Johannesburg is falling apart - power cuts, potholes, broken pipes,
waste piling up, and corruption choking the city that once symbolised
South Africa’s promise. But one of the country’s most formidable
political figures says she can fix it. Phumi Mashigo sits down with
Helen Zille, the former Mayor of Cape Town, Western Cape Premier, and
now 2026 Johannesburg Mayoral candidate for the Democratic Alliance.
She’s one of the most polarising voices in South African politics, and
the question that everyone’s been whispering is asked: Can she really
save Johannesburg? The Burning Platform
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Local Government – Down but not out
Local government is meant to be the heartbeat of democracy. But as cities crumble, services collapse, and trust erodes, South Africans are asking: can our municipalities still be saved? In this episode of Democracy Unplugged, host Phumi Mashigo leads an honest discussion with a panel of political leaders tackling the state of local governance ahead of the 2026 municipal elections. From collapsing infrastructure to coalition chaos as well as lessons from the GNU, this episode asks what real local leadership should look like in 2026 and beyond. The Burning Platform
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How to break the corruption chain, with Xavier Bapoo, Stefan Grobler and Mike Bolhuis
What does it really take to root out corruption in South Africa?
Stand-in host Xavier Bapoo speaks to former South African Police Service
(SAPS) Anti-Corruption Unit head Stefan Grobler and specialist
investigator Mike Bolhuis about the deep-seated culture of corruption
exposed by the Madlanga Commission. This conversation lays bare the
forces eroding accountability, looking at political interference, the
dismantling of anti-corruption structures to the risks faced by
investigators on the front lines, exploring what it will take to rebuild
integrity and justice in South Africa’s institutions, and more. The Burning Platform
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South Africa's voice in the G20
What does South Africa’s G20 presidency mean for the country’s future?
In this episode of LevelUp, Phumi speaks with Ercilia Mata Ubisse, Regional Head for the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and a member of the Startup20 Foundations & Alliances Taskforce, to unpack how small business, collaboration, and policy can reshape global development from an African lens. The Burning Platform
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Morals in Dirty Politics | With ATM's Vuyo Zungula
How does a values-based politics survive in a system built on power and pragmatism? And what drives a leader who still speaks of conviction in an age of calculation? In the noise of South Africa’s political landscape in flux, African Transformation Movement’s parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula stands out for being both familiar and unexpected: a young leader who speaks the language of faith, morality, and transformation. In this episode, he speaks to Phumi Mashigo about making his way through the dynamics of politics: the old liberation parties are grappling with legitimacy, new alliances are reshaping the centre, and voters are searching for voices that sound like conviction - not convenience. The Burning Platform
After a decade run as South Africa’s first and longest-running online current affairs show, The Burning Platform, launched alongside CliffCentral.com in 2014 with Gareth Cliff and Justice Malala, is levelling up – Level Up with Phumi Mashigo. Phumi a founder host of CliffCentral and current Burning Platform co-anchor, will continue to bring insightful perspectives and questioning with thought leaders, politicians and social commentators on the critical issues that affect our lives. Podcasts available on Podcast Party app, website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.
South Africa