ANC and DA succession races – Didiza rising, Hill-Lewis waiting?

Loading player...
The DA won’t be led by John Steenhuisen forever, and this is President Cyril Ramaphosa’s final turn at the helm of Africa’s oldest liberation movement, the ANC. While most of us have our minds on the beach at this time of year, News24 editor-in-chief Adriaan Basson has some very informed thoughts on who may or may not lead these two awkward GNU bedfellows in the years to come. Later, in our trending topic, the deputy president is cagey in Parliament about a diamond for his wife and his multimillion-rand travel bill. Finally, we shine a light on Operation Blanket, a covert SADF operation against the ANC in Lesotho, with On This Day in SA History, heard at the end of the show. You can send our host, broadcast journalist Graeme Raubenheimer, a voice note with your questions or thoughts on the show: 072 562 3179. To advertise in the show: thelead@24.com. Full editions drop Monday through Thursday at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.
Chapters
  • 00:01 Graeme's intro
  • 01:37 Crossing to Adriaan Basson on possible ANC, DA leadership changes
  • 10:10 What about the ANC's Didiza, Mbalula?
  • 15:56 Rauby's Round Robin!
  • 19:15 Trending topic: Mashatile's Liebenberg diamond?
  • 20:42 On This Day in SA History: 'Operation Blanket'
9 Dec 2025 English South Africa News · Society & Culture

Other recent episodes

Who succeeds Steenhuisen? With Pieter du Toit and Velani Ludidi

In an about-turn, John Steenhuisen has decided to bow out as DA leader. It’s left the party’s upcoming elective congress all the more intriguing. We take stock of Steenhuisen’s tenure with News24 investigations editor Pieter du Toit, and assess Steenhuisen’s potential successors with journalist Velani Ludidi, in this special roundtable…
4 Feb 27 min

Witness F’s WhatsApps to Matlala, Sibiya and Mabuza. Plus: Steenhuisen’s done?

They are one of the most critical witnesses yet…In the Madlanga Commission’s view, the implicated police officer known as Witness F was the “go-between” for Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala and General Shadrack Sibiya. The commission, as legal journalist Karyn Maughan reports, is leading Witness F’s sensitive WhatsApp messages that also reveal talk…
3 Feb 20 min

The Cat’s wife’s R3.7m training tender. Plus: Epstein’s SA links

While the notorious Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala gunned for dodgy multimillion-rand payouts with the Tembisa Hospital extraction scandal, the police, and even tried to pilot a luxury private airport terminal, it has now emerged that his wife, Tsakane, landed a lucrative training tender from the City of Ekurhuleni almost overnight. None…
2 Feb 21 min

Is SA getting ‘bad’ cars? With Wendy Knowler and Driving with J9

Today, we ask: Are we being forced to buy inferior new cars? There’s no sugarcoating the latest crash test results for Hyundai SA’s Grand i10, which received zero stars for front-seat passengers. While the AA has raised the alarm on the meagre two-star safety rating for the locally made Toyota Corolla…
29 Jan 23 min

No more state deals for ‘Stuttgart’ company tied to Mashatile’s son

His son has links to a company that once raked in millions from a questionable Gauteng Health Department contract. Now, this business, tied to Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s lad, Thabiso, not only has a fat tax bill and changed its name to that of a major German city, but it’s…
28 Jan 22 min