First Take SA

The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro has passed a motion of no confidence in Deputy Mayor, Mongameli Bobani. The motion, tabled by Patriotic Alliance's Marlon Daniels, succeeded by 60-votes. However, the opposition parties have refused to accept the results. They staged a walkout while the voting was underway. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to UDM Leader Bantu Holomisa

The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro has passed a motion of no confidence in Deputy Mayor, Mongameli Bobani. The motion, tabled by Patriotic Alliance's Marlon Daniels, succeeded by 60-votes. However, the opposition parties have refused to accept the results. They staged a walkout while the voting was underway. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Athol Trollip and Political...

This week's announcement that the Gupta owned Oakbay Investments sold Tegeta to a Swiss company, sent journalists in search of the elusive Charles King. What they found in Switzerland was a nameplate inside a building at Rue de Bourg 27 in Lausanne. Charles King was meant to be located on the fifth floor. What Bloomberg Journalists found was a largely empty space. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the Blo...

UK Public Relations firm, Bell Pottinger has been found guilty of breaching the code of conduct of the Public Relations and Communications Association. Professional Practices Committee (PPC) has concluded that Bell Pottinger, one of the largest UK-based public relations consultancy breached the trade body's code of conduct in its work for Gupta-owned Oakbay Investments. The DA had complained to th...

Law enforcement agencies in South Africa are spying on over 70-thousand mobile phones every year, according to statistics by the Right2Know campaign. The non-profit advocacy organisation today released statistics from MTN, Vodacom, Cell C and Telkom that show that government accesses tens of thousands of people's sensitive communications information every year using a loophole in South Africa's su...

Gupta-owned Oakbay Investments today announced that it has sold its mining unit, Tegeta for 2.97 billion rand to Switzerland-based Charles King SA. Oakbay Chief Executive, Ronica Ragavan says the sale was part of the commitment to preserve jobs, provide certainty to employees throughout the group and to safeguard the value of the business. However experts believes that it may be opportunistic for...

Police in KwaZulu Natal are investigating the murder of yet another resident at the notorious Glebelands hostel in Umlazi, bringing the death toll linked to the hostel to 93. A 38-year-old man believed to be a former peace committee member at the hostel, was allegedly shot multiple times by unknown suspects. This comes as the Moerane Commission probing political violence in the province continues....

Voting is currently underway in Angola marking the end of President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos's 38-year reign. The current defense minister, Joao *Lourenco is widely expected to win the election. Dos Santos will remain in control of the governing party with the right to choose the head of the police and the army. The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) is said to be confident that...

The ANC caucus in parliament says the reported disciplinary action of former Minister of Tourism Dereck Hanekom is being handled by the Luthuli House. The party has asked Hanekom to explain why he should n't be removed as the chairperson of it's national disciplinary committee. This, after Hanekom's comment on social media saying ANC MPS "must vote against state capture, massive looting and corrup...

There is a global call for a ban on killer robots, warning that technological advances could revolutionize warfare and create new weapons of terror. More than one hundred robotics and artificial intelligence entrepreneurs intend on sending a letter to the UN calling for action to prevent the development of autonomous weapons. The renewed plea on autonomous weapons was released as the International...

Twelve of the opposition parties represented in parliament and civil society groups including religious leaders were today locked behind closed doors in parliament discussing plans to form a Convention for a Democratic SA (codesa) like process. The aim of the initiatives is to address challenges currently facing the country under the ANC leadership. United Democratic Movement Leader Bantu Holomisa...

The National Consumer Commission says it will work directly with network operator, Vodacom to ensure that the company adheres to its mandate of educating consumers. This is in light of a debacle affecting Vodacom's consumers whose data disappeared overnight. The NCC has held a two-day public hearings in Polokwane on concerns by consumers. Katlego Nyoni reports

Civil Society groups and opposition parties are calling for a review on the decision to give Zimbabwean First Lady Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity. Mugabe who was granted diplomatic immunity by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoane-Mashabane, is accused of assaulting model Gabriella Engels. The IFP says Maite Nkoane-Mashabane must be summoned before parliament to ex...

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) says the Minister for International Relations must summoned before parliament to explain Zimbabwean first lady Grace Mugabe's diplomatic immunity. Tsepiso Makwtla spoke to IFP MP, Mkhulekwa Hlengwa...

Gupta-aligned businessman Mzwanele Manyi says he will ensure his newly-acquired news media companies serve the interest of South Africans. The Guptas have sold ANN 7 and the New Age to Manyi for 450-million-rand. Manyi says the sale is part of his commitment to provide certainty to over seven-thousand-500 employees. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Media Monitoring Africa director William Bird

Three people including a traditional healer have appeared at the Estcourt magistrate court in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands, today, for the possession of human body parts. They were arrested after after a man went to a local police station and voluntarily admitted to cannibalism. In another court case, a 24-year old man is expected to appear in the Durban magistrate court today after he was arrested...

The International Red Cross says the number of people killed in the mudslides caused by floods in Sierra Leone has passed 400. Senior officials say 600 more are still missing. The disaster began on Monday when heavy rains hit in and around the capital, Freetown, and the partial collapse of a hillside triggered mudslides, engulfing homes and wreaking destruction. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to a journal...

A delegation from the Israeli Knesset (parliament) were in the country over the past two days, hoping to meet with the South African parliament in order to discuss cooperation between the two countries. However, the meeting did not take place, this after the ANC Parliamentary Caucus rejected the request by the Israeli government. This comes dead of the heels of the party's policy conference where...

Justice Minister Michael Masutha has welcomed the ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal to set aside a high court judgement for Janusz Walus's release on parole. The SCA upheld Masutha's appeal after the High Court in Pretoria earlier set aside his decision NOT to grant the parole. Walus and the late Clive Derby-Lewis were jailed for the murder of then Communist Party leader Hani in 1993. Tsepiso...

Today is the deadline for affected families of Life Esidimeni patients to contact the office of the premier in Gauteng, to be a part of a dispute resolution process. The premier's office wants to begin an alternative dispute resolution into the deaths of more than 100 patients who died in 2016 after being moved from Life Esidimeni to non-government organisations that were not qualified to provide...

ANC MP, Dr Makhosi Khoza has been removed as the chairperson of the Public Enterprises portfolio committee. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to our Parliamentary Reporter, Abongwe Kobokana

The DA's John Steenhuizen says he believes ANC MP Makhosi Khoza is being punished for being outspoken. The ANC has removed Khoza from chairing Parliament's Public Service and Administration Portfolio Committee - citing an irretrievable breakdown in relations between her and ANC Members of the committee. The stems from Khoza's public statements in support of the vote of no confidence in President J...

Civil rights organisation Afriforum says it will provide legal assistance to the family of Gabriella Engels, the woman who is accusing Zimbabwean First Lady, Grace Mugabe, of assault. Afriforum's legal which includes famed Oscar Pistorius, prosecutor and current head of the organisation's special prosecutions unit, Adocate Gerrie Nel has announced that he will assist the victim. Tsepiso Makwetla s...

Over 200-people have filled an application for direct access at the Constitutional Court. This, in an effort to have the highest court in the land hear a 60-billion rand suit against South Africa's largest banks. The claim is related to their conduct in attaching and selling the homes of defaulting debtors at prices below market value. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Advocate Douglas Shaw, who's represe...

The legal team of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has told the High Court in Pietermaritzburg that it was actually former Premier Senzo Mchunu who called for the convening of the elective conference in the province. Advocate Greg Harpur was responding to claims by five ANC members in the province who want the outcome of the 2015 provincial elective conference nullified. According to the current ANC provi...