This week, Facebook ended its ban on posts asserting that Covid-19 was man-made or manufactured. The stunning policy reversal came as evidence is rapidly surfacing that the origin of Covid-19 may, in fact, be the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Facebook’s ban is one of the many examples of censorship that have taken place concerning Covid-19 over the last 18 months. PANDA, Pandemics ~ Data & Analysis, - and its co-founder Nick Hudson - have unapologetically spoken out against senseless lockdown regulations - and been censored as a result. Hudson joined the BizNews Power Hour to talk about these latest findings. An insightful discussion ensued between Hudson, BizNews founder Alec Hogg and Counterpoint value fund manager Piet Viljoen.

* The total assets invested in South African collective investment schemes (CIS) ended the first quarter of 2021 at a record R2.9tn, but most of this money went into fixed interest funds - which means investors lost out on stock market gains. * Germany is paying Namibia for colonial era genocide; * Bitcoin smacked again - this time by comments from Japan's central bank governor. * More than 600 SA companies were liquidated in the first quarter.

In this episode of the BizNews Power Hour, Alec Hogg is joined by co-host Piet Viljoen, Zimbabwe Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and PANDA's Nick Hudson on Facebook's u-turn on the birthplace of Covid and contact sports in schools being banned.

Many South Africans who move elsewhere to work lose their South African citizenship without even knowing it. This is because there is an obscure law that requires you to report in to the Department of Home Affairs very early in the process of obtaining another passport. Dr Rory Jubber, leader of the Democratic Alliance Abroad, explains how South Africans of all demographics - and many medical professionals and healthcare workers - are finding well-paid jobs elsewhere but it comes at the price of SA citizenship. The DA has taken on this issue in court; a judge is expected to rule in the next month or so.

* South Africa’s rising coronavirus infections, which jumped by 33% on Wednesday, puts pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa to reintroduce stricter lockdown measures, reports Bloomberg. * South Africa is planning to scrap electronic road tolls in Gauteng. * The insolvent SA Post Office is shutting about 130 offices. * Congo earthquakes shake-up tin exports, prices surge; * Facebook Inc. has ended its ban on posts asserting Covid-19 was man-made or manufactured, a policy shift that reflects a deepening debate over the origins of the pandemic that was first identified in Wuhan, China.

Willem Petzer is the leader of the Taxpayers Union of SA. He uses social media to raise his concerns about how SA tax monies are used by the government and his forthright views are again attracting attention. Under the appealing title of “Want to stop funding the ANC with YOUR tax money? Here’s how…” Petzer’s 18 minute YouTube video has been viewed 54 000 times in under a week. A good start, but some way from the 1.5m people he expects will sign up to the new Taxpayers Union of SA which intends using existing laws to act against central government and municipalities that Petzer says are abusing money entrusted to them. Willem joined the BizNews Power Hour team together with Magnus Heystek to discuss how he plans to reach these numbers. "We focus on mismanagement of money, not race or politics" - Willem Petzer

Afrimat Limited is a leading black empowered open pit mining company that recently increased its interests in the mining field by purchasing a manganese mine. Andries van Heerden, the CEO of Afrimat, joined last night's BizNews Power Hour to share details on this deal. With over twenty years of experience in this industry, Andries is the perfect person to take Afrimat to greater heights.

In hierdie potgooi verduidelik Deon Gouws van Credo Wealth vir Charl Botha hoe mens te werk kan gaan om die wêreld se slimste, hardwerkendste, en kreatiefste mense te kry om vir jou te werk.

Invest in solar power projects that generate solid, steady returns and slash your tax bill this year. That's the investment opportunity on offer from 12J specialists Futureneers, through its KSE 12J investment opportunity. Time is running out to take advantage of a tax rule that allows you to deduct money from your income tax, provided you funnel it into a South African business that benefits the domestic economy. In this podcast, you'll hear from Jaco Gerber of Futureneers about the underlying investment and why you can be optimistic about generating a healthy return. This podcast is part of a special series on 12J investment opportunities. For more, visit the BizNews.com 12J section and register your interest, so that you can receive the details about the most interesting 12J investments on offer.

In this episode of the BizNews Power Hour, Alec Hogg is joined by co-host Magnus Heystek, Luno's Marius Reitz on Bitcoin's volatility, Afrimat CEO Andries van Heerden on the move into Manganese and Willem Petzer on his anti-tax video and plans.

* Former South African President Jacob Zuma appeared in court to face corruption, money laundering and racketeering charges, and pleaded not guilty on all counts. * The number of confirmed Covid-19 infections has risen 17% in South Africa over the past week. * South African taxpayers are footing the bill for the country’s spy agency to beef up its economic intelligence unit so it can play a 'proactive role' in supporting the nation’s companies as they expand beyond their home base. * South Africa’s health Minister Zweli Mkhize, at the centre of a corruption scandal, is facing calls for his resignation.

Forensics investigator and crusader against corruption and injustice, Paul O'Sullivan, joined Alec Hogg and the BizNews Power Hour team last night to discuss the former chairman of SAA - Dudu Myeni - going AWOL at the Zondo commission. Judge Zondo has since ordered a criminal complaint to be laid against Myeni, O'Sullivan said there are other ways to get corrupt officials, by pulling records and highlighting "crisp" payments.

