First Take SA

Power utility Eskom implemented stage 1 load shedding on Thursday night. Spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe says this was due to severe power constraints. Workers affiliated to the National Union of Mine workers (NUM) and National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) went on strike on Thursday over salary increases. Phasiwe says acts of intimidation and sabotage have resulted in interrupted power...

Eskom says contingency plans and security measures are in place, this as workers go on strike. Briefing the media at Eskom head offices in Johannesburg, Eskom CEO, Pakamani Hadebe encouraged non-striking workers to report for work. Workers affiliated to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) will protesting against the utility's zero...

Former SABC COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng will face tough questions from SABC lawyers when his CCMA hearing resumes on Thursday. Motsoeneng is challenging his dismissal, which he still believes was unfair. He wants his job back as Group Executive for Corporate Affairs. Motsoeneng took to the witness box on Wednesday where he defended his controversial 90 per cent local content policy. He was dismissed af...

A female police officer in Limpopo, who is allegedly romantically involved with a cash-in-transit heist kingpin, has been arrested and fired for giving the suspect a car to escape. It has also been revealed how cash-in-transit suspects hijacked the sister of a security guard who refused to co-operate with them. These were some of the issues that emerged during a meeting between Parliament's Police...

Drug abuse is a serious problem in South Africa - and one that affects people of all ages and backgrounds. The Central Drug Authority (CDA) says drug abuse in South Africa is taking a heavy toll on communities and is fueling a life of addiction and crime among the youth. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Rochney Katz , a mother and former drug addict and Chairperson of the CDA, David Bayever

The Gauteng government says payments to all the 134 Life Esidimeni claimants have been concluded ahead of the June 19 deadline given by retired deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke. More than 144 psychiatric patients died in 2016 after they were moved from Life Esidimeni centres in Gauteng to under-resourced NGO's. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Esidimeni family victims spokesperson Nomvula Nonjabe...

Social Development Minister, Susan Shabangu, has assured the NCOP's Select Committee on Social Services that the current social grant distributor, Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) will be history come the 1st of October. Shabangu, departmental officials and SASSA briefed the Select Committee on the department's budget and SASSA's progress to comply with the constitutional court order. The Minister al...

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) say they will hold a big demonstration at power utility Eskom's Megawatt Park offices in Johannesburg tomorrow on Thursday. The unions are protesting a wage offer of zero percent by Eskom, while unions demand a 15 percent increase. Joining us on the line is the NUM's National Spokesperson, Livhuw...

One mine worker is still missing at the Sibanye-Stillwater mine's Ikamva shaft, near Westonaria, West of Johannesburg. Four other miners died after they succumbed to heat and gas exposure. Mineral Resources Minister, Gwede Mantashe visited the mine last night and briefed the media after his visit. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Sibanye-Stillwater spokesperson, Thabisile Phumo

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the Afrikaans speaking community to embrace the land debate to build a united South Africa. Delivering an address to mark the centenary celebrations of the Afrikanerbond in Paarl in the Western Cape, Ramaphosa said the country cannot change its divided past. Mlamli Maneli reports.

Law enforcement agencies in Durban say preparations ahead of former president Jacob Zuma's court appearance have been finalised. Zuma is expected to appear in the Durban High Court on Friday facing 16 counts of fraud, money laundering and racketeering. More than 10-thousand supporters are expected to start gathering today for a night vigil at Albert Park in Durban. Nonjabulo Mntungwa gives us an u...

A man is expected to appear in the Lenasia Magistrates court today after he allegedly shot and killed his son whom he mistook for a criminal. Police say the father dropped off his son at Fred Norman Seconday school in Ennerdale south of Johannesburg on Tuesday night. He fell asleep while waiting for his son inside the vehicle. And when the son knocked on the car window he got frightened at alleged...

