When power becomes paranoia: Redi Tlhabi on Trump and the weaponisation of the state

In this episode of the Readiness Report, Redi Tlhabi traces a familiar and dangerous pattern in modern leadership: paranoia as power. From Silvio Berlusconi to Jacob Zuma to Donald Trump, she unpacks how leaders who see criticism as personal attack begin to govern through grievance, blurring the line between policy and vendetta, statecraft and self-image. Tlhabi argues that when leadership becomes branding, institutions are hollowed out, credibility collapses, and ordinary people pay the price. A stark warning about what happens when ego overtakes governance and when the state is turned into a tool for settling scores.