Arday and the DEI reckoning1:06:14 New poll: South Africans on American companies1:11:52 Closing thoughtsIf this was worth your time, like the video and subscribe for a new episode every week.

  2. 6d ago

    Talking Sense I Duduzane Zuma, the DA Manifesto, and America’s Cost of Living

    Black South Africans are more willing than white South Africans to move to the US as refugees, according to new polling discussed in this week’s episode of Talking Sense. The panel discusses South Africa's "useless men" problem and why young men are abandoning women to leave them to raise children alone. The panel also examines Duduzane Zuma’s appearance at the BizNews conference, where he told Alec Hogg that the MKP is real and here to stay, with Frans Cronje arguing that South Africans should take the party seriously. Simon Lincoln Reader looks at the Church of England’s £100 million slavery reparations pledge and asks what happens when the church stops being a church. The panel delves into the deep splits within the Church of England which has seen its Global South leadership break away, stressing the Bible should be at the centre of its work, whereas its Western community stresses socialist dogma and ideology. Bheki Mahlobo discusses US inflation and why young Americans feel alienated from their country’s economy, while James Myburgh analyses the DA’s local government manifesto and the fight inside UCT’s council. The panel also looks at questionable US climate data.Gabriel Makin hosts. Panel: Frans Cronje, James Myburgh, Simon Lincoln Reader, Bheki Mahlobo.Common Sense Plus is R99 a month.https://www.thecommonsense.co.za/subscribeChapters0:00 Female-headed households3:03 Richard Tren, Yorktown, Kings Mountain6:57 Clacton and Count Binface8:36 Fake polls12:29 Show open14:08 Duduzane Zuma on BizNews, MK and the ANC24:36 Church of England reparations45:22 US inflation, jobs, cost of living1:00:24 DA local government manifesto1:14:11 UCT council and the vice-chancellor1:19:13 America’s “hottest month”1:28:34 Refugee poll1:31:21 Closethecommonsense.co.za

  3. 6d ago

    ANC at 34%, the Third Force Returns, Jason Arday, News24's IDAC Apology.

    Read the full analysis and more data-driven insights: https://www.thecommonsense.co.za/Become a Common Sense Member for R99/pm https://bit.ly/3QJWRIdThis week the panel discusses the Social Research Foundation and The Common Sense new national and Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria polling. The ANC sits at 34% nationally and under 20% in Johannesburg. Frans Cronje explains why Phala Phala and the immigration campaigns have become a vice around the ANC, why MK now commands two thirds of the ANC's support among black voters, and what a party polling below 50% in every one of its historical constituencies means for November.Also on the show: the reinstatement of Tshwane city manager Johan Mettler after Solidarity and the DA went to court; Willie Aucamp's approach to the foot-and-mouth crisis and the return of Dawie Oudendaal and Theo de Jager to the industry coordinating council; News24's partial climbdown on IDAC and the still-unanswered question of who exposed the Pretoria safe house; the death of Rod Liddle; and Abdul El-Sayed's razor-thin victory in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary.

  4. 6d ago

    IDAC Captured, Fauci's Diaries Exposed, and the Secret War Under South Africa | Talking Sense

    Read the full analysis and more data-driven insights: https://www.thecommonsense.co.za/Become a Common Sense Member for R99/pm https://bit.ly/3QJWRIdSouth Africa's new anti-corruption body, IDAC, was supposed to clean up the state. Instead it appears to have run interference against the people investigating one of the country's most murderous criminal syndicates.The panel works through IDAC's capture, and the media complicity around that, and what the Madlanga Commission has exposed about it all, and then traces the same playbook back to the SARS "rogue unit" operation against Johann van Loggerenberg in 2014.Also this week: the SANDF is training a special warfare unit to fight deep underground in an effort to win back the mineral resources the state expropriated 20 years ago and then lost control of. Richard Tren goes through Anthony Fauci's newly released diaries and what Fauci knew about the origins of COVID - whilst the panel suggests what those origins most likely were. Simon Lincoln Reader takes apart The Economist's interview with Elon Musk. And Frans Cronje explains why South Africa already has the electricity it needs to grow at 4 percent.0:00 — Opening banter and setup9:14 — Show intro and guest lineup10:11 — IDAC capture and the Madlanga Commission24:21 — Media complicity and the SARS rogue unit playbook30:04 — South Africa’s underground military unit and illicit mining43:03 — Dr. Fauci’s diaries and the COVID response61:15 — Elon Musk’s Economist interview76:33 — South Africa’s energy needs and growth potential94:45 — Closing remarks

