The Daily Discourse

Illegal mining is costing South Africa far more than stolen minerals. New estimates suggest the country is losing tens of billions of rand every year, while thousands of jobs disappear and communities are left facing growing safety and security risks. So, what is the true cost of illegal mining, and what will it take to stop it?

The fight against corruption has scored another major victory. Assets worth nearly R326 million linked to the Hangwani Morgan Maumela case have been frozen after a court granted the Asset Forfeiture Unit a preservation order. Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has welcomed the ruling, calling it an important step in holding those accused of corruption to account.

A concerned listener brought this issue to our attention a few weeks ago, and it raises important questions about how independent schools are being treated. Despite a court ruling in their favour, several Johannesburg schools say they're still being billed by the City as if they were public enterprises, leaving them with crippling property rates bills. We invited the City of Johannesburg to respond, but it has declined our invitation, saying the matter is still before the courts.

One listener raised an important question with us last week: what does the return of El Niño mean for South Africa? From rising temperatures and prolonged dry spells to the impact on food production, this climate pattern has far-reaching consequences. To unpack what lies ahead for our environment and our agriculture sector, we're joined by two experts.