Polity Podcast

Polity.org.za
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Polity.org.za posts daily news reports covering the major issues of the day on our website, as well as weekly video interviews with some of South Africa's most respected thinkers in the political and economic environment.

  1. 10 hr ago

    Daily Podcast – September 11, 2026.

    Daily Podcast – September 11, 2026. For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is Polity's daily podcast. Making headlines: Parties lodge ethics complaint against Majodina over vulgar tirade against Kouga resident Two newly completed bridges, as part of Lesotho Highlands Water project, set to open And, BRICS finance chiefs call for urgent IMF, World Bank reform The EFF, DA and ActionSA have criticised Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina, following a highly contentious confrontation with a resident in the Eastern Cape. The incident, which has sparked widespread public outcry, has led to an official ethics complaint laid by the DA and ActionSA, and intensified the political temperature ahead of the November 4 local government elections. The controversy erupted during a community meeting in the Kouga local municipality, meant to address severe local water shortages. According to political parties, Majodina unleashed a tirade of profanities and insults at a community member who was questioning or criticising the government's performance. The DA and ActionSA lodged an ethics complaint with Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests, calling for Majodina's conduct to be investigated and for appropriate sanctions to be imposed by Parliament. ActionSA Member of Parliament Malebo Kobe criticised Majodina's behaviour as a flagrant breach of the Code of Ethical Conduct for Assembly and Council Members. As the construction of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase II progresses, the newly completed Mabunyaneng and Khubelu bridges in the Mokhotlong district, in Lesotho, are set to be unveiled this week. This followed the completion of the 90-m-high Senqu bridge earlier this year. South Africa's Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Lesotho's Natural Resources Minister Mohlomi Moleko planned to launch the bridges on Thursday. The two bridges, to be officially opened at Mabunyaneng bridge site, in Mapholaneng, form part of the restoration infrastructure portion of the LHWP to ensure continuous access across the future Polihali dam, as the two existing low-lying crossings on this route will be submerged when the reservoir is impounded. The Khubelu bridge, the second largest of the three bridges, features a 270-m-long curved deck comprising nine 30 m spans, supported by eight piers and two abutments. Rising approximately 25 m above the valley floor, the structure is carried by sixty-three 52 t precast beams, each 30 m in length. The Mabunyaneng bridge spans 120 m across the valley and consists of four 30 m spans, supported by three piers and twenty-eight precast beams, standing about 12 m above the valley floor. BRICS finance chiefs and central bank governors today reiterated calls for urgent reform of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to give emerging and developing economies a greater say in the two institutions. The Bretton Woods institutions, created in the aftermath of World War II, should better reflect shifts in the global economy, they said in a joint statement, calling for increased IMF quota and voting shares for emerging and developing countries. They also backed greater representation of those economies in the leadership of the IMF and World Bank. The call is not new. BRICS has long pushed for developing nations to have greater influence in global financial institutions, arguing that their representation should reflect their growing weight in the world economy. That's a roundup of news making headlines today Don't forget to follow us on the X platform, at the handle @PolityZA

