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PODCAST

The Lead

Seasoned broadcast journalist Graeme Raubenheimer brings you The Lead, News24’s definitive podcast for in-depth reporting. Join us every Monday to Thursday at 19:00 SAST for candid conversations with our top journalists, and discover what they saw, heard, and uncovered in their relentless pursuit of the big story. Episodes drop on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube like clockwork. WhatsApp: 072 562 3179 or mail: thelead@24.com. This is The Lead, and this is the South African story.

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All Episodes

00:30:03

How one act of kindness helped a family find their...

The Lead ·

2025/07/15

It’s a complicated story like so many aspects of modern life. Relatives of a homeless man in Cape Town, “Luigi”, who’d gone viral for attending a Springbok match thanks to the goodwill of a fan, have since reunited, thanks in part to News24’s Good News coverage. Still, the sisters of the 49-year-old man, whose real name is Alan Strydom, face difficult decisions as he suffers with schizophrenia. Bringing us up to speed with this truly unique story in this edition of The Lead is our Good News editor,

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00:30:25

What to expect from the inquiry into SAPS ‘capture’,...

The Lead ·

2025/07/14

Another year, another commission of inquiry. Mbuyiseli Madlanga, the soon-to-be retiring deputy chief justice, will be chairing the country’s umpteenth commission of inquiry, this time broadly looking into alleged criminal and political interference in the South African Police Service (SAPS). This follows KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s claims that the SAPS has been captured by criminal syndicates. The inquiry’s scope will be broader than just the police; it will hone in on

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00:32:10

Why is Gauteng’s R700m forensic super-lab still closed?

The Lead ·

2025/07/10

It’s a state-of-the-art facility meant to speed up the processing of post-mortems and toxicology reports to give grieving families much-needed closure. But Gauteng’s new R703m Forensic Medical Services super-lab in Johannesburg’s Auckland Park near the Helen Joseph Hospital remains a ghost town for now. It’s 98% complete, but the building contractors refuse to lift another finger until they’re paid the final costs they claim they’re owed. A journalist who’s been on this story for many years is

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00:27:54

Consensual sexts or unwanted advances? Judge...

The Lead ·

2025/07/09

Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge remained under cross-examination this Wednesday over allegations that he sexually harassed a former court secretary, Andiswa Mengo. The now 41-year-old’s 2022-based complaint led to a tribunal brought by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), and if Mbenenge is found guilty of sexual harassment, he could be impeached. News24’s specialist legal journalist, Karyn Maughan, has been closely following proceedings at the Sandton-based JSC tribunal for us,

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00:38:37

The big, beautiful Trump tariff explainer with...

The Lead ·

2025/07/08

In less than a month, South African produce and products being shipped to America will face remarkably higher tariffs. This came after US President Donald Trump signed a letter to Pretoria, stating that 30% tariffs on certain South African exports will be effective from 1 August. President Cyril Ramaphosa, currently with BRICS counterparts in Rio de Janeiro, claims Trump’s reasoning and methodology do not make sense. Host Graeme Raubenheimer and News24 Business journalist William Brederode dive deep

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00:22:59

Is the SAPS captured? With Jeff Wicks

The Lead ·

2025/07/07

The gloves are off. In a startling Sunday press conference, KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial police commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, publicly claimed that the heart of the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been captured. Mkhwanazi alleges that Minister Senzo Mchunu has ties to the underworld and, together with deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and an associate known as Brown Mogotsi, they’ve all played a part in politically interfering in the SAPS. Mkhwanazi alleges Mchunu had an

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00:31:19

We chat about the Boks’ homeless superfan and a son’s...

The Lead ·

2025/07/03

From a good Samaritan who gave his extra Bok ticket to a homeless man, to a woman who reforged her legacy after a forced marriage at 14; good news editor Paul Herman is behind the mic to uplift and inspire in this edition of The Lead. Later in the show, a Cape Town woman who allegedly abducted a newborn baby boy tries to bar the media from filming her in court. Finally, host Graeme Raubenheimer ends off reading a News24 Go! travel love letter to the West Coast town of Hondeklip Bay. You can send a

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00:33:35

Charting the DA and ANC’s GNU collision course with...

The Lead ·

2025/07/02

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s surprise axing of DA deputy minister Andrew Whitfield has again set the cat among the government of national unity’s (GNU) pigeons. First, the DA issued the ANC an ultimatum: fire all ministers accused of corruption or forfeit its friendly budget vote. Since then, the DA has singled out two ANC ministers in Parliament. Apart from pulling out of the National Dialogue, DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille this week personally oversaw the laying of criminal charges

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00:33:46

Are we seeing glimpses of Rassie’s grand plan for 2027?

The Lead ·

2025/07/01

The Springbok test season is in full swing with a convincing win over the Barbarians, a first on South African soil this past weekend. Now, the Boks’ sights are set on sinking Italy and Georgia in quick succession with the match-ups offering the front line-up, in particular, a considerable challenge. Building depth among the forwards is key, according to News24’s senior sports journalist Khanyiso Tshwaku, who joins us in this edition of The Lead to chat Bok depth, Rassie’s new “hybrid” player, and

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00:25:47

Can Starlink stake its claim in South Africa? With...

