First Take SA

The ANC in Parliament says it is confident that the opposition sponsored vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma will be defeated. The party Chief Whip, Jackson Mthembu, says it is inconceivable that a governing party could support an opposition sponsored motion of no confidence to oust its own president. The Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete has not yet made her decision on how...

The mining industry continues to bleed jobs. The National Union of Mineworkers has expressed shock at the possible retrenchments of more than seven-thousand workers at Sibanye Gold operations. This comes after Sibanye announced that it will restructure operations in its domestic market, a move that could affect its employees at all levels. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Kenneth Buda, NUM Mining House C...

South African Policing Union (SAPU) has announced that the strike by the 10111 operators is set to resume with immediate effect. At a media briefing by the union indicated that they had sough intervention from government, however, that yielded no results. The countrywide strike was temporarily suspended, in mid July. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Oscar Skommere, General Secretary of the South African...

It has been reported that this morning Oscar Pistorius was rushed to Kalafong hospital in Pretoria under armed guard. This after the former paralympian reportedly complained of chest pains. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the Spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services, Logan Maistry

A South African man who was held hostage by Al-Qaeda in Mali since 2011 has been freed. This was announced earlier today during a press briefing in Pretoria. Stephen McGown was grabbed in Timbuktu along with Swede Johan Gustafsson and Dutchman Sjaak Rijke, both of whom were subsequently released. McGown has returned to South Africa and been reunited with his family. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Imtia...

South African Airways has new CEO. The Finance Ministry has confirmed that SAA's new chief executive officer is Vuyani Jarana. Jarana has headed up Vodacom's enterprise division since 2012 and was previously its Chief Operating Officer. The news of the appointment comes amid reports that SAA has run out of cash and is technically insolvent. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Mayihlome Tshwete, spokesperson...

Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance has decided to launch its own inquiry into in illicit financial flows. This after Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago told the committee that the bank laid charges but prosecutors declined to prosecute. Committee chairperson Yunus Carrim says they want to find out why so few cases are being prosecuted and why no task team's been set up to address the p...

Public Enterprises Minister, Lynne Brown, has asked her personal assistant, Kim Davids to step down following allegations related to the email leaks this week. The latest Gupta leaks reportedly indicate that a number of key appointments around Minister Brown were Gupta associates. Brown says the continuing allegations against Davids could compromise the legitimacy of her office. Tsepiso Makwetla s...

A new study by the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED) has revealed a worrying low-investment trend among large JSE-listed firms. The research shows the largest 50 companies listed on the JSE expanded their financial reserves to R1.4-trillion by the end of 2016, contradicting arguments that investment in South Africa was being undermined by a lack of savings. Tsepis...

The injured mineworkers, and the widows of 34 miners who died in the Marikana shootings will be receiving a total pay out of one-billion-rand in compensation from government. Since the shooting five years ago, at least 325 claims have been made. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the Lawyer representing the Marikana victims,Andries Nkome and the President of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction...

An economist say It's time to consider help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to fix South Africa's anemic economic growth. Matthew Kofi Ocran, Professor of Economics at the University of the Western Cape says "the conditions are right for serious consideration of the proposal even though IMF programmes are not very popular with politicians". Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Matthew Kofi Ocran,...

Comedian Chris Forrest is calling all parents, parents-to-be or just fans of comedy to his side-splitting one-man show, Who's Your Daddy. In this comedy, Chris sheds some light on his experiences of becoming a father. From pregnancy to birth, sleepless nights and shares tips about what really happens and how to deal with it. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Chris Forrest...

The South African Minority Rights Equality Movement has laid criminal charges against EFF leader Julius Malema. This follows Malema's utterances at an EFF event in Durban last weekend, where he said that some Indian people often exploit black people. We speak to Professor at the University of Johannesburg Prof Ashwin Desai

The Gauteng department of education is refuting claims that teaching at about 38 "coloured" schools in Gauteng were disrupted yesterday when teachers embarked on a go-slow in solidarity with a Klipspruit school. Coloured teachers in the south of Joburg allegedly embarked on a go-slow in solidarity with parents of Klipspruit West Secondary. The group of parents from the area allegedly locked the ga...

Minister of Energy Mmamoloko Kubayi has dismissed reports suggesting that she has suspended the Board of Directors of Central Energy Fund. Earlier reports alleged that the minister suspended the board over its role in sale of oil reserves, which were sold at a substantial discount. However, in a statements issued this afternoon, Kubayi says she has given the board members letters on the 26th of Ju...

The South African Minority Rights Equality Movement has laid criminal charges against EFF leader Julius Malema. This follows Malema's utterances at an EFF event in Durban last weekend, where he said that some Indian people often exploit black people. We earlier spoke to Ashin Singh, the convenor for the South African Minority Rights Equality Movement

Kenyans will be heading to the polls for elections in a weeks time, despite fears of electoral violence. This after the body of a senior Kenyan election official was found tortured and murdered. The body of Chris Msando, the head of information, communication and technology at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, was found on the outskirts of Nairobi. The body of an unidentified wo...

Over half of South African students feel unprepared for tertiary education, according to the 2017, Professional Provident Society, PPS, Student Confidence Index survey. According to Motshabi Nomvethe, Technical Marketing Specialist at PPS, the implications of this lack of preparedness is no doubt contributing to the fact that 47.9% of university students do not complete their degrees, as determine...

The ANC has vowed to work to set the country's economy on a growth path. This is part of the resolution taken at the NEC Lekgotla which ended in Pretoria at the weekend. Currently the country is on technical recession with unemployment among youth and graduates stubbornly high. The governing party's leadership met for the first time for a four-day national lekgotla after the national policy confer...

South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo have today signed a waver visa agreement for 'official and diplomatic' passports. Minister of Home Affairs, Hlengiwe Mkhize says she hopes the visa waiver will further enhance cooperation between the two countries by making it easier for officials to regularly interact with each other, without hindrance. Tsepiso Spoke to Minister of Home Affairs Hl...

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has warned young people not to trust false social media adverts that could land them in the hands of human traffickers. This after a twenty four year-old Bloemfontein woman was rescued from an international human trafficking syndicate in Malaysia. It is understood that Princess Mahlangu was lured to Malaysia to participate in a modelling competition which she entered...

The amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism has denied claims by Black First Land First, BLF, leader Andile Mngxitama that a white man attacked him during its "Inside the hashtag Gupta Leaks" town hall event in Braamfontein, Johannesburg last night. Earlier on I spoke to Stefaans Brümmer, from AmaBhungane's Centre for Investigative Journalism who says the disruption started when he had app...

A teacher who was found guilty on three charges, including making racist and derogatory statements at St Johns College's in Johannesburg, has been dismissed. Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has welcomed the teacher being let go. Lesufi had given the school until one o'clock this afternoon to review a decision that allowed Keith Arlow to continue working at the school. The MEC visited St Johns...

A study conducted by the University of Cape Town has found that there is a prevalence of hepatitis C in high risk population namely sex workers, men who have sex with men and people who use drugs. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are infectious diseases that affect the liver . Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Associate Professor and Hepatologist at Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town, Mark Sond...

Black First Land First movement leader Andile Mgxitama says he has opened a case of intimidation and racism after he was allegedly assaulted by a white man at AmaBhungane's "Inside the hashtag Gupta Leaks" town hall event in Braamfontein, Johannesburg last night. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Andile Mgxitama