Law enforcement agencies have declared war on cash-in-transit heists, which have seen a marked increase compared to 2017. At least 159 cash-in-transit heists have been reported in the country this year. This week, cash-in-transit heists were reported in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. Police have managed to foil two heists in Limpopo and Gauteng. One suspect was shot and killed, and seven others...

A father has been arrested in Ennerdale south of Johannesburg, for allegedly shooting dead his son who he mistook for a criminal. Police say the man took his 14-year-old son to attend evening classes at the Fred Norman Secondary School in the area. After dropping off the child, the father waited inside his vehicle and fell asleep. When the boy returned from the class, he knocked on the passenger w...

Substance abuse among South African youth is increasing on a daily basis. Statistics show that the country ranks among the top 10 in terms of the amount of alcohol consumed every year, while dagga, tik and cocaine use is twice the average of international consumption. It's also been shown that children, as young as 12 years old, are becoming addicted to drugs. An international organisation and chu...

The ANC has condemned a Facebook post by Dihlabeng executive mayor Lindiwe Makhalema in which she called President Cyril Ramaphosa a sell-out. The ANC says the mayor's conduct violates the party's social media policy. The ANC's social media policy prescribes that any social media posting by members must be legal, ethical and respectful. Ishmael Modiba reports....

The SABC board has been rapped over the knuckles by Parliament's Communications Committee, for presenting inadequate information on its discussions with labour unions. The unions met with the committee last month to complain about labour relations in the organisation. Among others, the committee wanted detailed information on the latest developments surrounding the dismissal of employees who were...

Judgment has been reserved in the High Court application of Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille challenging her expulsion from the DA. A full bench of judges has reserved the matter until a later date. De Lille's legal team argued that her expulsion from the party was illegal and unconstitutional. De Lille was reinstated as mayor by the court pending the outcome of her court application. The DA cauc...

A woman has been elected to lead the next session of General Assembly, only the 4th time the President will not be a man in the United Nation's 73 -year history. Ecuador's Foreign Minister María Fernanda Espinosa Garces will lead the Assembly's 73rd session starting in September replacing Serbia's Miroslav Lajcak whose term ends in just over three months. Garces beat another female candidate Hondu...

The South African Federation of Trade Unions has warned that last night's fuel price increase will have a far reaching impact on the working class. SAFTU general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi says it is concerning that the increase will have a knock on effect on the cost of living yet worker's salaries are not increasing. Motorists are paying 82 cents more per litre for petrol and an additional 85 ce...

A prominent Limpopo government official has been arrested in Polokwane for rape. It is alleged that the senior official raped a Botswana national who had been deployed to usher soccer fans at the Old Peter Mokaba stadium during COSAFA matches. It is alleged that the incident happened on Friday at a hotel in Polokwane. Meanwhile, Limpopo police are looking for a father who allegedly repeatedly rape...

Author of "Africa Is Open For Business", Victor Kgomoesoana talks private Kenyan solar energy firm signs a 40 megawatts power deal with the state, in Tanzania, a High Court rejects review demands on online media act and the Zimbabwe Chamber of mines has asked government to allow majority ownership by foreign investors in diamond and platinum mines

With the Zimbabweans set to go to the polls on the 30th July this year for their presidential elections, Zimbabwe's president Emmerson Mnangagwa has made claims that some Zanu PF members are plotting to impeach him if he wins. Mnangagwa made these comments as internal squabbles in Zanu PF continue. Elvis Presslin spoke to Zimbabwean political analyst and constitutional law expert, Brian Kagoro ...

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has announced the establishment of two high-level Commissions of Inquiry into editorial interference and sexual harassment. In a statement yesterday, the SABC said the two commissions form part of the on-going work to transform the Public Broadcaster, into a truly accountable and responsive corporate entity. The announcement follows the recommendat...

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga expected to release a report into the possibility of introducing history as a compulsory school subject in grades 10‚ 11 and 12. A Ministerial Task Team was established in 2015 to conduct a comparative international study on how best compulsory history studies could be implemented. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to education specialist with the University of Johann...