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William Sanderson-Meyer has been watching South African politicians for more than three decades. His verdict on John Steenhuisen's News24 interview is unsparing: it was a ransom note. Not a whistleblower's disclosure, not a principled stand — a threat, published in the open, by a man who cannot accept his own demotion and needs the DA to find him a way out. WSM traces the damage: a personal financial hit of half a million rand a year, severed relationships, a tainted brand, and a party now forced to choose between quietly paying him off or risking a public war three months before a local government election. Either outcome, WSM argues, tells you exactly who is really running the DA. Also today: National Treasury pulls funding from 65 municipalities including Johannesburg, Shell sells its South African forecourts to Abu Dhabi's ADNOC, and 91's founders buy their own shares.

In his latest interview with Chris Steyn, Solly Moeng, blasts President Cyril Ramaphosa for his appointments of Ayanda Dlodlo as Ambassador to France and Dina Pule to Cabinet. “...the ANC still looks in its own dustbin of people they've thrown in the past to say, OK, maybe this one, people have forgotten who they are. Let's use them again.” He further slams the President’s failure to act against suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. “It's the same thing as Jacob Zuma not being charged for State Capture… This whole Madlanga Commission was started because this man decided to, from what we've heard, listen to voices that he shouldn't have listened to in order to dismantle a police unit that was busy scratching in places where seemingly the criminal network was not liking it anymore.” Moeng also describes the “mud pit” predicament of current Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Geordin Hill-Lewis over the damaging public spat between two former party leaders, Tony Leon and John Steenhuisen “... whether Geordin Hill-Lewis wants to be part of the conversation or not, it's hurting the political party. This is the DA that has always been positioned as morally higher, holier than thou kind of party…it's pushing the DA morally, ethically on the back foot. So it's going to be interesting to see how they survive this.” Moeng further comments on the latest corruption revelations at the Madlanga Commission, and the games being played by some of the big role players. “I really hope that Madlanga will give the criminal justice system something that will lead to the fall of the big names hidden in there.”

Iran strikes commercial tankers near the Strait of Hormuz as Tehran enforces its shipping lanes, while Samsung's shares slide despite a 19-fold profit jump and NATO allies brace for Trump's push on defense spending.

Herman Mashaba hits back at claims he left Johannesburg's finances in ruins, and columnist William Saunderson-Meyer weighs the damage John Steenhuisen's allegations against Tony Leon have done to the DA's brand.

Forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan exposes a recovery scam preying on fraud victims, and Bloomberg unpacks the $2 trillion global race to dominate future battlefields with drones, hypersonic weapons, and AI.

Chery just took over Nissan's old Eastern Cape plant, plugging straight into a subsidy scheme that costs South Africans over R40 billion a year, split between just seven manufacturers. Trade expert Donald MacKay tells Alec Hogg why this isn't a normal acquisition, and how the deal appears to sidestep a contribution other big players like Vodacom and Coca-Cola had to make. With a parliamentary review looming in September, is this subsidy model built to last?

ActionSA president Herman Mashaba reveals what Johannesburg's current mayor told him in a private phone call about why the city can't pay its bills. He also breaks down the Cape Town mayoral race, the anti-immigrant protests spreading across South Africa, and why he won't speak to Helen Zille directly. With the November local government elections looming, his answer to one question raises new doubts about who's really steering Johannesburg into the ground.