First Take SA

The SABC says it will approach the Labour Court to have irregular appointments and promotions declared invalid as first identified in the 2014 Public Protector's report. The public broadcaster says it has a legal obligation, in terms of the Constitution, to correct all these irregular appointments of certain employees, some of them no longer employed by the public broadcaster. Tsepiso Makwetla spo...

The Competition Commission has referred beef processing companies I&J and Karan Beef to the Competition Tribunal for prosecution for collusive conduct. The two companies have been charged with dividing markets in the supply of processed beef products such as beef burger patties, steak sizzlers, crumbed beef steaklet, viennas and boerewors. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Makgale Mohlala, Head of Cartels...

Police have confirmed that two toddlers and a baby are among the seven people killed in the fire in Karatara area of Knysna in the Western Cape. Wild fires have been raging in the George and Karatara area since last week, leading to evacuations yesterday. The fires have been fanned by strong winds and heat. More than 300 firefighters are on the ground battling the blazes. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to...

Home Affairs Department Minister Malusi Gigaba claims the leak of a sexual video, is at the centre of blackmail and extortion attempts against him. The video which was circulating on social media early yesterday morning has been removed. In a number of tweets Gigaba apologised saying the video dates back to 2016/2017 and was only meant to be viewed by his wife. The minister also claims the video w...

DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, has reportedly retracted a statement he made in which he claimed that the five DA councillors who resigned from the City of Cape Town on Thursday, were implicated in tender irregularities and maladministration in the Bowman Gilfellan report. The City commissioned the report to investigate corruption. Shaun August, Suzette Little, Thulani Stemele, Gregg Barnardo and Siya M...

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has commenced with the process of re-enlisting former police officers. The re-enlistment is aimed at improving capacity in different SAPS divisions that are currently facing operational problems. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to SAPS' General, Lenny Govender

TALKING POINTS: **** The Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari says he will no longer sign any treaty without assessing the impact it will have on its citizens **** Liberian President George Weah has cancelled tuition fees for undergraduate students in the West African country **** Ambassador Sahlework Zewde to Become Ethiopia's President replacing replacing the outgoing president, Dr. Mulatu Tesho...

DA leader in the Western Cape, Bonginkosi Madikizela says racism in South Africa manifests itself in all political parties. Madikizela was responding, YESTERDAY evening, to reasons given by now former chief whip of the DA in the Cape Town City council, Shaun August, that he is leaving the DA because of racism in the party. August together with four other councillors dramatically resigned yesterday...

Alliance partners expect newly appointed Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni, to not only give substance to the economic stimulus package announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa -- but also to boost confidence in the economy. The country entered a technical recession, plunging an already stagnant economy into deeper trouble. The former governor of the Reserve Bank will have his work cut out, as he navig...

SAMWU in Limpopo has called on the ANC to recall its deployees in the Vhembe District Municipality over links to the VBS Mutual Bank scandal. Municipal workers yesterday downed tools and forcefully removed the municipal manager, Reuben Rambado from office. Rambado, together with Executive Mayor, Florence Radzilani are amongst the implicated people in the Reserve Bank report tittled 'The Great Bank...

The Judge in the rape trial of controversial Nigerian pastor -- Timothy Omotoso -- has refused to recuse himself from the case, following a request by the defence for him to do so. Judge Mandela Makaula has agreed to postpone the case till Thursday, to allow the defence time to prepare its argument for an appeal. Omotoso and two co-accused are on trial in the Port Elizabeth High Court, and are fac...

TALKING POINTS: *** Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, won a landslide victory in a controversial presidential election *** The Bank of Mauritius has been conferred the Capital Finance International Award for Best Central Bank Governance *** Dispute between Tullow Oil and the Uganda government over a law governing taxation of the sale of shares

New Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's Medium-term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) is expected to give clarity on Government's intention to reprioritise 50 billion rand of funds to stimulate the economy and create jobs. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the stimulus package in September. Economists say re-prioritising funds is the better option rather than increasing taxes. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke t...

Students at the Tshwane University of Technology have welcomed the arrest of two police officers believed to be linked to the death of 3rd year LLB student, Katlego Monareng. Monareng was shot and killed in August during a protest over SRC election results at the Soshanguve campus, north of Pretoria. Its alleged the police fired live ammunition at the students as warning shots. The arrested police...

The Giyani municipality in Limpopo, which invested 161 million rands in VBS, has initiated legal processes to recoup some of the monies linked to the mutual bank's scandal. Municipal spokesperson, Steven Mabunda says former chief financial officer, Hitler Maluleke, has been fired while the former technical services director - Precious Mathebula - resigned after their involvement in the VBS scandal...

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has lamented the public sector salary bill ahead of his maiden Medium Term Budget Policy Statement on Wednesday. Using Eskom as an example, Mboweni says the power utility will probably need to shed over 30-thousand jobs as it is bloated. He was speaking at the second annual Kader Asmal Memorial lecture at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology's Mowbray Campus in...

The Jesus Dominion International Church (JDI), of which controversial rape accused Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso is the founder, has been the target of furious protesters this past weekend. Various political parties and members of the public joined forces in a protest to have the church closed. Yesterday (sunday) they gathered in front of the church in Port Elizabeth while a service was underway...

Siyabonga Gama has been dismissed as chief executive of Transnet. The company had given Gama until October 15th to give reasons why his contract should not be terminated after he was implicated in misconduct and maladministration in the acquisition of locomotives from a Chinese rail company in 2012. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Transnet non-executive board member Mpho Letlape

The Port Elizabeth High Court has postponed the case against the controversial pastor, Timothy Omotoso, to Monday. This is after witness Cheryl Zondi, told the court that Omotoso allegedly raped her at various places, when they travelled for church events. During cross-examination, Zondi told the court that she thought of approaching the police in Durban, but alleges that she decided against it be...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has set up a Commission of Inquiry into allegations of impropriety at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). The inquiry will be headed by former president of the Supreme Court of Appeal Justice Lex Mpati. The president has given the inquiry six months to complete the investigation. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader, Bantu Holomisa

The Passenger Rail Agency - PRASA - has put the cost of yesterday's damage to the trains in Germiston, east of Johannesburg at 6 point 5 million rand. Two Metrorail trains were burnt at the Germiston train station. Another train travelling from Germiston to Springs was also torched damaging only the seats. No injuries were reported in all the incidents. Over 5-thousand commuters were affected by t...

TALKING POINT: *** Liberian government attracts major investments for the country's fishing industry *** The World Bank Group says financial technology (fintech) companies are key pillars in supporting sustainable growth and poverty reduction *** Conflicting death toll reports following last Friday's Osisioma pipeline explosion in Abia, Nigeria

The Gauteng department of transport says it is considering removing abnormal freight vehicles off the road during peak hours to help reduce traffic congestion. Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC, Ismail Vadi held discussions with Road Freight industry on various issues including damage to road infrastructure due to truck overloading among other things. Tsepiso Mkawetla spoke to Gauteng Roads and Tran...

Author and investigative journalist, Jacques Pauw has called on both former Sunday Times senior journalists, Mzilikazi Wa Afrika and Stephan Hofstatter to name and shame their sources which led to false reporting by the two. Pauw was reacting to the news that the Sunday Times will return all awards and prize money received for now-discredited reports on the Cato Manor "death squad", the SARS "rogu...

About 10 000 members of NUMSA are gearing up for a strike in the plastics sector and is calling for a total national plastics shutdown. NUMSA has reassured members who work in the plastic sector that today's strike will be protected. NUMSA spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola discusses the aim of the strike with Tsepiso Makwetla...