  2. 1 day ago

    Daily Podcast – September 10, 2026

    Daily Podcast – September 10, 2026 For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is Polity's daily podcast. Making headlines: South Africa's current account records Q2 deficit as Iran war drives up import costs South Africa urged to lock in reforms before Ramaphosa leaves And, India hosts BRICS summit as Iran war tests bloc unity South Africa recorded a current account deficit in the second quarter after a strong surplus in the first three months of this year, as the Iran war drove import costs sharply higher, central bank data showed today. The current account deficit was 2.6% of gross domestic product in the second quarter, compared with a surplus of 2.3% in the first quarter of 2026, the South African Reserve Bank said. The deficit on the current account was R205.5-billion in April-June, compared with a surplus of R181.6-billion in January-March. The trade surplus narrowed sharply to R146.4-billion from R428.8-billion in the previous quarter. South Africa must enshrine its reform process in law to guarantee the momentum gained under President Cyril Ramaphosa endures after he leaves office, said the head of a key business lobby group. Business Leadership South Africa Chief Executive Officer Busi Mavuso said that the reform project is the most important project that is happening in this country. She explained that reducing government dominance in the country gives the country the resilience in order to continue functioning, irrespective of what happens in politics. Investors have warmed to Africa's largest economy as reforms begin to bear fruit, most visibly with the end of almost daily power cuts as the state-owned electricity utility improves its performance. South Africa's credit-rating has been upgraded, the much-maligned rand has strengthened, and the stock market hit a record high in February. But the legacy of corruption and mismanagement under Ramaphosa's predecessor, Jacob Zuma, still dogs an economy that has expanded at less than 1% annually for more than a decade. And with Zuma still a political force, there's apprehension whether the pro-growth track of Ramaphosa and his government coalition partners will survive the election cycle. The next general election isn't until 2029. But Ramaphosa will stand down as leader of the ANC — the country's biggest political party — in late 2027, and in the past the incoming head of the ANC has then become president. India will host the BRICS Leaders' Summit this weekend, seeking to lift the bloc's global profile even as the US-led war on Iran splits its membership, with Tehran and Abu Dhabi on opposing sides of the conflict. The September 12-13 summit in New Delhi comes more than six months after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, a BRICS member since 2024. The conflict has led to a virtual shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's key choke points in the oil trade, pushing crude prices to over $100 a barrel. BRICS member UAE, after being hit by Iranian missiles since the war began, suspended all trade and financial transactions with Iran in August. Foreign policy experts said the key test for the bloc will be finding language on the Middle East crisis that both Abu Dhabi and Tehran can accept, clearing the way for a joint declaration. Such a joint statement was unlikely to influence the current geopolitical landscape, but will demonstrate, for instance, that a forum of emerging countries could be united against economically debilitating policies like Western sanctions, they said. That's a roundup of news making headlines today Don't forget to follow us on the X platform, at the handle @PolityZA

  3. 2 days ago

    Daily Podcast – September 09, 2026

    Daily Podcast – September 09, 2026 For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is Polity's daily podcast. Making headlines: South Africa's 3% inflation goal is robust, Central Bank study shows EFF heads to court over Parly's 'irrational' reversal on removal of impeachment evidence leader And, Congo extends state control over mining with bid to lock down geological data South Africa's 3% inflation target can withstand a range of economic shocks as expectations have become better anchored and more forward-looking, the central bank said in a new study. In the absence of major shocks, there's a 78% chance that inflation will remain between the central bank's 2% and 4% tolerance band, authors Theo Janse van Rensburg, Jeffrey Rakgalakane and Rudi Steinbach said in an economic note. South Africa formally lowered its inflation target to 3% in November with a 1 percentage point tolerance band, replacing the 3% to 6% range that had been in place for 25 years. The central bank had aimed for the band's 4.5% midpoint since 2017. Since the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28, the nation has faced mounting price pressures. Restrictions on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global supply route, has pushed up oil and fertiliser costs, raising inflation to 4.5% from 3% before the war started. The central bank responded by raising interest rates by 25 basis points in May to 7%, before pausing in July after revising its inflation forecasts lower and to support economic growth. The EFF has filed an urgent application at the Western Cape High Court, seeking to review and set aside Parliament's decision to rescind the appointment of Advocate Griffiths Madonsela as chief evidence leader of the Section 89 Impeachment Committee in the Phala Phala matter. The party contends that the Committee's sudden reversal represents a "dangerous capitulation" to executive overreach. According to the EFF, the legal challenge is vital to "safeguard the independence of Parliament from executive control" and to fortify the legislature's constitutional mandate to hold the executive accountable without fear or favour. The EFF officially nominated Madonsela for the role on July 22. Following the nomination, parliamentary officials questioned Madonsela regarding potential conflicts of interest, specifically whether any past dealings with President Cyril Ramaphosa would cloud his judgment. Democratic Republic of Congo plans to tighten control over geological data that guides billions of dollars in mining exploration, potentially extending state influence over the development of future mineral discoveries. The country is accelerating geological mapping, airborne surveys and digitisation of historical archives to build a comprehensive national geological databank on its critical minerals and reduce exploration risk, officials say. The plan will tighten Kinshasa's grip on the world's biggest cobalt producer and second-largest copper supplier, according to an official and seven industry sources, and could be even more significant than the country's policies that reshaped the global cobalt market, some analysts say. A nationwide geological mapping programme has gained momentum this year after a $180-million contract with Spain's Xcalibur, a global leader in geodata mapping, began in January, Raoul Wazenga Vitima, director general of the National Geological Survey of Congo, told Reuters. That's a roundup of news making headlines today Don't forget to follow us on the X platform, at the handle @PolityZA

