First Take SA

As the country marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a new memoir titled I Choose Life has been launched. The book explores resilience, faith, motherhood and survival following a breast cancer journey. Author Tebele Makhetha reflects on major life transitions, her corporate career and lessons on courage and purpose. She spoke to Tracey Boomgaard about what the title means to her personally.

The Border Management Authority has dismissed claims that US deportees are slipping into South Africa through informal crossings from Eswatini. The BMA maintains that all land ports with Eswatini are secured and under surveillance. Meanwhile, Eswatini's government says three nationals from Yemen, Belize and Laos have voluntarily left the kingdom for their home countries in recent weeks. Eswatini m...

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration says it is aware of panic and confusion following the recent Constitutional Court judgment on asylum seekers and the Refugees Act. Chairperson Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi says government is treating the matter with utmost urgency. The IMC hosted an urgent meeting with departments, legal experts and stakeholders to consider the implications. Government say...

The Democratic Alliance will hold a major march against gender-based violence in Pretoria today. Party leaders, including Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink, Helen Zille and Solly Msimanga, will march from Burgers Park to the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre. The party says women cannot continue to be told to be vigilant while violent criminals terrorise communities. For the latest we spoke...

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has welcomed progress on the National Dialogue Steering Committee following a meeting yesterday. The Presidency says different sectors including youth, people with disabilities, civil society and faith-based organisations have been hosting dialogues. Mashatile says the pilot dialogues show citizens are ready to engage honestly about the country's challenges and offe...

The SA First Forum has written to Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber demanding urgent action on undocumented South Africans. The forum says an estimated four point four million citizens remain without identity documents, blocking access to education, jobs and banking. It cites cases of learners unable to write Matric and young people unable to access tertiary education. The group has given t...

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for the Gaza ceasefire to become permanent, warning that three years after the October 7th Hamas attacks, Israelis and Palestinians continued to live with the consequences of the conflict. In a statement issued a day before the sombre anniversary, Guterres reiterated his abhorrence of the killing of more than 1,200 people in Israel and the ta...

The Democratic Alliance, DA in Gauteng is calling for an urgent probe into chronic medicine shortages at public health facilities. Patients at hospitals including Steve Biko and Charlotte Maxeke and clinics including Nigel and Northmead, have reportedly struggled to get medication for hypertension, epilepsy and other chronic conditions. The DA says the shortages are putting patients at risk and ra...

Political commentator and civil society leader Lukhona Mnguni is vying to become the Mayor of Johannesburg. Mnguni will contest the upcoming local government elections under Rise Mzansi. Mnguni says he will focus on tackling corruption, restoring public trust and improving service delivery. Johannesburg faces persistent challenges, including failing infrastructure and governance instability. 

Workers are taking to the streets today as COSATU leads nationwide marches to mark World Day for Decent Work. The federation says workers face mass retrenchments, non-compliance with the minimum wage and growing casualisation. Marches will target Sun International over planned job cuts and Massmart over the dismissal of hundreds of Makro workers. COSATU is also demanding stronger enforcement of la...

Speaker of the National Assembly Thoko Didiza has challenged global leaders at the 153rd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly to shift focus from drafting laws to strictly enforcing them. Addressing delegates in Tanzania, Didiza warned that public trust in democratic institutions is eroding because citizens see a massive gap between paper promises and their daily struggles with poverty. For more, we...

Parliament is pressing the Department of International Relations to account for money owed to South Africa by foreign countries. During a briefing to the Standing Committee on Appropriations, MPs raised concern over the lack of detail on outstanding debts, including funds reportedly owed to SAA by Zimbabwe. Committee members want clarity on how much is owed, how long it has been outstanding and pl...

The sharp increase in fuel prices is placing fresh pressure on South Africa's transport and logistics sector. Diesel, which powers most freight movement, is a major operating cost for transport companies. Industry experts warn the impact will be felt beyond the pump, with higher costs for goods and services. Road Freight Association CEO Gavin Kelly says operators are already under strain.

As the race for the 2026 local elections heats up, newly formed Born To Win Party leader Boy Mamabolo is hitting the streets of Polokwane, campaigning door-to-door to win over voters. Gender-based violence and femicide top his agenda, with Mamabolo saying safer communities and protection for women will be a priority if his party gets into government. 

Former acting National Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane says charges against him, provisionally withdrawn by IDAC, were concocted. Phahlane claims the move was an attempt to push him out after he refused to hand over control of SAPS to Robert McBride and Paul O'Sullivan. Meanwhile Forensic Investigator, Paul O'Sullivan has denied allegations against him by Phahlane.

Mozambican human rights champion Professor Adriano Nuvungo has issued an urgent open letter to President Daniel Chapo challenging a controversial funding pact with the United States. The deal allegedly ties critical international health subsidies to the mandatory sharing of citizens' private medical data and biological samples. Nuvungo warns that trading personal medical details without public con...

The Department of Basic Education is moving to tighten rules around teachers communicating with learners on WhatsApp and other social platforms. The move follows a string of cases, including a Gauteng teacher suspended after alleged inappropriate chats with a 17-year-old learner and 469 sexual misconduct cases recorded since 2018. The Federation of Governing Bodies, FEDSAS says schools need clear...

The MK Party is calling for urgent government intervention as South Africans brace for a record fuel price increase. The party says rising fuel costs will push up the price of basic goods and transport, hitting the poor hardest. It wants Treasury to consider cutting the fuel levy and other relief measures. We spoke to  MK Party MP, Visvin Reddy. 

Dismissed Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan will appear before the Madlanga Commission today BUT behind closed doors. The Commission has ruled his testimony will be heard in camera after his legal team cited sensitive evidence. Khan had previously failed to appear despite being subpoenaed, prompting the Commission to order criminal charges be laid against him. We spoke to Leg...

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

Ekurhuleni residents continue to grapple with failing services, crumbling infrastructure and crime, despite the metro's economic importance. Today on our podcast feature we sit down with BOSA mayoral candidate Nongelo Chiume on his practical plan to fix the city. And in this series we will also be hearing from various other mayoral candidates from other small parties. 

Trade union Solidarity is warning South Africa could be cut from the AGOA trade deal before Christmas. The 2000 American law gives South Africa and 30-odd other African countries, duty-free access for over 1,800 products. For more, we're joined by Jaco Kleynhans, Head of Public Liaison at Solidarity.

Suspended Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya is expected to file an urgent legal bid to block his internal SAPS disciplinary hearing today. His defense team says they are pushing for a postponement to prepare for his compounding legal woes. Sibiya faces internal misconduct charges tied to the Madlanga Commission alongside separate criminal counts of rape, grooming and human trafficking. Si...

Trade union Solidarity is warning South Africa could be cut from the AGOA trade deal before Christmas. The 2000 American law gives South Africa and 30-odd other African countries, duty-free access for over 1,800 products. For more, we're joined by Jaco Kleynhans, Head of Public Liaison at Solidarity.

US President Donald Trump has promised five-thousand-dollar checks for American adults if Republicans win the midterm elections. The announcement has sparked debate over voter incentives and the state of the US economy. Trump said the rationale behind the proposal was the country's "tremendous economic success" We spoke to former US diplomat and international relations expert, Mr. Brooks Spector.