'Conspiracies were in the ANC even before Thabo Mbeki's time, and they followed Mbeki and the exiles - and there's good reason for that', said Simon Lincoln Reader on the BizNews Power Hour this week. Reader, a popular columnist at BizNews, discussed his latest column in which he unpacks conspiracy theories - with Jacob Zuma as one of the greatest protagonists. Reader calls a spade a spade and provides a refreshing and entertaining perspective on bizarre and outrageous events.

BEE was initially made for an inclusive economy in SA, but corruption is forfeiting the purpose. Sakeliga has won a series of court cases against unfair BEE practices in the past. The NPO's CEO, Piet Le Roux, joined the BizNews Power Hour last night to discuss Sakeliga's most recent case against unfair BEE practices, stating that; 'We must judge tenders by whether they serve the end user and not by how much profit can be made'.

The pool of stocks available for investment on the Johannesburg stock exchange has been steadily shrinking over the past decade, with companies complaining about red tape, costs and illiquidity. A Dubai-based education company is bucking this trend. Joining Jackie Cameron, for BizNews, on the line from the UAE is Mr Radhakrishnan Nair, CEO of Athena Education, to talk about why his company is seeking a listing on the JSE and what shareholders might find attractive about the stock. He also provides hints that there are plans to take-over local schools that aren't performing optimally as Athena expands aggressively across SA, India and MENA.

In this episode of the BizNews Power Hour, Alec Hogg is joined by co-host Steven Nathan, Forensic for Justice's Paul O'Sullivan, popular columnist Simon Lincoln Reader and Sakeliga CEO Piet le Roux.

* Eskom, the beleaguered South African state power utility, reduced its debt by almost a fifth. * Professional services firm McKinsey, which played a central role in state capture and corruption in the Jacob Zuma era, has repaid R870m to parastatal Transnet. * The South African Reserve Bank is studying the benefits of issuing a digital currency for general retail purposes. * The DA has launched a petition against the Firearms Control Amendment Bill which proposes a ban on firearm ownership for self-defence by civilians. * Absa, Investec and the Development Bank of Southern Africa indicated they could support a bid by a Turkish company to supply emergency power to South Africa.

In this special podcast with Adrian Gardiner, the founder of global hospitality group Mantis explains why 12J qualifying Pearl Valley Hotel is able to offer such incredible value to investors. That includes a guaranteed 6% return for the first two years. And 10 nights of free use for each apartment which can also be swapped for nights at other Mantis resorts. Plus member's rights at SA's Number Two rated golf course. Reason? It's all about the entry price. Gardiner's group and partner Val de Vie bought the hotel in the trough after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. This podcast is a must-listen for high income earners looking to take advantage of the 12J tax incentive window which closes on June 30. As Gardiner puts it, there's a painting that investors need to hang on the wall in the next month - or lose forever.

HPCSA president Simon Nemutandani recently told parliament that ​National Health Insurance (NHI) should be the only funding for health in SA. The Free Market Foundation, which prides itself with furthering human rights and democracy, has announced their condemnation for this expropriation of medical aid funds. Chris Hattingh, Deputy Director of the FMF, joined the BizNews Power hour last night to discuss this matter.

Government announced a proposed law that would prevent gun ownership for the purposes of self-defence. Firearm campaigner Gideon Joubert joined the BizNews Power Hour to give insights on what the firearm community thinks about this. Joubert says taxi associations and military personnel are unhappy and plan to oppose this. In a country with high crime statistics, is this a good idea?

The DA is taking the ANC to court over the governing party’s evil policy of cadre deployment. The DA will ask the court to compel the ANC to hand over complete records of all deliberations and decisions taken by the ANC cadre deployment committee since 1 January 2013 when current president Cyril Ramaphosa became its chairperson. DA's Dr Schreiber was on the BizNews Power Hour unpacking what all this means to Alec Hogg.

Covid-19: We’ve never seen such a deadly, contagious disease, Netcare CEO Richard Friedland told BizNews editor at large Jackie Cameron. He shares rare insights into what has been going on behind-the-scenes of South Africa's largest private hospital group. He says his team is bracing for an expected surge in coronavirus infections - particularly in Gauteng. After the business was hammered by Covid-19 containment measures, South Africa’s largest private hospital group is recovering. It returned to profit in the first half to the end of March, but its recovery is still below its pre-pandemic performance. Dr Friedland shares insights on the management strategy for the business to come out stronger on the other side of Covid-19.

Atlantis, Western Cape is an area battered by social deprivation, with many young people in a poverty cycle turning to drugs and gangs. But some manage to rise above their circumstances - one of them being Joshua Swarts. The animal lover started a non-profit organisation called Horse Pals Atlantis to rescue horses - Swarts couldn’t stand to see injured or abused horses not receiving the care they needed. He told BizNews that religion and his passion to save horses helped him through addiction, as well as how young people in the area are benefitting.

The South African rand extended its gains as rating agencies held the country's credit rating at current levels. There is optimism that the SA economy is showing signs of improvement, which is feeding into the rand's value. For TreasuryONE currency strategist Andre Cilliers, it is critical to look at the political and economic factors playing into the US dollar and Euro for clues about where the rand is heading. He speaks to Jackie Cameron, for BizNews, in this week's Currency Focus podcast. * This podcast is proudly brought to you by TreasuryONE, South Africa's leading treasury solutions company that unlocks financial value for your business.

Headlined interview with Ivan Salzman, my pharmacist from Mondeor in early 1980s, who expanded that single store into the powerful Dischem Group. Also David Shapiro, Guns, NHI, and Dr Leon Schreiber whio is leading a court action to force the ANC to make public its Cadre Deployment deliberations - and appointments.