First Take SA

With South Africa now treating thirteen cases of the deadly Coronavirus -- an indepth understanding of how the virus is easily transmitted becomes essential. Experts have warned of the devastating consequences fake news has had in relation to the virus. To date, the virus has claimed more than 4300 lives, infecting more than 120-thousand globally.

The future of businesses in Ladysmith in western KwaZulu-Natal is still uncertain as protesters insist that they will continue with demonstrations that has caused much of the town to close down. Protesters took this decision at meetings held in various communities around Ladysmith

The Western Cape has registered its first positive test for the Covid-19 virus in Cape Town. The patient, a man aged 36, is currently in self-isolation, after presenting himself to a private hospital.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the South African team travelling to Wuhan as heroes who carry the pride and hope of the nation. The president together Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mhkize and Miniister of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Noluthando Mapisa-Nqakula bid their goodbyes and well wishes to the team who will repatriate 121 South Africans from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epic...

One of the country's biggest mobile network operator, Vodacom has agreed to reduce its data prices by 30 per cent across all channels from the first of April this year. The move follows a scathing report published by the Competition Commission, which found that data prices in South Africa were too high and uncompetitive. Vodacom says the reduction will result in savings of over 2-point-7-billon-ra...

The High Court in Pretoria has set aside the Public Protector's CR17 report, declaring it invalid and unlawful. The case was brought by President Cyril Ramaphosa, for a judicial review. Ramaphosa was challenging the Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane's report into the funding of his 2017 ANC presidential election campaign. The court found that Mkhwebane was reckless and exceeded her lawful limits...

The Higher Education and Training Department is to investigate management of institutions of higher learning, student leadership and security companies for possible collusion in destabilising universities to procure more security services. That's according to Higher Educadtion Minister Blade Nzimande. Nzimande provided feedback on problems engulfing the Zululand University that has been ridden wit...

Market analysts say the sharp decline in the oil price presents both challenges and opportunities for South Africa. Brent crude fell over 30 percent , after Saudi Arabia slashed prices amid rising Coronavirus concerns. Independent Analyst Liston Meintjes says lower oil price will help to reduce transport costs. But has warned that plunging oil prices are also having a negative impact on some local...

The Limpopo Health Department has allayed fears of possible Coronavirus infections in the province. This follows reports that 16 Capricorn TVET college students, who returned from a two-year internship programme in China, had not been thoroughly tested for Covid-19. They were part of 29 interns from TVET colleges around the country, who returned last Friday from a Construction SETA internship.

South Africa has confirmed its third COVID-19 Coronavirus case. All three patients travelled as a group of 10 to Italy. Nine from the group returned to the country on March 1st. This latest patient is confirmed to be the wife of the country's first confirmed case, the Hilton man from KwaZulu-Natal. The second patient, a thirty-nine year old Gauteng woman, is being treated at the Charlotte Maxeke H...

MEC for Community Safety in Gauteng, Faith Mazibuko has given law enforcement agencies in Elsburg, on Gauteng's East Rand, seven days to compile a report on the issue of drugs in the area. This as community members say they're fed up with the use of drugs in their area and are demanding action. Residents say they have had continuous meetings dating up to three months ago with police but nothing ha...

It still remains unclear whether the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, PRASA, has made arrangements to pay off its debt of approximately 114 Million rands to the City of Cape Town. This after Rail Agency was given a deadline of this past weekend to pay up or face disconnection of services by today. Last month thousands of commuters were left stranded in Cape Town after Eskom cut electricity s...

The ANC in Tshwane has welcomed the decision by the Gauteng Provincial Government to dissolve the Tshwane metro. The metro has been placed under administration until a new council is elected in 90 days. Premier David Makhura told reporters in Johannesburg that the DA-led metro failed in its constitutional mandate to provide services to the citizens of Tshwane.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has told the National Assembly that the country's first Coronavirus case was confirmed in Kwazulu Natal yesterday. He says the patient has been put in voluntary home quarantine. Mkhize revealed this as he was closing the debate of National Importance on South Africa's state of readiness to deal with the virus.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says government has informed the World Health Organisation of South Africa's first case of the deadly coronavirus. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a suspected case of COVID-19 has tested positive in KwaZulu-Natal. The patient is a 38-year-old man who had travelled to Italy with his wife. There has been over three-thousand 200 deaths related...

Criminal charges have been laid against educators at Parktown Boys High in Johannesburg. This follows the release of the report looking at the circumstances surrounding the death of Grade 8 learner, Enock Mpianzi in January at the school yesterday* (Wednesday). The report was finally made public despite media being kicked out of the meeting held at the school with parents. Mpianzi died after a mak...

South Africans living in China say they are afraid of returning home after reading threatening messages on social media from South African citizens in the country. This after, it was announced at the weekend that more than 150 South Africans living in the Chinese city of Wuhan would be repatriated within ten days. The expatriates will be quarantined for 21 days as a precautionary measure. While ma...

The District Six working committee is crying foul as the Western Cape high court is today set to hear minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane's application for leave to appeal a personal costs order that was granted against her in relation to the restitution for the people of District six. The High Court found that Nkoana-Mashabane was in contempt of the Land Claims Court for not complying with an order t...

Deputy President David Mabuza has cast serious doubt on the importance and need for Independent Power Producers saying they have not made any significant contribution to the power supply mix in the country. Mabuza was answering questions in the National Council of Provinces YESTERDAY. This is in sharp contrast to President Cyril Ramaphosa who, in his state of the nation address last month, committ...

Cosatu is adamant that it will not engage government's plans to cut the public wage bill at any forum outside the collective bargaining council. Speaking after attending a meeting of the ANC's National Working Committee at Luthuli House and a meeting between business, government and labour at NEDLAC yesterday, Cosatu General Secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali made it clear that plans to cut the wage b...

Analysts say while a technical recession was expected -- the contraction is far bigger than previously anticipated. This comes as figures released by Statistics South Africa show that the country's economy shrank by one-point-four percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 -- following a contraction of zero-point-eight percent in the third quarter of 2019. A recession is defined as two consecutive quar...

Excluded from evacuation plans, South Africans in other parts of China are making their own arrangements to return to the country. This after the inter-ministerial committee on SUNDAY announced that only citizens in Wuhan City, the epicentre of the CoronaVirus, are being brought home. 151 citizens are expected to be repatriated in the next few days, and will be quarantined for 21 days as a precaut...

Refugees have gathered near the Cape Town Central Police Station to hand themselves over for arrest. This, after the sheriff of the court gave them options either to get into buses that will take them to their homes, or face arrest for trespassing. They chose to be arrested.

Close to 300 foreign nationals have been removed from the street outside the Central Methodist Church in the Cape Town CBD. They have been living on the pavement along Burg and Longmarket Streets since October last year. A large group of law enforcement officers loaded the personal possessions of the foreign nationals onto trucks.

At least 151 South Africans, out of 201 - living in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the corona virus are expected to be repatriated by government in about ten days after the completion of the logistics. The inter-ministerial committee which includes the ministers of Health, Home Affairs, briefed the media on how the repatriation process will happen.