  4. 3 days ago

    Daily Podcast – September 08, 2026

    Daily Podcast – September 08, 2026 For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is Polity's daily podcast. Making headlines: Mbalula defends ANC nomination process as party challenges IEC in court Manufacturing, mining weigh on second-quarter economic growth; GDP contracts by 0.2% q/q And, Kenya offers temporary amnesty to undocumented East Africans amid fears of crackdown The ANC has launched an urgent application in the Electoral Court following the Electoral Commission's rejection of the party's 181 candidate nominations across six municipalities. Announcing the legal challenge, ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula emphasised that despite the "administrative setback", the party is fielding over 9 000 candidates across all nine provinces. Mbalula revealed that the ANC successfully lodged 9 128 candidates for the upcoming November 4 election. Of these, 4 366 are registered on the ward ballots and 4 581 on the proportional representation ballots. The dispute centres on 181 candidates, comprising 130 on the PR ballot and 51 on the ward ballot, whose electronic submissions did not complete the final step on the IEC's system before the August 28 deadline. The IEC officially refused the ANC's request to process the stored information on September 4, prompting the party to approach the Electoral Court in Bloemfontein under Section 20 of the Electoral Commission Act. The application seeks to overturn the IEC's decision and direct the commission to recognise the submissions as valid. South Africa's gross domestic product contracted by 0.2% quarter-on-quarter for the second quarter, following growth of 0.4% in the first quarter of the year, Statistics South Africa reports. The manufacturing industry contracted by 1.8%, contributing -0.2 of a percentage point, to the overall GDP figure. Seven of the ten manufacturing divisions reported negative growth rates. The largest negative contributions were reported for the food and beverages; furniture and 'other' manufacturing; and basic iron and steel, nonferrous metal products, metal products and machinery divisions. Stats SA's data shows that the mining and quarrying industry also contracted by 3%, contributing -0.1 of a percentage point to the overall figure. The largest negative contributors were platinum group metals, manganese ore, gold and iron-ore. Further, the trade, catering and accommodation industry decreased by 1.9%, contributing -0,2 of a percentage point. Stats SA notes that decreased economic activities were reported for wholesale trade, motor trade and food and beverages. Kenya's government offered a temporary amnesty to undocumented East African nationals after hundreds of Burundians flocked to their country's embassy in Nairobi seeking travel documents, fearing a crackdown on small-scale traders from abroad. Kenyan President William Ruto last week called on authorities to close down all small-scale businesses operated by foreign traders, starting on Monday, following a meeting with Kenyan traders who had been protesting against tax reforms. The order, which Kenya's trade ministry said applied to foreigners operating without work permits, sparked chaos outside Burundi's embassy today, with some Burundians saying they had been threatened by neighbours since Ruto's remarks. There were no signs of a crackdown in Nairobi today, and a spokesperson for Ruto's administration later said the government had a policy of "absolute zero tolerance toward any form of harassment, intimidation, or xenophobia", and urged undocumented nationals from other East African countries, and specifically from Burundi, to formally register at their embassies. That's a roundup of news making headlines today Don't forget to follow us on the X platform, at the handle @PolityZA

  5. 4 days ago

    Daily Podcast – September 07, 2026.

    Daily podcast – September 07, 2026 For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is Polity's daily podcast. Making headlines: Court shuts down UDF's bid to get IEC to extend candidate nomination deadline South Africa's quarterly farm exports surge, US shipments rise And, Home Affairs urges immediate Smart ID adoption, collection ahead of elections The Electoral Court has handed down a decisive judgment dismissing an urgent application by the newly registered United Democratic Front, which sought permission to participate in the upcoming local government elections despite missing the critical candidate nomination deadline. The applicant, which was officially registered by the IEC on August 24, failed to comply with the August 28 deadline to submit its ward candidate nominations. Under the 2026 local government election timetable published on August 7, all political parties and independent candidates intending to contest wards were required to submit their nominations by 17h00 on that date. After the IEC denied a request for an extension, the party approached the Electoral Court on an urgent basis. During the proceedings, the UDF proposed an alternative relief package. It sought permission to nominate "placeholder" candidates in selected wards, intending to substitute them with permanent candidates before the next relevant deadline in the timetable. The party argued that because its registration was finalised only four days before the nomination deadline, it lacked sufficient time to properly identify, recruit and secure consent from suitable ward candidates. South African agricultural exports rose 10% in the second quarter from the same period a year ago, buoyed by higher volumes and better prices. The total shipments of $4.1-billion was a record for the second quarter, according to Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa. While lower than the same period last year, shipments to the US climbed 56% from the first quarter as the effective tariff rate declined to 12.5% from 30%, the chamber said. "South Africa has had a solid start to 2026," Sihlobo said today. "Still, in the current environment of heightened geo-economic tensions, South Africa's export-oriented agricultural sector must focus on maintaining its existing export markets and expanding into new ones." Agriculture has been a rare bright spot for South Africa's economy with exports rising steadily over the last two decades as a growing citrus industry and a diversification into other types of fruits and nuts added to the country's corn shipments. Exports were also helped by improved performance at the Cape Town port, the chamber said. Exports to other African countries accounted for 40% of shipments. The Department of Home Affairs has issued an urgent appeal to citizens to replace lost or damaged identity documents ahead of the upcoming local government elections. To prevent queues at standard offices, the department is directing citizens to local Home Affairs offices and the expanded network of more than 450 participating bank branches nationwide. Additionally, an appeal has been made to individuals who have already applied for their IDs but have not yet collected them to do so immediately. To streamline the process, the department advised citizens to visit the official portal at myhomeaffairsonline.dha.gov.za to locate their nearest participating bank branch. The department is also calling on South Africans who already possess valid identification to act as community ambassadors. That's a roundup of news making headlines today Don't forget to follow us on the X platform, at the handle @PolityZA

