First Take SA

Opposition parties are expected to hold a convention in August in efforts to unseat the ANC in next year's election. The leaders of seven political parties who form part of the 'Moonshot Pact' will hold a National Convention to negotiate an agreement ahead of the 2024 national elections. The pact, proposed by the DA at its federal congress in April, envisages a coalition of all parties opposed to...

Police are searching for victims who were allegedly assaulted by members of the South African Police Service on a highway in Gauteng. In a viral video a VIP protection police unit can be seen assaulting a motorist and passengers on the N1 highway near Woodmead, north of Johannesburg. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Police spokesperson brigadier Athlenda Mathe

The Gauteng High Court has set aside the Moti Group's gag order preventing amaBhungane investigative unit from continuing its exposés on the Group. The Moti Group approached the High Court to prevent amaBhungane from publishing further articles into alleged suspicious business dealings at the company. The Moti Group claimed amaBhungane was illegally in possession of its leaked documents and wanted...

NEHAWU's Zodwa Beke-Beke Branch in the Northern Cape together with aggrieved parents will be marching to the provincial department of education over the alleged concealment of rape cases of learners. The union says complaints lodged by parents in respect to the alleged rapes are largely ignored by the department which reportedly has access to the victim's police statements. For more on this Elvis...

Time to take a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of  Africa Is Open For Business and Africa Bounces Back. Victor is also the Executive Director for Marketing and Communication at the University of Limpopo

The treatment of women in sports has once again come under a spotlight. Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa will today meet with the South African Football Players Union, SAFPU over the grievances raised by Banyana Banyana. The players recently boycotted their final home game with Botswana at the weekend before the FIFA World Cup - Citing salary disparities, mistreatment and discriminat...

The Governing ANC has welcomed the Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka's report, exonerating President Cyril Ranaphosa on the Phala Phala Farm theft investigation. The Public Protector has cleared the president of violating the Executive Ethics Code, saying there was no conflict of interest between his constitutional obligations and his private interests arising from his alleged paid work at h...

amaZulu King, MisuZulu ka Zwelithini's head of Communications, Prince Africa Zulu has disputed claims that the King is unwell or receiving treatment in an eSwatini hospital.  The health claims were in a statement issued by the Traditional prime minister, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. According to Buthelezi the recent and sudden passing of the Zulu monarch's senior Induna, Mr Xaba, has prompted susp...

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union, Nehawu has criticized President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to sign off a three percent wage increase for all public office bearers. The below inflation wage increment also applies to members of the Independent Constitutional Institutions, Judges, Magistrates and Traditional Leaders for the financial year 2022/2023. It follows recommendation...

More than 2,000 people have been arrested in France after days of violent protests throughout the country following the death of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk. The youth, of Algerian heritage was reportedly shot by police at point-blank range during a traffic stop in Paris. Nahel's death has raised questions about police discrimination against minoritized communities in France. For more on what is hap...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended two Gauteng High Court Judges. This follows the recommendation by the Judicial Service Commission that Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela and Judge Nomonde Mngqibisa-Thusi be suspended for failure to deliver numerous reserved judgments in the stipulated timeframes. There are now currently 5 judges on suspension, which include Judge President Hlophe, Judge Mushtak Parke...

Home Affairs Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi says he is studying a High Court judgement, which declared the termination of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit, ZEP, invalid, unlawful and unconstitutional. The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria yesterday set aside Dr. Motsoaledi's decision last year to terminate the ZEPs saying the process was unfair and lacked adequate public consultation. The case was brou...

The Constitutional Court is expected to hand down judgment today in an application brought by a lesbian couple seeking to declare Section 40 of the Children's Act unconstitutional. As it stands, the Act excludes permanent life partners as the automatic recipients of parental rights. The couple is seeking to be recognised as equal parents of a child conceived through artificial insemination, withou...

Trade union Solidarity has reached a settlement with government on the Employment Equity Act. Solidarity launched a dispute against the minister and the Department of Employment and Labour with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), disputing the constitutionality of South Africa's new BEE and transformation laws. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Solidarity Chief Executive, Dr. Dirk...

Seven expelled Mangaung ANC Councilors are expected to hold a media briefing on their expulsion today. The councilors are expected to speak about their political future and upcoming bi-elections. The Councilors were expelled following a disciplinary hearing by the Free State ANC Interim Regional Disciplinary Committee. The ousted councilors recently lost their bid to legally challenge their expuls...

Disgruntled and expelled members of the Congress of the People, COPE held a meeting last night following the expulsion of party deputy president Willie Madisha and elections secretary Mzwandile Hleko. The duo's membership were terminated at the party's national committee meeting over the weekend. Madisha, Hleko and COPE spokesperson Dennis Bloem have been accused of leading a faction pushing for t...

The Gauteng Department of Health has acknowledged that some of its health facilities have faced food supply challenges in the past few months. It has emerged that patients at 26 of the 34 public hospitals in the province have suffered from food shortages since the beginning of the year. The department says it is in the process of instituting a multi-vendor approach to ensure the stability of food...

The situation remains volatile in Diepkloof, Soweto following protests in the area. Yesterday Diepkloof hostel residents clashed with police during violent demonstrations over the lack of electricity, water, ablution facilities and other service delivery issues. Residents barricaded several roads with burning tyres and stoned vehicles belonging to different media groups. Three people have since be...

Joburg Speaker Colleen Makhubele is seeking legal advice on the role former Mayor Mpho Phalatse and two senior DA members played in the appointment of former Gauteng Hawks boss Shadrack Sibiya, as head of the City's Anti-Corruption Unit. Makhubele has accused Phalatse, former Speaker of Council Vasco da Gama and DA Councilor Leah Knott of failing to report the appointment of Sibiya to Council and...

Public Interest SA say it is disturbed by reports alleging a secret luxury life and state capture links of Deputy President Paul Mashatile. This after News24 revealed that Mashatile is reportedly living a life of luxury, in expensive homes owned by businessmen benefitting from state contracts. Public Interest SA have called on Mashatile to allay public apprehension of his ethical conduct. For more...

Time to take a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of  Africa Is Open For Business and Africa Bounces Back. Victor is also the Executive Director for Marketing and Communication at the University of Limpopo

BlindSA and Section27 will today march to various government departments in Pretoria to raise awareness about the Marrakesh Treaty, to ensure equal access to information for the blind. Blind and visually impaired people have access to less than 0.5% of published works available in braille format. This despite last year's Constitutional Court ruling which found the Copyright Act unconstitutional, f...

Russian President Vladimir Putin's political career hangs in the balance, according to a Russian Expert. This follows a recent insurrection by the Wagner paramilitary group, headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin at the weekend. In a televised statement Putin described Prigozhin's actions as treasonous. Prigozhin, is expected to go to Belarus under a deal brokered by the Belarusian president, which effective...

ANC President, Cyril Ramaphosa, says the party's renewal journey in the Western Cape starts now, following its 9th Provincial Conference, in Cape Town. Vuyiso Tyhalisisu was elected as Provincial Chairperson and Neville Delport was elected as Provincial Secretary this weekend. Sharon Davids was elected as Deputy Provincial Chairperson. Tyhalisisu was up against party leader in the provincial legis...

The Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape has resolved to serve DA member, Nqaba Bhanga with a notice of intention to suspend him from all party activities, pending the outcome of an investigation into claims of bringing the party in disrepute. This follows Bhanga's social media posts labelling DA member Helen Zille, a "racist" and alleging that Zille has been conspiring with the ANC to destroy...