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Johannesburg's mayor Dada Morero delivered his State of the City address from a cathedral this week — complete with a marching band and a reading of the Lord's Prayer. But behind the pageantry, South Africa's biggest city is staring down billions in debt, a crumbling water network, and a power utility threatening to pull the plug. In this interview with Irakli, Currency Senior Reporter Shirley de Villiers picks apart Morero's claims of a fully funded budget and targets met, warning that "it fell apart out of the gates" — from misleading Cape Town comparisons to a city "owed 25 billion by debtors" but with "only 4 billion cash on hand". On Eskom's threat to cut power over a R5.2bn debt, de Villiers is blunt: "Joburg doesn't have the money...I presume it would be rotational power cuts and essentially residents being left in the dark when they have paid for their services." And Joburg, she warns, is no outlier — "116 of them have unfunded budgets, 162 of them are in financial distress...It's the result of poor leadership, poor governance, patronage politics, corruption and ineptitude." With local government elections looming in November, this is almost certainly Morero's last State of the City address — and quite possibly the ANC's last chance to convince residents it can still govern the country's economic heartland. On current evidence, the residents can but pray.

With the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry restoring people's faith in commissions, Dr Zizamele Cebekhulu-Makhaza, Chairman of the Safer South Africa Foundation, tells Chris Steyn why the Madlanga Commission has been so effective in sharp contrast with the Zondo Commission. He describes the impact on both the SAPS and the criminal underworld of the unprecedented Press Conference in which KZN Provincial Police Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi stunned the country with charges of police and political capture. “He helped this country in various ways. In fact, he took this country……out of mud to bring… the information to those who have got the capacity to clean the country…we want the President to deal with this matter in a very decisive way. We expect him as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to act very decisively on the matters that the Madlanga Commission are dealing with.” As for the other pillars of the Criminal Justice Cluster, Dr Cebekhulu-Makhaza says: “...There is a problem in the Department of Justice… the underworld has infiltrated them...the Department of Justice must not try to...…hide what Mkhwanazi has revealed because everybody knows what has happened. I'm happy that Madlanga...will overlap into those terrains and reveal to us what is happening in those terrains and also in Correctional Services.” Dr Cebekhulu-Makhaza outlines in detail all the urgent reforms needed to restore credibility, accountability and operation effectiveness with the criminal justice system.

Sean Summers, CEO of Pick n Pay, outlines a tough but deliberate turnaround for the retailer as it battles market volatility, labour tensions and legacy costs. In a frank interview, he defends short-term share price swings and emphasises long-term value creation through restructuring and investment in stores and Boxer. He insists the goal is a sustainable, competitive future rather than quick fixes, despite pressure from losses, inflation and ongoing negotiations with unions and suppliers across South Africa’s retail sector today.

South Africa stands at a political crossroads. In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Frans Cronje unpacks the fragile future of the GNU, coalition chaos ahead of local elections, ANC infighting, and the economic risks of a radical policy shift. From Johannesburg’s crumbling infrastructure to the resilience of South Africa’s private sector, Cronje argues voters are becoming more pragmatic while politicians remain trapped in ideology. He also weighs the prospects of Patrice Motsepe, warns of possible “balkanisation,” and explains why the country may still avoid total collapse.

In today's BizNews Daybreak, we highlight progress on a US-Iran deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, shifting crude oil prices, a paused US arms sale to Taiwan, and a massive Russian hypersonic missile attack near Kyiv.

In South Africa, Lauren Evanthia argues that a true 39% voter turnout in 2024 reflects systemic collapse and a lack of hope, urging an end to party politics.

Meanwhile, Helen Zille warns that the DA needs an outright majority to fix Johannesburg, fearing another fragile, multi-party coalition driven by jobs and tenders.