From Bridgette Motsepe-Radebe‘s alleged scandalous links to Botswana, to the impact of the elections in Somalia... Gareth, Kanthan and guest Jean-Jacques Cornish tackle the week's biggest political stories. And while we're all still grappling with the ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic, the team debates how unlocking countries should work. Brought to you by Nando’s.

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Phumlani Majozi joins us to discuss the notion of good ideas and organising a country properly. Can government, business and labour ever march to a single beat? Hong Kong took decisive action after they were liberated, is that a replicable model for other nations who achieve liberation? Is the idea of race-based politics hindering poverty alleviation? Is BEE fundamentally flawed? Brought to you by Nando’s.  

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Is it a good idea to have private security firms to carry out state justice? What is distributive justice and how does it shape ideology? Does the private sector serve society at large better than a capable state? If a government doesn't trust its citizens, what is the logical conclusion? Armed forces are trained to kill, so what happens when their barrels are aimed at their own citizens? Brought to you by Nando’s.

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How does the formative ANC structure differ from the one we see today ideologically? Does Covid-19 render the political landscape fertile for totalitarianism in South Africa? Is the economic and philosophical illiteracy of news reporters dangerous for society at large? If we lose a generation of black graduates in the formal economy because of lockdown regulation, what does that mean for the future of South Africa's social landscape? WHO should pay the biggest price globally for this pandemic? Brought to you by Nando’s.

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The rate at which the world switched from analogue to digital is amazing, the new normal is online now. How does a man whose job it is to report on the news and the fabric of society stay sane in lockdown? What role does Justice Malala's wife play in his morning routine, even though she’s in America while he sits in Kalk Bay, Cape Town? As the individual cost of not connecting physically with others comes to the fore, we need people to also report on the possible socio-economic factors at play daily in this pandemic economy. Can the country afford to deal with an outbreak of Covid-19? There’s a fine line between social obedience and tyranny, is South Africa’s military putting large scale public safety on a knife edge? We've seen military and state vehicles in townships before, but last time we had Nelson Mandela to placate the restless masses... can Cyril Ramaphosa do the same?

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Ivo Vegter tells us why he left the Daily Maverick. As we move into Day 1 of #Lockdown2020 in South Africa, where should we be looking for threats of violence to pop up? The sharp end of capitalism will have brutal effects on the economy at macro and micro levels, what lessons can we learn from the Covid-19 period about the state of our economic structures? Globalisation has its pros and its cons - will China be able to recover its place as the production hub of the world post Covid-19? Brought to you by Nando’s.

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South Africa is officially in a double dip recession, strap yourself in! Does Cyril have the backbone to prevent 'triple dip’ by making the necessary pragmatic calls immediately? The unions have ‘declared war’ on Tito and government's plans to cut jobs and save R150 billion in the medium term. The sovereign wealth fund sounds nice, but is South Africa in a position to administer such? Will the world pivot from a China-centric production model after coronavirus stalls all production there? Bloomberg is out, Biden is now the front runner. Brought to you by Nando’s.

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05.03.20 Pt 2 - Can publishers in South Africa afford to be sued and go through the legal process? Fuel hikes are less than ideal for the people on the ground... taxi fares go up, bread costs more, and it’s going that way for South Africa soon. Being a high-level state employee in South Africa might very well be the best job on Earth. Tokyo Sexwale essentially says, “Bribery is okay if you win”… but if you lose it’s immoral.

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Mhlanganisi Madlongolwana joins us for a sizzling episode of The Burning Platform, and he unpacks the highlights and lowlights of Cyril’s 2020 SONA. Is the field of politics in South Africa too emotive to allow for constructive intellectual engagement? As SA finds itself leaving 'Ramaphoria' and that honeymoon period of hope, what lessons if any can be drawn from Deng Xiaoping’s early reforms in China? Is coalition in government progressive, or does it put a stranglehold on bureaucratic processes which need to serve citizens? Did Elizabeth Warren put the final nail in her own coffin in the public debate with Michael Bloomberg? Is the Democratic Party falling apart, or is it just business as usual? Brought to you by Nando’s.

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20.02.20 Pt 2 - Mhlanganisi Madlongolwana - say that twice without tripping up. The man with a tongue twister title says he is an analyst in recovery, and he didn’t realise that in his sabbatical he’d find American working class reality shows are his vice. Kanthan's expectations for Cyril have dropped, he’s given him one job... nothing more Cyril, focus! Is Bernie Sanders’ greatest life achievement having a post office named after him?

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