  5. 6d ago

    Financial Mail Row, The DA's Western Cape Disaster and UK Cabinet Reshuffle

    Read the full analysis and more data-driven insights: https://www.thecommonsense.co.za/Become a Common Sense Member for R99/pm https://bit.ly/3QJWRIdThis episode opens with the Financial Mail controversy then examines the Ann Widdecombe murder and political violence. Next it covers UK think tanks, the new prime minister and the policy rebuild. The discussion to the Hopefield environmental dispute. It analyses the Democratic Socialists of America and elite left politics, looks at Israel, public opinion and the war of ideas. It compares China’s improving global image with the West and addresses the Madlanga Commission and IDAC concerns. It ends with a discussion on black engineering graduates.Chapters0:00 — Opening and Financial Mail controversy4:02 — The Ann Widdecombe murder and political violence8:31 — UK think tanks, the new prime minister, and policy rebuild12:04 — Introducing the week’s topics and Hopefield environmental dispute23:23 — The UK’s new prime minister and cabinet reshuffle41:21 — The Democratic Socialists of America and elite left politics68:16 — Israel, public opinion, and the war of ideas77:26 — China’s improving global image versus the West85:35 — The Madlanga Commission and IDAC concerns89:44 — Black engineering graduates in South Africa95:13 — Closing remarks and sign-off

  6. 6d ago

    ICC Exit, 15% Middle Class, 66% JSE Black Ownership, & Mettler State Capture

    Read the full analysis and more data-driven insights: https://www.thecommonsense.co.za/Become a Common Sense Member for R99/pm https://bit.ly/3QJWRIdIn this episode of Talking Sense, the panel breaks down the week's biggest stories: South Africa’s push to exit the ICC following Trump’s crackdown, the true size of SA’s middle class (just 15% — and how it could have doubled), black ownership of the JSE (66% of local capital), the suspension of honest Tshwane municipal manager Johan Mettler amid fresh state capture attempts, elite school politics at Bishops, sports quotas and Bokkieweek, and shocking data on South Africa’s children and collapsing family structures.Plus: Ro Khanna’s Israel stunt, the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham, and the growing weakness of the West.Chapters00:00 American weather panic and Western resilience04:55 The Bishops Pride flag dispute08:18 Should schools promote political causes12:22 Bokweek and racial requirements in youth rugby21:57 The main discussion begins23:51 Why America is targeting the ICC28:07 Sovereignty and international courts32:01 How the United States could pressure the ICC35:29 How international institutions expand their power39:56 How South Africa’s middle class was measured42:38 New car sales and middle class growth45:18 What weak growth cost South Africa49:01 Why the earlier growth strategy was abandoned52:44 Black ownership of the JSE58:26 Why wealth per person remains unequal01:03:37 How mining policy drove out investment01:06:42 How The Common Sense approaches data journalism01:07:33 Why Johan Mettler was suspended01:10:43 The competing political coalitions01:14:21 Mettler, Tony Leon and media priorities01:17:18 What happened during Ro Khanna’s Israel visit01:21:13 The Graham Platner scandal and Democratic politics01:24:55 The death of Lindsey Graham01:29:15 The decline of strong American foreign policy01:30:28 South African children and broken families01:32:37 Children growing up without employed adults01:34:48 Grants, hunger and childhood development01:36:00 Why children cannot read for meaning01:37:10 School dropout and mathematics failure01:38:45 How the education system deteriorated01:39:48 Closing remarks

