First Take SA

The General Secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions, Zwelinzima Vavi has expressed concern over the erosion of integrity within unions. This comes after a staggering 7,000 Johannesburg municipal workers reportedly fell victim to an unsecured loan scheme promoted by the South African Municipal Workers Union, SAMWU and Shosholoza Finance. Launched in 2017, the scheme allowed repaym...

Former Gauteng Speaker Ntombi Mekgwe has denied allegations of colluding with her ANC colleagues to block disciplinary actions against 32 employees accused of defrauding the provincial legislature. These allegations surfaced after a forensic investigation, initiated by the former legislature secretary. At the center of the controversy are shocking findings that Deputy Speaker Nomvuyo Mhlakaza-Mana...

ActionSA in Gauteng has slammed the City of Johannesburg's plan to rename Sandton Drive, citing the name's neutral and unifying nature. The party's stance comes after the city invited residents to share their thoughts on the proposed renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive. To discuss this, we caught up with  ActionSA Gauteng Provincial Caucus Leader, Funzi Ngobeni

KwaZulu-Natal authorities say all commuters stranded on the N3 highway due to severe snowfall since last Friday have been accounted for. Inclement weather led to the closure of the N3, with black ice and fog posing significant risks to drivers. While parts of the highway have reopened, concerns linger that some commuters may still be trapped. We caught up with KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Set...

The Road Freight Association is warning of dangerous conditions on the roads due to recent snowfall across the country. A severe snowstorm brought the KwaZulu-Natal province to a standstill on Saturday, leaving thousand of commuters stranded. The N3 highway, a critical transportation artery, was transformed into a winter wonderland, but also a hazardous obstacle course. Motorists were forced to en...

A disturbing trend is emerging in South Africa's rural schools, where social media bullying is fueling conflict among learners. Educator Sphelele Myeni, who conducted a Master's study on the issue, joined us to share his findings

One in seven moms in South Africa are teenagers. Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism says nearly 365 teenage girls give birth in South Africa every day, with 10 of those daily births to moms younger than 15. The organisation says moreover and according to data from the Human Sciences Reseach Council, many young moms in South Africa also have HIV. To discuss this further Elvis Presslin spoke to...

South Africa's Reserve Bank has given homeowners a breather by cutting interest rates by 25 basis points. This follows the US Federal Reserve's 50 basis point reduction. This move will bring some much-needed relief to those struggling to make bond repayments, especially after previous interest rate hikes. To elaborate on what the latest interest entails for the property sector, Elvis Presslin spok...

The Democratic Alliance in Govan Mbeki Local Municipality is demanding answers over a questionable payment of R160,000 to upgrade the driving licenses of just four employees. The amount  of R40,000 per person is staggering compared to the standard rate paid by the municipality in Secunda, and the R6,000 to R10,000 charged by local driving schools for similar services. Executive Mayor Nhlakanipho Z...

Former Eskom CEO and MK MP Brian Molefe is advocating for the regulation of coal prices. Speaking during a parliamentary debate on NERSA's decision to grant Eskom's application to retrospectively recover R8 billion for the 2021/2022 financial year, Molefe stressed that the price Eskom pays for coal directly affects electricity tariffs. Elvis Presslin spoke to MK MP Brian Molefe

Former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been dealt a significant blow after the Constitutional Court dismissed his appeal to overturn an order to repay a R11.5 million "success fee" he received from the public broadcaster. This fee was deemed unlawful and invalid by the Gauteng High Court. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed this decision, which paves the way for them to recover the ou...

Elvis Presslin takes a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of "Africa Is Open For Business" and "Africa Bounces Back". Victor is also the Executive Director for Marketing and Communication at the University of Limpopo

Late former Minister Pravin Gordhan will today be laid to rest in a special official category 2 funeral at the Durban ICC. Gordhan, who passed away last week at the age of 75 after battling cancer, left an indelible mark on the country's politics. As Minister of Public Enterprises until the May elections, Gordhan played a pivotal role in shaping South Africa's economic landscape. His portfolio als...

Former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Dr. Naledi Pandor has vehemently denied allegations made by EFF leader Julius Malema that she received a bond from the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank. Malema's claims, made during an interview with the SABC, suggested that several ANC leaders, including Pandor, benefited from VBS. Pandor has dismissed the allegations as baseless and is demand...

The South African Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee is set to announce its highly anticipated decision on interest rates today. With inflation having dipped to 4.5%, analysts are hopeful that the bank will initiate a rate-cutting cycle, mirroring the trend of global central banks. For his insights on the potential monetary policy direction, Professor Bonke Dumisa, an independent economic an...

The HBT Movement for Peace and Justice will today march against alleged harassment of documented immigrants in South Africa. The protesters plan to submit a memorandum to the Minister of Home Affairs in Pretoria, to demand an end to the exploitation and mistreatment of law-abiding immigrants. To elaborate further on the march, Elvis Presslin spoke to Rollence Mabula, President of The HBT Movement...

The National Wills Week takes place every year from 16th to 20th September serving as an annual reminder for South Africans to draft or update their wills. Launched by the Law Society of South Africa, this initiative aims to ensure more people have a legally valid will in place and to address the Shockingly, 7 out of 10 adult South Africans who pass away without one. For more on this Elvis Pressli...

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is gearing up for a massive strike in response to Seriti Resources' plans to retrench over 1,000 workers. This decision, driven by unsustainable operations at the Middelburg and Klipspruit mines has sparked outrage among NUM members, who represent 3,000 Seriti employees. The union accuses the coal mining company of replacing permanent workers with contractor...

Controversy surrounds the City of eThekwini as allegations emerge that they paid a staggering R500 million for smart electricity meters that are reportedly non-functional. In response, council officials have launched an investigation to uncover the truth behind the meters, including whether Africa Utility Solutions, the contracted supplier, actually delivered the devices. DA eThekwini Caucus Leade...

Build One South Africa, BOSA is pushing for a constituency-based electoral system. The party wants citizens to directly vote for their leaders, rather than through political parties. This proposed reform aims to increase accountability across the nation. The current electoral system in South Africa is a closed-list proportional representation system, where voters choose parties rather than individ...

The Democratic Alliance, DA will hold a National Day of Action across all nine provinces to oppose Eskom's proposed 36% electricity tariff increase. This significant hike, which still requires approval from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, NERSA would come into effect on April 1 next year, adding to the already substantial financial burden on South Africans. To shed more light on thi...

The Democratic Alliance In the Western Cape, is urging the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development to classify attacks on social workers as attacks on the state. This as social workers, already vulnerable to hijackings and assaults while serving high-risk communities, are now being targeted by extortionists demanding protection fees. According to the provincial social development depart...

The Hawks in Mpumalanga have arrested eight examiners and four traffic officials for allegedly colluding with driving schools to issue fake licenses. The officials were arrested in different licensing centres at Sabie, Graskop, Lydenburg and Verena. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to the Road Traffic Management Corporation Spokesperson, Simon Zwane

Workers at BMW's Rosslyn plant in Pretoria have gone on strike amid allegations of medical aid fraud involving the company's employee scheme. According to BMW, law enforcement is investigating suspected fraudulent activities within the BMW Employees Medical Aid Scheme. Six employees have been arrested, 20 have been dismissed, and over 500 face disciplinary action. Labour union Numsa has criticized...

The Babel Restaurant in Menlyn, Pretoria, has reached an agreement with the EFF to comply with South African labour laws. The party's intervention follows a social media exposé by a former employee who accused the restaurant of exploiting employees and operating outside the law. A Department of Labour and Employment-led sting operation at the restaurant on Sunday night preceded the agreement. For...