Mncedisi Mdingi.
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IF I CAN pinpoint one positive that has come out of these impotent commissions of inquiry in South Africa currently, it is the preponderance of podcasts. And no, I did not make an error in spelling the word “important” in the sentence above. Impotent indeed. Nothing happens about the outcome of the investigations. No one is held accountable.
The wheels of justice seem to have run out of tyre pressure to move decisively. Hopefully, this changes very soon before more people think that corruption is acceptable and there is no justice rendered if caught. Sadly, it looks like the upper echelon of our police services is mostly tainted. If one is unable to watch the commission sittings live as they occur, we are fortunate to have some media-skilled individuals broadcasting from home or office studios, and giving the days’ findings an autopsy for our elucidation.
Interestingly, the word elucidata is a recent buzzword as well as the name of a company which deals with cleaning and linking biomedical data. Much to do with AI, I used to only watch overseas’ podcasts and talk shows, like Piers Morgan and Patrick Bet- David, as well as Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon. Until my dear sister, Mala Govender, who lives in the same building as I, told me they are hooked on a South African podcast named Citizen Concerned.
The presenter, Katlego Moagi, is courageous, eloquent, and thoroughly professional. An example of her boldness is her exit line after each episode where she usually exposes all things corrupt and criminal: “Beware of the Comrades”, and trust me she is not referring to the annual marathon.
There are many of these media-savvy people, but space inhibits me from naming all. The “Mighty Jamie” is quite a guy. Obviously highly intelligent and capable, he also has a contagious smile and sense of humour. He has the inclination to coin new words and phrases which are apt and uproarious. His favourite one is “hoshcurry” behaviour. I don’t know what it means as I had only started watching him after the memo explaining the term was sent out. However, through logic, I think it refers to the activity of taking bribes and manipulating tenders.
Basically, the sad story of our beautiful country. Of course, the more these podcasters expose it, the better it is. As Jamie calls his show a “dissection” that also makes an “incision” through “examination”. Great dialogue indeed with incisive investigation.
A young lady that impresses me on her podcast is Carri-Ann Bloom. She is a South African PhD student of biochemistry at Nelson Mandela University. She is also an activist with a focus on gender-based violence. Rightfully, she is described as “a voice for the voiceless and she empowers communities to protect women”. Through her podcasts, she achieves all her goals with clarity and aptitude.
Another gentleman I watch as often as I can is David Mashabela who hosts the King David Studio podcast. I just happened upon his channel by mistake when he had a two-part interview with a fascinating character. I was rivetted to watching both episodes about one of the most interesting characters in our country. He was arrested for orchestrating a daring, dramatic heist of a FNB branch in the Cape. He and his gang escaped the premises, but were tracked and followed by the police in a helicopter. After much drama, car chases, etc, he was imprisoned. The action did not end there. He orchestrated a spectacular escape again, this time from prison. The way this guy tells a story is fascinating. The great thing is that he has released his first book, Beyond Prison Bars that relays his fascinating tales.
I am pleased to say that new author, Mncedisi Mdingi, is now a friend of mine. I think his life story would make a great movie. Read between my lines.
The one gem I garnered from the podcasts is when Mashebela interviewed Lotto television presenter, Nimrod Nkosi, and the actor reminisced about his TV days. Nkosi’s face became so famous that he caused a stir whenever he went out in public. They associated him with money and luck. If he had to visit a company, even if it was not related to work, he would be followed around by staff, inquisitive about which of their fellow colleagues was going to be an instant millionaire as the “Lotto man” was around.
Mashabela’s guest list is like the who’s who of society. Julius has even appeared there. I also enjoy the honesty in the podcasts of former DA member of the SA National Assembly, Renaldo Gouws. He possesses a great sense of humour and tomfoolery.
Try and tune in to these special people who work hard to bring you the news, good and bad, for your enlightenment. Why am I telling you all this? Because come 2027, I will have the pleasure of welcoming you to join me on “The Bondcast”.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.