The Lead ·

2025/06/30

Lesotho has granted Elon Musk’s satellite internet streaming service, Starlink, a decade-long licence to operate there. How did Lesotho get Starlink before South Africa? Specialist journalist Carol Paton explains in The Lead that the real reasons behind this are rather complex, as many local regulatory hurdles have to be cleared first. Communications Minister Solly Malatsi is arduously exploring a possible policy alternative for Starlink to meet local employment equity requirements, despite

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00:39:39

101 dead in EC flooding after cold front, with...

The Lead ·

2025/06/26

At least 101 people have died and thousands left homeless after flooding hit the Eastern Cape earlier this month. As survivors catch their breath and rebuild their livelihoods, another intense cold front is creeping closer to the province. With snow, showers and sweeping winds forecast, we speak to News24’s East London correspondent, Sithandiwe Velaphi, for an update on rebuilding, rescue efforts and Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s choice to take leave. Later, host Graeme Raubenheimer looks into the

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00:36:18

The sinking SA Navy, with Sikonathi Mantshantsha

The Lead ·

2025/06/25

The South African Navy’s limited operational capability has been scuppered in recent years. Today, only five vessels can take to the seas along our expansive coastline, and they are restricted to patrolling around our harbours. If you’re wondering, “Who needs a navy anyway?”, then you’re sorely mistaken about the force’s critical importance in other areas. Despite Minister Angie Motshekga’s claims in the National Council of Provinces this week that we are not defenceless as a nation, our senior

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00:32:57

Meet the rogue soldiers who allegedly killed top cop,...

The Lead ·

2025/06/24

A dozen former and current South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members are, as we speak, in police custody in connection with the murder of a senior Hawks detective. In 2023, Lieutenant Colonel Ngwako Frans Mathipa was shot and killed near Hammanskraal Toll Plaza. Mathipa was tasked with investigating an alleged abduction involving SANDF members as suspects. It’s alleged these elite soldiers, so-called “Recces”, kidnapped two prominent local Islamic State members from the Mall of Africa in

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00:24:41

Mashatile, his sister-in-law and the R180bn Lotto deal

The Lead ·

2025/06/23

Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s sister-in-law has reason to celebrate. It has been revealed that Khumo Bogatsu’s company, Bellamont Gaming, is among the key shareholders of Sizekhaya Holdings, the company that has won one of the country’s most lucrative government tenders: the latest licence to operate the lottery. It is quite the politically-connected R180-billion jackpot if you ask us, but according to journalist Azarrah Karrim with the AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, all

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00:41:14

Karyn Maughan demystifies the NPA’s extradition...

The Lead ·

2025/06/19

The way South Africa’s prosecutors go about extraditing the criminally accused from another country to face justice in a local court is currently under intense scrutiny. The crux of the matter is that in 2014, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruled in one particular case that only the country’s Justice Minister and not the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is allowed to make extradition requests. This effectively allowed the former personal assistant to ex-Free State Premier Ace Magashule,

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00:28:01

Iran, Israel conflict explained

The Lead ·

2025/06/18

Despite calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, the Middle Eastern nations have, in recent days, exchanged a volley of missile strikes, adding pressure to a very volatile geopolitical situation. Will America enter the fray, and can South Africa play peacemaker? News24 international correspondent Phillip de Wet provides his insights. Later in the show, we’ll tell you which of the GNU’s ministers are the most frequent flyers and biggest international tax spenders. And was there a lion on the

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00:34:48

Streets of sewage and a ray of light in Krugersdorp,...

The Lead ·

2025/06/12

In 2024, News24’s Waste Land exposé uncovered the source of the Gauteng West Rand’s unbearable smell: the old Percy Stewart Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was illegally dumping untreated, heavily polluted water into the Blougatspruit, which feeds into the Hartbeespoort Dam downstream. This raw sewage, seeping into crucial water sources, farms and homes, threatened the livelihoods of everyone around these crucial river conduits. After News24’s reporting and Mogale City pumping millions of rands

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00:21:18

Wouter Basson vs HPCSA round two, with Tammy Petersen

The Lead ·

2025/06/11

The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) continues in 2025 to push for some sort of historical accountability from “Dr Death” Wouter Basson’s involvement in the apartheid government’s secret chemical and biological warfare programme, “Project Coast”. But as News24’s Cape Town journalist Tammy Petersen reports in this edition of The Lead, the Durbanville-based cardiologist has, at the age of 74, turned to the high court to get the HPCSA off his back once and for all: “Dr Basson argues

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00:40:48

The bloody diamond war in Namaqualand with Jacques...

The Lead ·

2025/06/10

For decades, the forgotten, desolate sands of the coastal Namaqualand region of the Northern Cape have offered both illicit diggers and influential tycoons a chance at the big time. The promise of still-hidden diamonds beneath the hot soil has recently attracted all walks of life to a region whose people feed on the carcass of infrastructure left behind by the De Beers mining group. The veteran investigative journalist Jacques Pauw has returned from the Namaqualand with tales contained in a series

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00:30:01

Meet the Jozi broker who disappeared with millions...

The Lead ·

2025/06/09

A “smooth talker” who plied clients with fantastic food and drink, convincing many into handing over their precious millions, only to evade questions when it was time to cough up. This is how numerous clients have described the elusive Johannesburg investment broker, Mark Kretzschmar, to News24.Tonight in The Lead, News24 Business journalist Jan Cronjé tells us how Kretzschmar allegedly duped investors, including family friends and discusses the litany of charges he faces. Later in the show, we look

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