  6. 4 Sept

    Daily Podcast – September 04, 2026.

    September 04, 2026. For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is Polity's daily podcast Making headlines: Ramaphosa authorises SIU corruption probe into Eastern Cape Public Works ANC Veterans League condemns Durban xenophobic attacks, demands prosecutions And, rebel-held eastern Congo records new Ebola case after declaring outbreak over President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the Special Investigating Unit to probe allegations of corruption and maladministration at the Eastern Cape Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. By signing Proclamation 344 of 2026, the President has cleared the way for the Unit to investigate a series of highly sensitive infrastructure contracts and security tenders. The investigation will cover the period from January 01, 2021 up to the publication of the proclamation on September 09, 2026. The core focus of the SIU probe is to determine whether these multimillion-rand contracts violated constitutional procurement principles. Investigators will check if the processes were "unfair, non-competitive, non-transparent, or not cost-effective", and if the contracts went against National and Provincial Treasury guidelines, as well as the department's internal policies. The ANC Veterans League has strongly condemned recent violent clashes in Durban, calling for immediate, thorough investigations and prosecutions following a wave of killings, looting and unlawful evictions targeting foreign nationals. The statement followed a chaotic confrontation outside the Durban Home Affairs office on Che Guevara Road yesterday. The violence erupted when about 100 supporters of the group 'March and March' attempted a self-described "clean-up campaign" targeting foreign nationals. These individuals had been camping outside the government facility after fleeing anti-immigrant tensions in their local communities. Reports from the scene indicate that March and March supporters attacked monitors and activists, prompting law enforcement to deploy rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd. The Veterans League highly commended the monitors and activists who stood their ground despite being targeted, and blamed a lack of proactive governance and weak law enforcement for the escalating crisis, accusing March and March of capitalising on a perceived culture of impunity. A new Ebola case has been recorded in an area controlled by AFC/M23 rebels in eastern Congo, the group said, more than two months after it declared the outbreak over in the territory it holds. The Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebels, who control large parts of North and South Kivu provinces after staging a lightning offensive last year, declared areas under their control Ebola-free in late June, after 21 days without new cases. The latest case was detected in the Kayna health zone in North Kivu, near Lubero, the rebels said in a statement. The patient, a 21-year-old man, arrived from Butembo, a city in government-held territory, the statement said. It was not clear where he had contracted the virus. He was identified as a suspected Ebola case at a health checkpoint on Wednesday and transferred to a quarantine facility, where tests confirmed infection the following day, the rebels said. That's a roundup of news making headlines today Don't forget to follow us on the X platform, at the handle @PolityZA

  7. 3 Sept

    Daily Podcast – September 03, 2026

    Making headlines: ANC reiterates ‘system glitches’ as it appeals to IEC to recognise election candidates; DA escalates battle against Gayton McKenzie; And, former ANC cllr defects to DA in Cape Town

  8. 2 Sept

    Daily Podcast – September 02, 2026

    Making headlines: IEC records 43% surge in candidates for Nov elections; Dirco clears High Commissioner Sooklal of suspicion of facilitating Zuma-Gupta meetings; And, Congo's Ebola outbreak kills more than 3 000

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Polity.org.za posts daily news reports covering the major issues of the day on our website, as well as weekly video interviews with some of South Africa's most respected thinkers in the political and economic environment.

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  • Creator
    Polity.org.za
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Polity Podcast