  7. 6d ago

    Trans Flags In Schools, Tony Leon "State Capture" Smear, Nigel Farage & SA's 2034 Future Scenarios

    Read the full analysis and more data-driven insights: https://www.thecommonsense.co.za/Become a Common Sense Member for R99/pm https://bit.ly/3QJWRIdIn this week's Talking Sense Podcast, the panel breaks down the Bishop's School Pride flag controversy and elite institutions playing politics, the collapsing Iran ceasefire and its implications, and the politically motivated attacks on Tony Leon over lobbying and alleged "state capture." They explore The Common Sense 2034 scenarios for South Africa, Nigel Farage's resignation in the UK and the by-election farce against Count Binface, the Graham Platner scandal exposing Democratic standards, the Constitutional Court ruling on a Western Cape property sale, threats to free speech via a potential X ban in Britain, and positive data on rising black ownership of the JSE.Like, subscribe, and visit www.thecommonsense.co.za for full articles and more sharp analysis.00:35 — Bishops school flags controversy begins03:13 — Pride flag, political statements, and school values05:20 — El Salvador, prisons, crime, and investment06:58 — Intro to the episode and topic rundown08:23 — Iran ceasefire collapse and renewed conflict11:43 — Discussion on whether the “war” in Iran is really over15:00 — Tony Leon / state capture allegations begin18:18 — Why the allegations against Tony Leon surfaced20:15 — What counts as wrongdoing versus legitimate lobbying25:47 — Clean governance, lobbying, and political strategy in South Africa30:34 — Explanation of real state capture and how it worked34:00 — Ramaphosa, funding, and political influence39:53 — DA leadership tested by political pressure42:49 — Transition to South Africa 2034 scenario planning43:15 — Scenario planning history and method46:49 — Three South Africa 2034 scenarios51:03 — Nigel Farage resigns and recontests his seat58:02 — Clarification of UK politics and Farage’s move63:10 — Graham Platner scandal in the US66:39 — Rape allegations and campaign collapse72:04 — How the story may have been timed politically76:33 — Constitutional Court ruling on Cape Town property sale78:18 — Investment, housing, and economic consequences81:47 — District Six and housing discussion86:35 — UK free speech and social media ban concerns95:25 — JSE ownership and South Africa’s progress97:10 — Episode wrap-up and closing remarks

  8. Jul 13

    Mandelson's Russia Scandal, ANC Polling Collapse, Steenhuisen vs Tony Leon, Joburg's Hidden Riches

    Read the full analysis and more data-driven insights: https://www.thecommonsense.co.za/Become a Common Sense Member for R99/pm https://www.thecommonsense.co.za/subscribeThis week on Talking Sense: The Panel dives into the MI6 file labelling Lord Mandelson a "privileged contact" and the mechanics of Western influence. Marius breaks down a new by-election model forecasting an ANC collapse to the low thirties, while the panel reviews how private-sector security cooperation maintained stability through the June 30 deadline. The panel unpacks John Steenhuisen’s explosive exit interview and the state capture allegations surrounding Tony Leon. From London, the panel explores a UBS report on the UK’s massive wealth loss. Plus, striking data on South Africa’s voter turnout, a sobering look at what 5% growth since 2007 would have achieved, and the economic potential of Johannesburg. 0:00 Privileged contacts and influence4:02 By-election analysis and ANC trends8:00 Johannesburg vs Cape Town property prices11:45 30 June deadline and unrest risk19:18 Steenhuisen interview and lobbying debate40:03 UK wealth loss and inflation58:26 Voter registration and turnout66:37 South Africa’s lost growth74:47 Johannesburg economy and turnaround84:46 Closing remarks

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About

The Common Sense's main weekly podcast focusing on the state of the world.

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  • Creator
    The Common Sense ZA
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Common Sense ZA
  • Show Website
    The Talking Sense Podcast

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