First Take SA

Executive Finance Manager at Transnet Freight Rail Yousuf Laher told the state capture commission he was following then Transnet Chief Financial Officer Anoj Singh's instruction when he prepared a memorandum requesting the then Transnet board to approve an unjustifiable one billion rand increase for the 100 locomotives tender awarded to China South Rail. Laher was responding to previous testimony...

The leader of the Enlightened Christian Gatherings (ECG), Pastor Shepherd Bushiri, his wife Mary and the other co-accused, Landiwe Ntlokwana, spent another night behind bars as their bail proceedings drag on. The three were arrested on Tuesday on charges of fraud, money laundering and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act to the tune of 102 million rand.

Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has raised concerns about South Africa's Covid-19 trajectory following the latest spike in Covid-19 cases. Dr Mkhize says epidemiological reports show that over the last 7 days there has been an increase of 9.1% in new cases. Similarly, over the last 14 days, there has been an increase of 10.7%. He is in isolation after he and his wife, Dr May Mkhize, tested positiv...

Former Managing Director of Rail for Hatch Engineering, Henk Bester, has told the State Capture Commission in Johannesburg that he was approached by Gupta associate, Salim Essa, who wanted Hatch to include Essa's company as a supply partner for phase 2 of a Transnet Rail Project worth 800- million-rand. Bester says they had estimated the Manganese project would cost Transnet 27-billion-rand, but t...

Tripartite alliance partners, Cosatu and the SACP are opposed to President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent proposal for the privatisation of some main train routes in the country. It's reported that the proposal forms part of Ramaphosa's new economic recovery plan presented in Parliament last Thursday. The proposal primarily focuses on routes in Gauteng and the Western Cape. The ANC's alliance partners s...

The Special Investigations Unit wants Parliament to create laws that will prevent officials who are under investigation, from moving from one government department to another, without ever being held accountable. The SIU, alongside the Hawks and National Prosecuting Authority, appe

The fight over retrenchments at the SABC continues to rage. This time, the management and worker representatives have given parliament differing versions of where the negotiations are at. The unions have accused the corporation of negotiating in bad faith, while the SABC says it has gone beyond what is required to accommodate the employees.

Former Transnet Board chairperson, Mafika Mkwanazi has conceded that the then Transnet board's decision to award former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama R17 million in back pay and legal costs - after a disciplinary process found him guilty of misconduct - was indefensible. The State Capture Commission of Inquiry heard that Transnet paid Gama the legal costs which Gama should have paid to the company f...

Union BEMAWU is threatening legal action at the Labour Court against the SABC should it proceed with its retrenchments without further consultation. The public broadcaster YESTERDAY announced that according to the Labour Relations Act, it is now at liberty to unilaterally implement contemplated retrenchments after failed talks facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitrati...

The SABC says according to the Labour Relations Act, it is now at liberty to unilaterally implement the contemplated retrenchments after failed talks facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration - the CCMA. The public broadcaster has been in consultation with workers' representatives over the past four months over its plans to retrench around 600 full time employees.

ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule has warned the Hawks against acting irresponsibly, with what he calls, Hollywood style arrests. Magashule says they locked horns with the Scorpions for such behaviour, but says it seems as if the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has adopted the same methods. The ANC Secretary General - who is reported to be on the radar of law enforcement agencies -...

This year marks the 43rd anniversary of the death of Black Consciousness Movement leader, Steve Biko. Decades after his demise, his ideas still resonate with millions across the globe. Biko's arrest and death on the 12th of September 1977 sparked a huge outcry. A month later, Black Wednesday happened. Eight organisations linked to the Black Consciousness movement and three newspapers were banned b...

The intended beneficiaries of the corruption-tainted Estina dairy farm project in the Free State want to be compensated. The more than 250 million rand project is fully operational, but the would-be beneficiaries have been sidelined.

Agri South Africa has urged farmers and the community to act within the confines of the law during the court case of two murder accused in the Senekal Magistrate Court today. The call follows threats of more chaos by farming community should the two accused get bail. Sekwetje Mahlamba and Sekola Matlaletsa are expected to apply for bail following their arrest two weeks ago. They are accused of the...

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa's much- anticipated Reconstruction and Economic Recovery Plan has largely been welcomed by organized business and labour. But the government's capacity to implement the plan remains a major cause for concern

The events that led to the reinstatement of former Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama will continue to dominate the state capture commission this morning. Former Transnet Board chairperson, Mafika Mkwanazi, is expected to testify at the judicial Commission today. He played a key role in Gama's reinstatement and settlement agreement.

Opposition political parties say there is not much new in President Cyril Ramaphosa's economic recovery plan announced in parliament. Parties say he has expanded the same programmes he announced in his state of the Nation Address earlier this year. They have also questioned whether there is any capacity and willingness to implement the commitment..

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that the Special Covid-19 Grant will be extended further by three months. The President was unveiling government's reconstruction and economic recovery plan during a joint sitting of Parliament yesterday. The plan consists of four priority interventions, which include a massive rollout of infrastructure, energy generation, employment stimulus and industrial...

Former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi has spent his first night behind bars after he was denied bail by the Commercial Crimes court sitting in Palm Ridge, Johannesburg YESTERDAY. His legal team tried to persuade the court to grant him bail - citing health reasons. However advocate Arno Rossouw from the Investigating Directorate told the court that Agrizzi was a huge flight risk because of his substanti...

The Special Investigating Unit says it has briefed legal counsel with the aim to recover eight billion rand with regard to six contracts at Eskom. These include three point seven billion rand where the contract to supply coal by Gupta-owned Brakfontein mine was set aside. The SIU head, Andy Mothibi has told Scopa that they are hoping to have a further four billion rand worth of contracts set aside...

The Nigerian Citizen Association of South Africa in Gauteng will TODAY embark on a march against crime, human trafficking, gender-based violence and drugs. Organisers of the march say they will converge at Peter Rose Park in Johannesburg as they seek to stand in solidarity with victims of crime all over South Africa. In September South Africans, under the banner of Action for Change, marched to th...

A witness broke down in tears at the North West High Court, when relating the incidents that led to the death of his police colleagues, three days before the 2012 Marikana massacre. Abraham Masinya, who was a video operator for the Public Order Police Unit related to the court, the incidents that led to the hacking of his colleagues Sello Lepaku and Tsietsi Monene. They were hacked with pangas and...

Some opposition parties have mixed expectations from President Cyril Ramaphosa's address during a Joint Sitting of Parliament tomorrow(Thursday). These include,- how government will intervene to avoid the collapse of the SABC, Eskom and to address the unemployment crisis. The President has written to National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise,- calling for the joint sitting to outline the country's e...

ActionSA President Herman Mashaba says the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) policy must be scrapped and reiterated his party's call for reform of labour laws. Mashaba delivered a media virtual address about the party's economic recovery plan post Covid-19. He said this was in light of a failure of both the government and opposition parties to offer any form of leadership and hope on...

Deputy National Commissioner for Human Resources management, Lieutenant General Bonang Mgwenya has been granted 20-thousand rand bail at the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court. Mgwenya is facing charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering for her alleged role in ensuring a contract to supply emergency warning equipment for the South African Police Service in 2017 went to Instrumentation for Traff...