RC 260901Power FMColleen Makhubele
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
A politically charged Spring Day edition examined Parliament’s dispute over General Mkwanazi’s retracted testimony, a proposed basic income grant, and South Africa’s trade strategy with Brazil.
- 22:19
The Patriotic Alliance urged Parliament’s ad hoc committee to record General Mkwanazi’s retraction of a racketeering allegation against former minister Bheki Cele as gross negligence; other panellists rejected that characterisation.
- 22:23
The proposed permanent basic income grant would replace the R370 SRD payment for about 8.2 million unemployed South Africans, but panellists clashed over affordability, jobs and the state’s fiscal constraints.
- 22:28
Institute for Economic Justice researcher Sianda Baduza argued grants reduce poverty and can support job-seeking, noting the R370 payment is below the food poverty line and costs about R1,500 monthly to search for work.
- 23:16
South Africa and Brazil agreed to set trade disputes aside temporarily amid US tariffs, while experts warned subsidised Brazilian sugar and poultry imports could damage local industries and thousands of jobs.
- 23:30
COSATU’s Matthew Parks called for a preferential, carefully managed trade agreement with Brazil rather than free trade, alongside stronger customs enforcement and consumer support for locally produced goods.