Tony Leon warns: SA's aggressive stance risks financial and diplomatic fallout with US

Loading player...
In an insightful interview, former South African ambassador Tony Leon critiques the country's handling of its tense relationship with the United States. He highlights the weak response to the expulsion of Ebrahim Rasool, the potential economic fallout from escalating tensions, and the risks of provoking a global superpower. Leon emphasises the dangers of posturing and inflammatory rhetoric, referencing recent actions like the renaming of Sandton Drive after Leila Khalid. He warns that such moves could trigger financial sanctions, further isolating South Africa and deepening its economic challenges. Leon calls for a more strategic and mature approach to foreign policy.
20 Mar 2025 7AM English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

Ebola outbreak in DRC grabs global attention - perfect storm of war, fear, and disease

John McDermott explores the unfolding Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, unpacking how transmission occurs, why the crisis is spreading, and what makes this strain particularly dangerous. He examines strained health systems, limited aid funding, and the challenge of vaccine development. The discussion situates the outbreak within broader…
4 Jun 7AM 26 min

Athol Trollip: Government’s FMD response is a “national disaster”

Athol Trollip delivers a blistering critique of South Africa’s handling of the foot-and-mouth disease crisis, arguing that government bureaucracy and a state-controlled vaccination strategy are failing farmers and allowing the outbreak to spread. Drawing on decades of farming experience, the ActionSA parliamentary leader says commercial farmers should be empowered to…
4 Jun 4AM 32 min

Kabelo Khumalo - Inside the Black Market of illegal number plates

A Business Day investigation has pried open South Africa's black market for number plates and found the price of entry close to nothing. In this interview with Irakli, Business Day Deputy Editor Kabelo Khumalo explains how reporters walked out of three Johannesburg establishments with plates after doing just one thing…
3 Jun 7AM 11 min