First Take SA

Labour union POPCRU and its members will today march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to demand the government increase salaries by 6.5%. This is after public sector unions rejected the government's three percent wage offer. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to POPCRU spokesperson Richard Mamabolo...  

COPE has suspended its Chair of Chairs Colleen Makhubele as a party representative in the City of Johannesburg Council. The party's Gauteng Interim Provincial Committee resolved to suspend Makhubele with immediate effect. Makhubele previously voted with a PAC-sponsored motion to remove the DA-aligned speaker of the council, Vasco da Gama. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Dennis Bloem, Spo...

The construction mafia crisis is not only a criminal act but also, a clarion call for economic inclusion. These groups, operate under the banner of "radical economic transformation" and present themselves under the guise of "local business forums" and invade construction sites across the country, demanding money or a stake in development projects. Property Point founder Shawn Theunissen says crimi...

Time to take a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoesoana, 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

President Cyril Ramaphosa will return to South Africa after Queen Elizabeth's funeral today. The President will no longer be traveling to New York from London after cutting his trip short to address the energy crisis in the country - This is as Stage 6 load shedding continues. Last week Eskom announced the launch of an online skills database to crowdsource experts for the power utility to hire. Es...

After days of lying in state, the body of the late Queen Elizabeth II will begin its final journey this morning as part of a grand state funeral. The Queen died at the age of 96 on September 8. She spent 70 years on the throne, making her the longest-serving monarch in British history. President Cyril Ramaphosa will join world leaders who will bid farewell to the monarch before heading back to Sou...

Various parliamentary committees have concluded a three-day joint oversight visit to illegal mining hot spots In Gauteng. During the oversight visit the Portfolio Committee on Police, Home Affairs, as well as the Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy heard from the South African Police Service that more than 10 000 people had been prosecuted for illegal mining between 2012 and 2022. For more o...

The crash that claimed the lives of 21 people in Phongolo, Kwa-Zulu Natal was inevitable - according to a local resident. Last week Friday a truck driver collided head-on with a bakkie ferrying school children off the N2. In a viral video, the truck is seen speeding excessively, overtaking on a double barrier line, and crashing into the bakkie. 19 learners and two adults have died and the truck dr...

The deaf community is calling on authorities to act swiftly and ensure that there are Sign Language services available at key service points such as police stations, clinics, and hospitals. They say many incidents of gender-based violence against the community go unreported and may lead to the normalization of GBV against the deaf. This is as the International Week of Deaf People starts today and...

Law professor Richard Calland is facing calls to recuse himself from the Independent panel looking into whether there is prima facie evidence to impeach President Cyril Ramaphosa over his conduct in relation to the robbery on his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo. Some opposition parties and analysts say Calland has written favorably about the President and his alleged consistent bias towards Ramaphosa...

Residents of Charlesville in Jagersfontein in the Free State have appointed Phosa Loots Attorneys to file a class action lawsuit against the owners of the Jagersfontein diamond mine. One person was killed and another is still missing after a mine dam burst, flooding the area with grey mud. At least 164 houses were damaged. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to attorney at Phosa Loots Attorneys...

The Inkatha Freedom Party, IFP will stage a protest at the offices of City Press this morning. The party has accused City Press editor, Mondli Makhanya of abusing the platform to tarnish the image of IFP founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, by labeling him a black Apartheid collaborator and mass murderer. For the latest, Elvis Presslin spoke to IFP MP and National Spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa

Time to take a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoesoana, 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 President of the South African Local Government Association, SALGA Bheke Stofile has called for transparency in how political parties formulate coalition agreements. Mr. Stofile was speaking yesterday at the 2022 Local Government Week. SALGA says it is proposing a framework to determine the parameters within which coalition partners can practice their coalition politics. For more on this, Elvi...

As Eskom re-introduces stage four load shedding the City of Johannesburg's multi-party government says it is working around the clock to meet targets of adding additional energy supply from Independent Power Producers, or IPPs to the grid. This is to ensure the City's residents and the economy can be guaranteed a reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity supply. To further discuss this Elv...

Several Mpumalanga municipal officials and two Traffic Department employees have been arrested by the Hawks for vehicle licensing fraud amounting to R60 Million. The suspects were arrested during a joint operation by the Hawks Mbombela-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation and Road Traffic Management Corporation. For the latest, Elvis Presslin spoke to Provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain...

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says officials who grant documents to illegal immigrants are selling the country to the lowest bidder. He says in one case a person was paid as little as 60 Rand to facilitate an illegal entry at a border post. Motsoaledi was briefing Parliament's Home Affairs Committee on progress regarding the escape of Malawian citizen and televangelist Shephard Bushiri. E...

Bus company Putco has resumed its operations after reaching a wage agreement with its striking workers. Several bus drivers embarked on an unprotected strike demanding that the company honour its previous wage deal signed in 2020 for a 6 percent wage increase and bonuses. Elvis Presslin spoke to Numsa Spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola

City of Johannesburg Public Safety MMC David Tembe has made a commitment to the people of Eldorado Park in Johannesburg to deploy the necessary resources in the fight against crime. Tembe says he will draft an operational plan to ensure that criminality is dealt with. He visited the area following a number of murders in recent days. This, is as residents camp outside a local police station, demand...

Lobbying and canvassing is in full swing ahead of the ANC's 55th elective conference in December, with some frontrunners voicing out their readiness to challenge Cyril Ramaphosa as party leader. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, says if nominated, she will be available as a candidate for the ANC presidency when the party elects new leadership.  This is...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured displaced residents of Jagersfontein that government will rebuild their houses. Ramaphosa was addressing residents in Fauresmith which is a nearby town to Jagersfontein. A mine dam collapse has left a trail of destruction in Jagersfontein, leaving scores of residents homeless. One person has been confirmed dead. More than 80 people were taken to various hospit...

The KwaZulu-Natal police say the motive for the murder of an eThekwini ward councillor Mnqobi Molife is not yet known. Molife was the ward councillor in the metro's ward 99 in the Umkomaas area. He was visiting a friend in the eMvuthsini area at Margate on the South Coast when he was shot dead. Molife is the second councillor to be killed in a week. This is after an IFP councillor - Syanda Maguban...

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has cut his working visit to South Sudan and Niger to attend to the disaster in Jagersfontein, Freestate. One person died, while 40 others were seriously injured after a mudslide swept through the mining town of Jagersfontein following a dam burst. The electricity supply in the area has been affected. For the latest update, Elvis Presslin spoke...

Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane will not resume her duties in the office just yet. This is despite the Western Cape High Court's judgment declaring her suspension invalid. The Court also set the suspension by President Cyril Ramaphosa aside. Mkhwebane was suspended by Ramaphosa in June and a parliamentary inquiry into her fitness to hold office is currently underway. For some analysi...

Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will be challenging President Cyril Ramaphosa again for the leadership of the ANC. This will be the second time Dlamini-Zuma challenges Cyril Ramaphosa for the ANC leadership position. Meanwhile, Mpumalanga province has endorsed Justice Minister Ronald Lamola for the position of Deputy President for the upcoming December elective conference. T...