First Take SA

The High Court in Pretoria has dismissed with costs former NPA head Mxolisi Nxasana's bid introduce his version of events in an application to have his golden handshake set aside. The former NPA head filed the affidavit, in which he says he is ready to resume office and willing to repay R17.3m golden handshake. Corruption Watch and Freedom Under Law have approached the court to review and set asid...

The South African Security Forces union (SASFU) says it is shocked that Brian Molefe now serves as a highly paid military colonel in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). SASFU says Molefe is not entitled to receive the R57,000 a month salary. The union says this is a pure of case of corruption and calls on the defence minister to reverse this decision and recover all money paid to Mr...

Zimbabwe is facing a constitutional crisis and Zimbabweans have to hold both President Robert Mugabe and the entire ZANUPF accountable. These are some of the sentiments expressed by various opposition parties in the South African Parliament. Others want the 93 year old leader to step down and welcomed his imminent impeachment. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to political and constitutional law analyst, Pro...

Lawmakers from President Robert Mugabe's ruling party, ZANU-PF, are set to meet in Harare to discuss the process of impeaching him. Despite mounting calls for his resignation and today's noon deadline to step down, Mugabe has defiantly stayed on as president of Zimbabwe. Yesterday, the party recalled him as their leader. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to our reporter, in Harare, Zimbabwe, Noma Bolani.

Time now for our weekly edition of TRENDSWATCH where we take a look at news that dominated social media this week. Our producer Molebogeng Sebidi has more

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has made his first public appearance since the country's army took over on Wednesday. He attended a graduation ceremony in the capital, Harare. Mugabe was at the Harare Open University, accompanied by his security detail, two days after being placed under house arrest. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Dr Siphamandla Zondi, who is with the Institute for Strategic and pol...

SACP leader Chris Hani's killer Janusz Walus will remain in jail after being denied parole. Justice Minister, Michael Masutha, made the announcement at a media briefing in Pretoria earlier today. This follows a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling in August which gave Masutha 90 days to make a decision. Walus, a Polish immigrant and Conservative Party MP Clive Derby-Lewis, were sentenced to death for Ha...

The ANC veterans and stalwarts group have held their National Consultative Conference at the Johannesburg Constitutional Hill today. Speakers at the conference included former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, ANC NEC member Derek Hanekom and ANC presidential hopeful Lindiwe Sisulu. The group raised key concerns which they say needed to be addressed in the party, including the loss of three key met...

Time for our Open Mic feature. Today we profile two talented artists, who are no strangers to the music scene. Award wining House Music producer, DJ Mizz and Afro-soul sensation, singer and writer, Yves. Ronald Phiri spoke to the two talented artists, who collaborated for their new single "Badlaliwe Abantu"

Alan Mukoki says he will take legal action against Rachel Kalidas. This follows allegations by Kalidass that Former Land Bank CEO, Alan Mukoki is alleged to be a preferred candidate for the SABC CEO position. Kalidass resigned as a member of the newly appointed SABC board where she says the environment has again become unbearable. Speaking to Tsepiso Makwetla, Mukoki says he has advised his lawyer...

Zimbabweans are calling for a peaceful transition of power, rather than a coup. This comes after the country's military has taken over the capital city Harare. Mugabe informed President Jacob Zuma that he is safe but confined to his home. Zimbabweans say President Jacob Zuma is only intervening quickly now that President Robert Mugabe has put in tight corner but did not do much when the entire cou...

The Zanu-PF War Veterans' League is calling on Zimbabwe's ruling party to recall President Robert Mugabe. This comes as the Zimbabwean army moves towards what it calls a peaceful transition of power, rather than a coup. The war veterans' proposal would compel Mugabe to resign and provide a constitutional means of removing him from power. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to our reporter Ephert Musekiwa

The SABC board say they are committed to carrying out its tasks as laid out in the Broadcasting Act. This follows the decision by Communications Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane to appeal a high court judgement that gave the SABC board the right to appoint the broadcaster's top executives. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the Chairperson of the SABC Board, Bongumusa Makhathini

The Parliamentary Inquiry into Eskom has heard damning evidence implicating Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown in state capture. Eskom board spokesperson Khulani Qoma said Brown was incompetent and not able to act as a shareholder representative. He added that Brown had failed to take action against Eskom executives that were damaging the reputation of the company. Qoma says one board member...

ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe says the processes of holding branch general meetings towards the December elective conference is close to completion. Speaking at a briefing in Johannesburg earlier Mantashe said there will be no extensions for Branch General Meetings which must be completed this weekend. Mantashe said that they were working hard to complete all branch meetings and resolve dis...

The DA has welcomed the Fees report released President Jacob Zuma, earlier today. In the report, the commission recommends that all university students who can't afford to pay fees, should be awarded government-guaranteed bank loans. In January 2016, Zuma established the Heher Commission to investigate the feasibility of Fee-Free Higher Education and Training in South Africa. The report says South...

Universities South Africa says its shocked that President Jacob Zuma released the Fees Commission report when students are sitting for their exams. Zuma released the long awaited report at midday today. The report recommends that government hike spending on higher education by 1% of GDP and that TVET college students not pay fees. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Universities South Africa CEO, Professor...

The National Treasury has confirmed the resignation of the department's Deputy Director General, Michael Sachs. The department of Finance Spokesperson, Mayihlome Tshwete says Sachs had expressed an interest to move to other areas of government to continue serving the public in a different role. He is reported to have quit over the Presidency's alleged interference in the budget process. Tsepiso Ma...

President Jacob Zuma has finally released the Fees Commission report. The report recommends that South Africa increase spending on tertiary education - especially for poor students. The report says South Africa should hike spending on higher education to one per cent of GDP. However it says the country cannot at this stage afford the cost of such an increase. The report was first released to Zuma...

The parents of a fourteen month-old baby who was mauled to death by two dogs in Malmesbury, say they are still trying to come to terms with her death. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the Chairperson of Animal Behaviour Consultants of South Africa, Shannon McKay

Time now for our weekly edition of TRENDSWATCH where we take a look at news that dominated social media this week. Our producer Molebogeng Sebidi has more

Two Emergency Medical Services crew members who came under attack from robbers on the N2 this week while transporting a seven-year-old boy to the Red Cross Children's Hospital, have recalled the traumatic night. They relived the ordeal at a press conference by the Western Cape Departments of Health and Community Safety where a plan was announced how to improve the safety of emergency workers. Ther...

As part of events to mark SADC Malaria Day, Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi together with a team of Health Ministers from other member states have conducted anti-malaria spraying missions at Giyani in Limpopo. The ministers were on site carrying canisters containing anti-malaria chemicals at Thomo village. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi

The State Security Agency (SSA) has laid charges against veteran journalist Jacques Pauw for contravening certain sections of the State Security Act. The charges stem from the publication of Pauw's book "the President's Keepers which alleges that millions of rands of tax payers' money flowed into the bank accounts of bogus spies among other revelations about government and dirty tricks in SA's law...

A huge new leak of financial documents has revealed how the powerful and ultra-wealthy, including Britain Queen Elizabeth's private estate, secretly invest vast amounts of cash in offshore tax havens - based in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. US President, Donald Trump's commerce secretary - Wilbur Ross - is shown to have a stake in a firm dealing with Russians sanctioned by the US. The leak, dubb...