First Take SA

At least 55 villages in and around Giyani, Limpopo are still without reliable water supply, despite phase one of the Giyani Bulk Water Project being completed. This according to the Transformation Alliance, which has cited the turf war between Giyani Local Municipality and Mopani District Municipality for the water challenges. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Abel Tau, leader of the Trans...

The ANC in the Overberg region of the Western Cape says it is deeply concerned by the recent protest in Swellendam. Angry community members blockaded the N2 and torched a municipal building - Just a few weeks after another municipal office was set alight. The irate protesters are still unhappy about the application process for indigent benefits and service delivery in the area. For more on this, E...

The EFF's motion of no confidence against Free State premier Mxolisi Dukwana lacked support from other opposition parties in the Free State Legislature. The motion was rejected as the DA and Freedom Front Plus decided to abstain from the vote. It comes after a reply from Dukwana that more than R3-million was spent on the funeral of the late Education MEC Tate Makgoe in March this year. For more on...

The South African National Taxi Council, SANTACO in KwaZulu Natal is demanding a rank for its members at a newly established Oceans Mall in Umhlanga, Durban. Scores of taxi operators blockaded the entrances and exits to Mall, causing major traffic disruptions in the Umhlanga CBD. The taxi council says they were promised a rank when the mall was built where their previous rank was. For more on this...

South Africa could soon have a new gender-neutral parental leave policy. A case against the Minister of Employment and Labour recently heard at the Gauteng High Court, is seeking a gender-neutral parental policy that enables all employees to take parental leave regardless of their gender. This after a father was reportedly denied maternity leave by his employer who said maternity leave protection...

Postbank says all outstanding grants payments have been paid. This after thousands of pensioners and other social grant beneficiaries were left destitute after not receiving their monthly payout for September. Postbank cited a technical glitch for non-payment. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Postbank Spokesperson, Dr. Bongani Diako

Residents of Kwa-Thema In Ekurhuleni say they will intensify their protest action until government attends to their grievances. The community says it has been abandoned by local government officials who have not prioritised the delivery of services in the area. They have been protesting since the weekend, demanding access to water and electricity. Rand Water, and Joburg water have urged consumers...

Johannesburg law enforcement officials will today continue its disconnection drive for non-paying customers in the City centre. Yesterday City Power embarked on a disconnection drive in Naturena, Johannesburg which owed millions to the municipality. The situation in Naturena became volatile with residents resisting City Power's cut-off operations - but ultimately resistance was futile. The City ha...

Two labour unions representing workers at the SABC, (CWU and BEMAWU) have met with the public broadcaster's management for their ongoing salary negotiations yesterday. According to the unions, SABC is offering a 4% salary increase effective from next month, with no increase to housing. The unions say management was expected to give further response on the demands they presented during their previo...

The Democratic Alliance, DA will today lodge a complaint against government for failure to pay social grants this month. The party approached the South African Human Rights Commission to lodge a complaint against Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu, her Department, the South African Social Security Agency, Sassa and Postbank. This after over half a million grant recipients were left financial...

The City of Tshwane is considering a private partnership to increase the functioning of the Rooiwal and Pretoria West Power Stations. City Mayor, Cilliers Brink says this will assist the city to generate at least a 1000 Mega Watts of electricity independent of ESKOM in the next three years. Brink says the city's energy master plan seeks to reduce Tshwane's dependence on Eskom and alleviate the bur...

Elvis Presslin in conversation 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 as he looks at the current top African economic stories  

The city of Durban has been selected as the host for the 19th World Water Conference taking place in 2025. A delegation from KwaZulu-Natal is attending the current water conference under way in the Chinese capital of Beijing. South Africa currently faces serious shortages and challenges with regards to water supply. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Head of eThekwini Municipality Water and...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the ANC and the IFP should reconcile despite the two parties' bitter rivalry. He was speaking at the special official funeral of founding IFP President, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, in Ulundi at the weekend. Mangosuthu Buthelezi died last week, aged 95. Before his passing Buthelezi wished for the ANC, IFP to reconcile. The IFP and ANC have been at loggerheads over th...

More than twenty people have been killed in a road cash involving a bus and a truck in Musina, Limpopo.  The bus was reportedly transporting mine workers to a local mine when it collided with a truck. For the latest Elvis Presslin spoke to Vongani Chauke, Spokesperson for Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Florence Radzilani...

The Garden Route in the Western Cape is bracing itself for more damaging spring tides, which have caused widespread destruction along the coastline. A 93-year-old woman died after sustaining injuries, after being caught in a wave at a beach in Wilderness, near George. The sea has caused havoc -- damaging municipal infrastructure and private properties. The South African Weather Services says the c...

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

The Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union says the alleged suicide of a young pregnant mother-to-be at Kopanong Hospital, could have been prevented. 26 year old Refilwe Thamae allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself inside a bathroom at Kopanong Hospital in Vereeniging. Thamae was reportedly suffering from a mental illness and was displaying abnormal behaviour. For more on this Elvis...

Communications and Digital Technologies Minister, Mondli Gungubele, has apologised to SASSA grant recipients for the technical glitch at the Post Bank. This  has left about a half million SASSA beneficiaries destitute after they failed to receive their monthly stipend. The glitch was caused when Post Bank upgraded its payment system. Gungubele together with Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zul...

BUILD ONE South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane says Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape, has one of the highest unemployment rates in South Africa, with a large number of young people without jobs. On Wednesday, Maimane led a march against unemployment and corruption in the City, as part of his nationwide engagements ahead of his party's one-year anniversary on Heritage Day. The party says it's agai...

Former Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane plans to challenge her removal from office. President Cyril Ramaphosa removed Mkhwebane from office following a majority vote by the national assembly to impeach her after a Section 194 process found her guilty of misconduct and incompetence. Mkhwebane is the first Chapter 9 head to be fired. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Advocate Busi...

The Congress of South African Trade Unions, COSATU is threatening to go on strike if the City of Tshwane fails to pay salary increases. This after the City announced its intentions to challenge the bargaining council's decision to immediately pay a 5.4% wage increase promised to workers in 2021. The City has cited its financial woes for not being able to pay salary increases for the 2023 financial...

Civil Society group, the People's Movement for Change (PMC), will today march to the Cape Town Civic Centre to outline its concerns to city Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. Key issues to be highlighted include high electricity and water tariffs, unfair treatment of informal traders and unemployment among a myriad of other issues. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Siya Nyeka, Head of Communication...

BUILD ONE South Africa will today host a march against unemployment and corruption in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. The march will be led by the organisation's leader Mmusi Maimane, protesting against alleged job-killing corruption at the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), which has cost the people of Nelson Mandela R781 million in funding so far.  The party says this is part of its nationwide engag...

The Special Investigating Unit, SIU is considering legal action against former Eskom CEO, André de Ruyter for authorizing a private Investigation into corruption at the power utility. The Unit was briefing the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa about an intelligence report commissioned by de Ruyter into sabotage and looting at Eskom. De Ruyter commissioned the report without authorizatio...