First Take SA

A report by the University of Johannesburg's Centre for Sociological Research and Practice has revealed that black working-class communities are bearing the burden of the current electricity crisis. Titled 'Energy Racism: The Electricity Crisis in South Africa',  the report found that load reduction predominantly affects townships, with the power going off anywhere from two hours to an entire...

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...

Tributes continue to pour in for multi-award-winning Gospel musician, Deborah Fraser who passed away yesterday after battling diabetes for years. She died at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. She suffered a stroke a few weeks ago. Fraser was popularly known for her first solo album, Abanye Bayombona. Elvis Presslin spoke to gospel musician mama Lusanda Mcinga, a friend and former coll...

The Public Servants Association will embark on a strike next week over wage disputes with the South African Revenue Service, SARS. The union is demanding an Inflation increase plus a 7% increase to be applied across the board. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to the Acting Provincial Manager for the Johannesburg office of the Public Servants Association, Stefan Viljoen.

The National Prosecuting Authority says the death of the first witness to arrive at the Senzo Meyiwa murder scene will not jeopardize the prosecution. The NPA says several other witnesses will give relevant evidence on the merits of the case, and they are confident that there's sufficient evidence to ensure a successful prosecution in the case. Retired former provisional head of SAPS Brigadier Phi...

The Department of Higher Education and Training says it is committed to financially supporting students from poor and working-class backgrounds. Tabling the Department's Budget Vote yesterday, Minister Dr. Blade Nzimande says this will include funding reprioritized from the Departmental budget, to ensure that the full shortfall for NSFAS is addressed to support students during the 2022 academic ye...

Pan African Mall Stall owners are reported to have lost thousands in stock and damages from a recent fire in Alexandra, Johannesburg. Investigations into the fire that gutted stalls are still underway. About eight stores that allegedly belonged to Operation Dudula members were set alight. To further discuss this Elvis Presslin spoke to Operation Dudula Secretary General, Zandile Dabula

Kimberley residents have been left with no water supply for the next few days. The Sol Plaatje municipality says the shutdown is to allow the municipality to deal with growing water leaks and other maintenance issues. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to SABC reporter in Kimberly, Katleho Morapela...

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 Wildebeesfontein Evaton Community Association says the demolishing of houses, by a private company, yesterday in Beverly Hills in the Vaal, south of Gauteng, was illegal. Footage of houses being demolished surfaced in the media where it was reported that the houses were built on privately owned land. But to tell us about this story Elvis Presslin spoke to the chairperson of the association And...

Government departments and state entities owe the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) over half a billion Rand. This is for the investigations it has conducted on their behalf. Briefing the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services yesterday, SIU head Andy Mothibi told parliament that this poses a risk to the unit's financial stability. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Advocat...

Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane says it is regrettable that Parliament's Section 194 Committee has decided to continue with the inquiry into her fitness to hold office. Advocate Mkhwebane will start appearing before the Parliamentary inquiry in July. The Committee -  tasked with the Public Protector's impeachment, met yesterday and unanimously resolved to proceed with its probe i...

The Constitutional Court will today hear a case about access or inaccessibility to books for visually impaired or blind persons. The court is set to decide whether the Copyright Act of 1978 is unconstitutional and imposes barriers on the conversion of books into Braille for visually impaired persons. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Blind SA Vice President, Christo de Klerk

Parliament says the Section 194 Committee investigating the fitness of the Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to hold office will meet today. This comes days after the Constitutional Court dismissed Mkhwebane's rescission application on Friday last week. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Researcher and advocacy officer at Judges Matter, Mbekezeli Benjamin and began by asking him if this wi...

The Minerals Council South Africa says it remains concerned about South Africa's rail and port constraints, which it estimates resulted in an opportunity cost of 35 billion rand for 2021. The council says it is working closely with Transnet to address the constraints that are preventing the country from fully benefiting from high commodity prices and strong demand for our minerals. This as Preside...

The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation is reportedly considering approaching the Supreme Court of Appeals over the R50 Million Cuban donation. This comes after the High Court sitting in Pretoria dismissed with costs government's leave to appeal the court's earlier ruling, interdicting International Relations and Cooperation Department from donating the money to Cuba. Afriforum suc...

Sentencing of convicted murderer, Nthuthuko Shoba, is expected to begin in the Johannesburg High Court today. Shoba was found guilty of masterminding the killing of his then-pregnant girlfriend, Tshegofatso Pule, in 2020. He was implicated after convicted hitman, Mzikayise Malepane, turned state witness. Pule's body was found hanging from a tree in Roodepoort west of Johannesburg. To further discu...

EFF National spokesperson Sinawo Thambo says the mother of his child was almost kidnapped in Tshwane yesterday. Tambo says the Incident happened while he was speaking to the SABC on the tragedy of Hillary Gardee, the daughter of former EFF secretary-general Godrich Gardee, who was also recently kidnapped and killed. Three men arrested in connection with her murder made their first court appearance...

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

Delegates at the Eastern Cape 9th ANC Provincial Conference are still at loggerheads over the adoption of credentials. Another contentious issue was the refusal of the conference to allow the ANC Veterans League to vote citing that the group doesn't have a structure in the province. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to our reporter Ntebo Mokobo and analysis with Dr TK Pooe, a senior lecturer...

Two more suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of Hillary Gardee - The daughter of former EFF secretary, Goodrich Gardee. The two suspects were arrested in Nelspruit at the weekend and will join the 39-year-old suspect who was arrested on Friday. The suspects are expected to appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate's court today. For the latest, Elvis Presslin spoke to Mpumalanga pol...

Civil rights organisation Afriforum is heading to the Supreme Court of Appeal next week to fight against the banning of the old South African flag. In 2019 the Equality Court declared that the gratuitous display of the apartheid flag amounts to hate speech. The Nelson Mandela Foundation took Afriforum to court after some Black Monday protesters displayed the old flag in 2017 during demonstrations...

The ANC in the Eastern Cape says it will not allow any delegate who is not fully vaccinated, to attend its 9th elective conference in East London this weekend. The party says this will be in the best interest of the fight against the spread of Covid-19. The long-awaited conference will see the incumbent chairperson, Oscar Mabuyane going head-to-head with PTT member Babalo Madikizela and the Deputy...

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 Health Department was expected to publish the new Covid-19 regulations at midnight. Following the government's decision to lift the national state of disaster in April, the Act which was used to manage the disease for two years also fell away. Draft regulations under the National Health Act were then introduced to manage Covid-19 for 30 days. The 30-day period has now lapsed. Several organizat...