First Take SA

The EFF has rejected President Jacob Zuma's intention to appoint Justice Raymond Zondo to the position of the Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court. In a letter to the President, leader Julius Malema says the decison to nominate Zondo to replace former Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke is anti-women's empowerment. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Leader of the EFF Julius Malema

Parliament's standing committee on public accounts says Sassa has not been cleared of wrongdoing, despite reports that a new deal has been clinched with Cash Paymaster Services to continue paying out social grants. Committee chair Themba Godi says Scopa will continue with a meeting on Tuesday to probe the matter, whether Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini attends or not. The Constitutio...

The South African Human Rights Commission has requested an urgent meeting with Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini and SASSA CEO Thokozani Magwaza. The commission says it requires a detailed brief from the two parties on the plan of action to ensure that social grant recipients receive their grants in April. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke the Human Rights Commission Spokesperson, Gail Smith....

The South African Post Office has offered SASSA a solution to disbursing grants from 1 April. Speaking to Tsepiso Makwetla during #PMLive Post Office CEO Mark Barnes says they have a system that allows them to send electronic vouchers to beneficiaries across the country. SASSA's current contract with Cash Paymaster Services, which was declared invalid by the Constitutional court expires at the end...

All focus will be on FNB Stadium this weekend as Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates lock horns tomorrow afternoon. Both teams will go into the match following draws. Pirates drew 1-ALL with Polokwane City in their last match, while Chiefs also played to a 1-ALL draw with Ajax Cape Town in their last fixture. Some fans have expressed their dissatisfaction over the cost of the tickets t...

Murder figures have shown a slight decrease, while the so called trio crimes - car hijackings, robberies at residential properties and robberies at non residential premises are still on an upward trend. Police management, accompanied by Minister, Nathi Nhleko, briefed Parliament's Police committee on crime statistics for the period between 1 April 2016 to the 1st of December the same year. In line...

The social security agency (SASSA) spokesperson, Paseka Letsatsi says they have entered into negotiations with Cash Paymaster Services to renew its contract to distribute welfare grants. The Constitutional Court declared Sassa's contract with CPS invalid in 2014 but subsequently suspended its ruling for the duration of the contract to prevent the grant payment system being disrupted. The contract...

Political Analyst and leader of Right to Know campaign Dr Dale Mckingley says the political fallout will be substantial should the social security agency fail to pay social grant beneficiaries at the end of the month. SASSA says it has entered into negotiations with Cash Paymaster Services to renew its contract to distribute welfare grants. The Constitutional Court declared Sassa's contract with C...

The Competition commission says Unilever has to pay a fine of 10% of its annual turnover. This after the commission found Unilever and Sime Darby had entered in a sale agreement not to compete with each other. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Commissioner at the Competition Commission, Tembinkosi Bonakele

The All Saints Hospital in eNgcobo, in the Eastern Cape, has been forced to discharge patients and send others to nearby health care centeres, as it has been without water for five days. The water shortage comes as truck drivers in the town have prevented a water tanker from reaching the hospital. The truckers are demanding that a local supplier be used for water. Tsepiso Makweta spoke to the East...

Western Cape has approximately 121 days of useable water left. This after dam levels across the Western Cape fall to an average of 31%. Speaking during a press briefing, Cape Town's Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille, outlined its medium to long term water resource planning to mitigate the water crisis. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Priya Reddy, Spokesperson for the City of Cape Town

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa wants the Minister of Social Department, Bathabile Dlamini, to appear before the Committee to give clarity on issues related to the Cash Paymaster Services, CPS' contract. Social grants agency SASSA has admitted to Scopa that there is no plan in place for an alternative entity to pay social grants on the first of April. The Constitutional Court decl...

The National Assembly has passed the Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment Bill. The bill was sent back to National Assembly before the end of last year after president Jacob Zuma questioned its constitutionality. This came after he received two objections to the FICA bill. Among those who petitioned the president not to sign it into law was the Progressive Professional Forum led by Mzwanele Man...

Rail Agency Prasa's acting CEO, Collins Letsoalo, has rejected media allegations that he gave himself a 350 per cent salary increase. Weekend papers published damning reports saying that Letsoalo hiked his salary, uses a chauffeur driven car and has a company cell phone with unlimited calls. The acting CEO told the media in Pretoria today that he will weigh his legal options and seek either a defa...

The high court in Pretoria has ruled that all fines before the court where, traffic authorities failed to abide by the letter of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act be cancelled. This applies to millions of traffic fines issued in Johannesburg and Pretoria since 2008. Tsepiso makwetla spoke to Fines4U's Cornelia van Niekerk who brought the case before the courts.

Former president Thabo Mbeki has condemned the spate of attacks on foreign nationals in Pretoria last week. Speaking at his inauguration as chancellor of the University of South Africa today, Mbeki said many socio-economic challenges will not be solved by attacking foreign immigrants. Tsepiso makwetla spoke to Professor Mcebisi Ndletyana, a Professor of Politics at the University of South Africa.

The department of water and sanitation has warned of possible flooding along the Vaal River as Vaal Dam reaches full capacity. The Vaal Dam, among other areas in Gauteng, reached 100 percent capacity for the first time in six years. The Water and Sanitation Department says it's started releasing water from Bloemhof dam and will do the same for the Vaal dam. The department has also announced that i...

KZN MEC for Community Safety Mxolisi Kaunda has welcomed the swift arrests of two suspects in connection with a shooting that left four people dead and seven others wounded at uMlazi G-section over the weekend. The two are believed to be friends of the three men who allegedly killed four members of the Mzila family and also wounded seven others at a tavern nearby. The third suspect died in a shoot...

Acting National Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane says they have the situation in the Pretoria CBD under control, this after violence broke out between locals and alleged illegal immigrants. Phahlane also indicated that over 130 people have been arrested in the past 24 hours. Ike Phaahla spoke to Mametlwe Sebei who is part of Coalition of communities against xenophobia for his reaction to the...

The ANC has called for tolerance towards foreign nationals and condemned the violence that broke out in Pretoria today. Police used stun grenades to disperse groups of people in the Pretoria CBD after a stand-off between locals and migrants. Earlier this month, similar scenes were seen in Rosettenville, south of Johannesburg, where houses believed to be drug dens and brothels were torched. The ANC...

During a press conference earlier today, Minster of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba condemned xenophobic attacks in the country, stating that crime has no nationality. The Director General of Home Affairs Mkhuseli Apleni spoke to Ike Phaahla about the departments sentiments and plan of action. We also spoke to the leader of Nigerian Youth Council Murtala Gamji who denies vandalism of a MTN building in...

DA says Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan should consider alternative ways other than a tax increase, to reach the R28 billion budget for the financial year 2017/2018. Some of these alternative are economic growth, selling assets and cutting wastage and expenditure. These were revealed when DA finance spokesperson David Maynier and his deputy Alf Lees shared the party's "tax alternatives" at a brief...

As Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan prepares to deliver the budget speech tomorrow, President Jacob Zuma emphasised in his State of the Nation Address that the state will play a role in the economy to drive transformation. Zuma said Government will use legislation, regulations, licensing, budget and procurement as well as Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Charters to influence the behaviour of...

Dancing the Death Drill, journalist and author, Fred Khumalo tells the story of the SS Mendi

Madibeng municipal area branch chairperson, Bethuel Mmutle, former ANC deputy chairperson in the North West China Dodovu, and political analyst from the University of the North West, Professor Andre Duvenhage on Brain Molefe membership.