First Take SA

South Africa is being urged to prepare early for the 2026/27 summer, as a rapidly strengthening El Niño raises the risk of below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures. The South African Weather Service says the event could become exceptionally strong by late 2026 or early 2027, but it is also stressing that a strong El Niño does not automatically mean a drought. Farmers, disa...

The South African Women in Construction and Built Environment has condemned the viral Sandton restaurant video showing threats against two women. The organisation says the incident has raised wider questions about who benefits from public construction contracts. It claims many women contractors still struggle to access direct work while billions are spent through government entities. The organisat...

The Public Servants Association, PSA says it is deeply concerned that SASSA owes millions in outstanding rent for offices nationwide. The Department has confirmed R16.5 million alone is owed for the Records Management Centre that stores sensitive records. The PSA warns the arrears could lead to evictions, locked facilities and disruption of services to vulnerable communities. The Union is calling...

Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager, TRIM has published Network Statement Version 4, setting out updated rules for access to South Africa's rail network. The framework, approved and gazetted by the Department of Transport, aims to improve transparency, capacity allocation and investment certainty. It also expands opportunities for new rail operators and provides greater flexibility for accessing...

A look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of Africa Is Open For Business and Africa Bounces Back

The National Prosecuting Authority has confirmed that ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula is set to face criminal prosecution following submissions by AfriForum's Private Prosecution Unit. Mbalula is accused of crimen injuria over allegations that he falsely accused Bergview College principal Jaco Pieterse of sexually assaulting or raping a child. AfriForum says it is also pursuing a separate pro...

The Democratic Alliance is calling for an urgent debate in Parliament on the escalating gender-based violence and femicide crisis in Ekurhuleni, following the discovery of multiple women's bodies in the area over the past two months. SAPS has established a multidisciplinary team to investigate the cases, while President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed that the investigations be prioritised. Police ha...

A fire at the SWAPO informal settlement in Copesville, Pietermaritzburg has destroyed 20 shacks, up from the initial 15. KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma says verification found 19 foreign nationals were among those affected. The department also alleges a foreign national was collecting 250 rand per shack and that illegal electricity connections were in use. Government says fully...

 The Democratic Alliance is demanding answers from President Cyril Ramaphosa following reports that the military has acknowledged an elite Special Forces role in a 2022 high-profile abduction of alleged ISIS financier Abdella Abadiga and Kadir Abotese. 12 operators face charges over the Mall of Africa kidnappings and the subsequent assassination of Hawks investigator Lieutenant Colonel Frans...

Kempton Park is now Gauteng's kidnapping hotspot with 76 cases recorded between April and June this year, up more than 58 percent from last year. The Gauteng Community Safety Committee says the province accounted for over half of all kidnappings nationally, with 2,367 cases in the quarter. For the latest we're joined by Dr. Bandile Masuku, Chairperson of the Gauteng Portfolio Committee on Communit...

Zimbabwean businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama has been arrested and released on a warning following a viral video showing him threatening to murder women at a Sandton restaurant. The incident has drawn fierce condemnation from Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, who has ordered Home Affairs to investigate Mudzinganyama's residency status. In the same breath, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy ha...

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula is facing three separate legal challenges from within his own party. Judgment has been reserved in the contempt case brought by ANC member Lwazi Rotya over branch meeting data amid claims of manipulation and ID harvesting. In the same breath, Mbalula says Andile Lungisa should have used internal structures instead of going to court over his alleged removal from...

The Madlanga Commission marked a year on Thursday since it was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2025. Its Chairperson, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, used the occasion to reflect on the evidence presented before the Inquiry. He raised concerns about emerging evidence indicating serious criminality within the criminal justice system. Since its establishment, the Commission has heard evidenc...

The killing of women in Kempton Park and elsewhere in Ekurhuleni has once again raised serious concerns about the safety of women and the wider crisis of gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa. The SANAC Civil Society Forum is calling for thorough investigations and prosecution, but says the response cannot only come after women have already lost their lives. The Forum is also calling...

Government joined grieving families at the Ekurhuleni Civic Centre in Kempton Park yesterday to honour nine women killed in recent gender-based violence and femicide attacks. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia told mourners the suspects will be pursued without delay, while Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga called for united action against the violence. President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the murde...

The Democratic Alliance in Tshwane has opened criminal cases against several ANC councillors following serious complaints from community members. Residents claim local development opportunities and municipal jobs are being weaponised to reward political allies and connected individuals. The official police investigation is looking into disturbing affidavits detailing alleged political interference...

A look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of Africa Is Open For Business and Africa Bounces Back  

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says the province will use all available resources to ensure that those responsible for the murders of women are brought to justice. Eight bodies of women were found in and around Kempton Park in Ekurhuleni over the past two months. They were murdered and some dumped next to roads. Lesufi addressed the media, flanked by Provincial SAPS officials, in Johannesburg. But...

There is growing concern over the discovery of women's bodies in different parts of Ekurhuleni, leaving families devastated and communities demanding answers. The ANC in Ekurhuleni has condemned the killings and is calling for urgent investigations, stronger support for victims' families and sustained action to tackle gender-based violence and femicide. But beyond condemnation, what more can polit...

The City of Tshwane has dismissed claims that its fire engines were repossessed over unpaid bills, calling the allegations false and misleading. The city says no emergency vehicles have been repossessed and some trucks are only undergoing repairs and maintenance. This comes after claims circulated over the past few days about the municipality's ability to pay. Concerns however remain about an agei...

Renewed outrage over a string of brutal murders targeting women in Gauteng has sparked urgent calls for heavy police visibility and aggressive surveillance to protect vulnerable communities. The Security Personnel Party of South Africa is demanding the reinstatement of the death penalty for convicted perpetrators of GBV and femicide. For more, we sspoke to Sello Mashula, President and Founder of t...

Vehicle tracking company Cartrack has confirmed a ransomware attack on its systems In August last month. The ransomware group Dire Wolf listed Cartrack on its dark web leak site, claiming it exfiltrated 500 gigabyte of data. Cartrack says its customer database was accessed, which may include contact details, bank account information and vehicle data. Cartrack says its platform was restored within...

The Congress of South African Trade Unions, COSATU says it has adjourned its 15th National Congress to protect the unity and integrity of the federation. The decision follows extensive engagements among affiliate leadership at what Cosatu calls a difficult and painful moment. It says the adjournment is in line with Clause 3.4 of its constitution where quorum is not met and the congress must reconv...

The Electoral Commission has noted the ANC's plan to appeal the Electoral Court ruling that excluded about 181 of its candidates from the November municipal polls. Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo says electoral justice allows aggrieved parties to approach superior courts to vindicate their rights. He was speaking in Centurion on the finalisation of candidate lists. The ANC missed the 28 August...

Judges of the Supreme Court of Appeals in Bloemfontein will hand down judgment in the ANC-IEC candidates submission battle later this morning. Judgment was reserved last night after two and half hours of legal wrangling which stems from the ANC's alleged failure to submit its councillor candidates for the November 4 local polls. The party cited a technical glitch on the IEC system which prevented...