First Take SA

The King of Eswatini, Mswati the 3rd,  is today (Friday) scheduled to hold talks following last month's deadly pro-democracy protests. All citizens of the kingdom have been invited to the forum known as 'iSibaya' at the Ludzidzini Royal Palace. This is the first time the king will address the unrest in which at least 50 people died.  Activists and opposition groups have however vowed not...

Some residents from Soweto in Johannesburg have taken it upon themselves to start a clean-up campaign in all their areas which saw looting and destruction in recent days. Various malls and small businesses have been looted with many properties set alight. Pimville and Klipspruit residents have since called on all men and young people to come out and shield Maponya Mall from being looted and destro...

Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says a total of 5000 members of the SANDF and other law enforcement agencies will be deployed in different provinces across the country. David Ansara, Chief Operating Officer at the Centre for Risk Analysis shares the risks of the current violent and politically charged environment and the trends likely to come...

Claims by the police and state security ministers that the current wave of looting and violence gripping parts of the country could have been worse have been met with skepticism. During government's security cluster briefing, Police minister Bheki Cele and State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo commended law enforcement, saying a lot more damage was averted. This despite lawlessness and mayhem cont...

Firefighters in Durban tried to extinguish a fire at a building that had been set alight by a group of people in the CBD. Protesters took to the streets at the weekend, demanding the release of former president, Jacob Zuma. The demonstrations have morphed into mass looting and vandalism, mostly in KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng. KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala has called for calm as racial tensions amongst...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the violence that has engulfed Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal over the past few days, could lead to serious food and medicine shortages in the country in the coming weeks. In an address to the nation, the president also confirmed that he had authorised the deployment of members of the Defence Force to the two provinces. He reiterated that those involved in the violence wi...

President Cyril Ramaphosa last night announced that the country will remain on adjusted alert level four for another fourteen days in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Gatherings also remain prohibited and the curfew is still from 9 pm to 4 am. He said schools will remain closed until the 26th of this month. Rampahosa also said the sale of alcohol is still not permitted, although...

In Johannesburg violent attacks including the looting of shops took place. To look at the situation overnight, JMPD spokesperson, Wayne Minnaar...

The Democratic Transport Logistics and Allied Worker's Union has also echoed concerns over the potential for the attacks on the industry to spread beyond the province of KwaZulu-Natal. DETAWU General Secretary, Vusi Ntshangase...

The Road Freight Association has warned of the dire consequences of the torching of at least 33 trucks transporting goods and cargo across various parts of KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend. Most of these attacks were concentrated on the N3 in Mooi River following demonstrations in support for the calls of the release of jailed former president, Jacob Zuma. RFA CEO Gavin Kelly says small businesses i...

CATA and CODETA, the two taxi associations in Cape Town that are at the centre of a deadly feud that has cost many lives, yesterday held talks facilitated by the Western Cape Transport Department. Seven people were gunned down on Wednesday, in the ongoing taxi war between the two taxi associations. Taxi ranks have been deserted in several parts of the Cape Flats - including Khayelitsha - as operat...

Judgment in former President Jacob Zuma's application to stay his 15-month jail sentence before the Pietermaritzburg High Court is expected to be delivered TODAY (Friday). Zuma, who started serving the jail term YESTERDAY, approached the court after the Constitutional Court found him guilty of being in contempt of a ruling that said he must appear and participate at the state capture commission. H...

Suspended ANC member and Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans' Association (MKMVA) spokesperson Carl Niehaus was arrested for gathering a crowd and breaking Covid-19 regulations outside the Estcourt Correctional Services yesterday, The arrest was effected during a live interview. Political analyst from the Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast....

The police and commissioner, Kehla Sitole, had until midnight to enforce a Constitutional Court order to arrest former president Jacob Zuma. However, shortly before midnight, Jacob Zuma handed himself over to law enforcement. Last week, the Concourt found Zuma guilty of contempt - sentencing him to 15 months in jail for flouting an order to obey summonses and testify at the State Capture Inquiry....

Today - Thursday the 8th of July - is the deadline set by the department of basic education to vaccinate over half a million teachers and other school support staff against the coronavirus. When the vaccination rollout was started 15 days ago, the Department of Basic Education set a target to vaccinate 582 564 teachers and support staff from public and private schools across the country. To help u...

The Constitutional Court judgement sentencing former President Jacob Zuma to 15 months imprinsonment has been met with mixed reaction. The court found Zuma of being in contempt of the constitutional court and disrespecting the rule of law for refusing to obey its directive that he appear before the State Capture Commission. Zuma has 5 days to hand himself over to a correctional facility.

The government of Eswatini has expressed concern about the on-going pro-democracy protests. The kingdom has also dismissed as false reports that King Mswati III has fled the country. It re-assured the nation that the king was in the country and working with government to advance the kingdom's goals. Protesters are demanding electoral reforms. And, schools and government institutions have been clos...

Former ANC Youth League leader and former member of the Nelson Mandela Bay Council in Gqeberha, Andile Lungisa says he will write to President Cyril Ramaphosa asking him to grant his predecessor and former president Jacob Zuma a presidential pardon. Lungisa was reacting to the constitutional court judgement which found president Zuma in contempt of court and sentenced him tofifteen months imprison...

The Commission of Inquiry into State Capture has heard that Zizi Kodwa, Deputy Minister of State Security and former ANC spokesperson, is a friend of former EOH Executive, Jehan Mackay, from 2013. Kodwa made an appearance before Commission chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo YESTERDAY. He says he received loans from Mackay at a time when he had financial difficulties.

The Moseneke Inquiry on Free and Fair Election Local Government Elections during Covid 19 will kick off its public hearings TODAY (28/06). The Inquiry will hear oral submissions from the Electoral Commission as well as representatives from the Health Department and health NGO's. It has so far recieved about three-thousand written submissions and voice notes from the general public. The Inquiry, he...

South Africa will be on an Adjusted Alert Level Four of the national lockdown for the next fourteen days. All social gatherings including political, religious and cultural events are prohibited with the exception of funerals which will only be limited to 50 people. President Cyril Ramaphosa made this announcement in his address to the nation last night. This as the country grapples with new Delta...

The Beer Association of South Africa says businesses cannot be expected to pay for the failures in the vaccine rollout program. The beer industry maintains that it will only support regulations focused on restricting large gatherings as this is the main driver of new covid 19 infections. Previous alcohol bans have resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs, billions in taxes and excise duties and f...

Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, says that law enforcement will be stepped up in the coming days to enforce lockdown regulations, especially in Covid-19 hotspots. He's also announced the re-opening of parts of the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg hospital which were not affected by the fire in April. Makhura and the Gauteng Covid Command Council addressed the media in Johannesburg. Gauteng accounts fo...

Turkish owned company, Karpowerships SA, says it will appeal the decision by the Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs department to reject it's bid of providing floating gas-fired power ships at three of the country's ports. This after the department rejected the potential deal with the company, citing insufficient public participation and the potential impact on the environment of the pr...

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) says it has NOW received documentation for the Sinopharm vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group in China and will now commence evaluating the data in order to assess the efficacy of the vaccine. The organisation says it is also in the process of reviewing the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. This as the Economic Freedo...