Eusebius McKaiser, well-known broadcaster, author, and now also contributor and political analyst for TimesLIVE, hosts a weekly podcast that journeys to the heart of major news items, dissecting politics, law, and ethics.
Eusebius is known for sharp debate, and this podcast is no different. It will inform, entertain, explain and frame evidence-informed debates about the major stories of the week.
Eusebius McKaiser's last podcast on TimesLIVE: Is there a viable alternative to the ANC?
Our beloved contributor Eusebius McKaiser passed away suddenly on Tuesday. News of his death broke just hours after TimesLIVE published one of his popular politics podcasts. Never would we have guessed it would be his last. Listen to it below.
A TimesLIVE reader responded to a social media comment from political analyst Eusebius McKaiser by expressing skepticism about there being a viable alternative to the ANC.
McKaiser had opined: "We need to normalise mentioning the name 'ANC' when telling stories about the economic and deeply personal impact of blackouts, such as a child dying because of lack of oxygen when an inverter runs out of backup power.
"The effects of blackouts aren't random, natural events. They are the foreseeable consequences of corruption, state capture, technocratic ineptitude, and unethical and ineffectual leadership by the ANC-misled government.
"Make it a habit to tie the story of Eskom to the ANC."
The reader responded: "I hear you. But what is the alternative? Elections are around the corner and I don't feel like there is a viable alternative."
While not endorsing the sentiment of the voter, McKaiser spends time in this edition of Eusebius on TimesLIVE engaging the content of her skepticism and addressing opposition parties, in particular, for their role in manufacturing and sustaining the kind of voter despair captured in this comment.
He ends the analysis by offering constructive opinion on what opposition parties may yet do differently to attract voters who bemoan the state of our politics.
Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.
19 May 2023
Gayton McKenzie has the same race politics as Helen Zille and John Steenhuisen
In this episode of ‘Eusebius on TimesLIVE’, the host examines views about race that Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie articulated in a recent interview.
McKaiser explains in detail why he agrees with McKenzie that a political party based on narrow racialised politics, targeting only coloured people, is not politically savvy. But McKaiser then spends the rest of his audio analysis explaining why he disagrees with McKenzie that we should “cancel race”.
Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.
9 May 2023
Veteran social justice activist shares insights on new political players
Eusebius McKaiser hosted well-known human rights and social justice activist, Mark Heywood, on his TimesLIVE podcast. They were in conversation about how new political players, especially those who will be contesting the 2024 general elections, could maximise their chances of making a real and positive democratic difference.
Heywood and McKaiser started off by sketching their respective takes on the overall state of South Africa's democracy. Both of them focused on data that reveal various deep social crises, which rob most South Africans of living meaningful lives. Given their overlapping consensus, McKaiser quickly moved on to teasing out three critical themes from Heywood about the possibility that civil society could disrupt the current party political system by contesting political power, which the likes of Rise Mzansi are intending to do, as well as individuals like well-known activist, Zackie Achmat.
The bulk of the podcast episode focuses on Heywood carefully explaining three broad themes: a) the importance of actively and immediately helping communities in practical ways to demonstrate what you could do, at scale, if voted into power; b) the importance of articulating about five very clear, radical, feasible and well-thought through ideas that you campaign on; and c) the importance of co-operating as new political vehicles (rather than each working alone) in order to contest and disrupt hegemonic political power most effectively.
McKaiser and Heywood ended their conversation by also briefly reflecting on a) how new political entrants might deal with donors who are reluctant to fund them; b) avoiding political ideology and terminology that are overused and wooly; and c) learning the art of clear, explanatory and persuasive political communication.
Produced by Bulelani Nonyukela.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
3.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
4.7 / 5
37 ratings
Contact Eusebius on TimesLIVE
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