First Take SA

The Algerian Defence Ministry says most of the people who died in Wednesday's plane crash were army personnel and their families. At least 257 people were killed when a military plane crashed shortly after it took off from Boo-fa-rik military airport near the capital Algiers. It is not yet clear what caused the crash. The army's chief of staff has ordered an investigation following the incident. T...

We've all heard the saying " Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". However, for some who start their day earlier, just like the First Take SA team, most people hardly have time to have one. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to FutureLife Dietician, Ntsako Mathye on how best to plan for that meal that kick starts our day.

Deputy President David Mabuza says South Africans and the ANC in particular should learn a lot from the late anti-apartheid struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. He was speaking at Mam Winnie's official memorial service held at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Wednesday. The service was attended by several Cabinet ministers and leaders of different political parties including the Azapo, the PAC...

Tributes continue to pour in for struggle veteran, former cabinet minister and Ambassador to the UK , Zola Skweyiya. Skweyiya died in a Pretoria hospital yesterday morning, at the age of 75. He served as Minister of Public Service and Administration in the Mandela administration. Skweyiya then served as Minister of Social Development during Thabo Mbeki's presidency. Skweyiya retired as a parliamen...

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on State Funerals led by the Minister in the Presidency, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma says it's all systems go for today's memorial service of the late struggle icon, Winnie Madikizela Mandela. It is scheduled to take place at Orlando Stadium at 11 o'clock this morning. Dlamini Zuma says there are a number of "Heads of States" and deputies expected to attend the servic...

Families living in a partially-collapsed building where three children died when a wall collapsed on them this week, are refusing to be relocated to a safer area. This, is despite the building being declared unsafe for habitation. Some of the families say they are forced to live in such conditions because they cannot afford rentals, pleading poverty and unemployment. Sashin Naidoo re-visited the s...

Eight teachers from Freedom Park Secondary School, south of Johannesburg have been fired after being absent from school for 14 consecutive days. The eight were part of a group that had stopped going to work from the 4th of February this year. Instead they had been reporting to the District Office. They allege that they were being ill-treated by the school principal. Wisani Makhubele has more

As the national memorial service for the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is held at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Tuesday, the Economic Freedom Fighters will hold one of their own in Brandfort in the Free State. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi

UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassador and singer, Yvonne Chaka Chaka was conferred with an honorary Doctorate of Laws. The singer has called on the Rhodes University to give the students activist who were expelled a second chance.

Rhodes University conferred a Honorary Doctorate to author, poet, and activist, Dr Sindiwe Magona. In a conversation, Tsepiso Makwetla had with Dr. Magona before she was bestowed with a Doctor of Letters - she said that, she hopes the honorary doctorate will make those in academia, publishers and young people see that there was something worthwhile in what she was doing....

Final dose of TRENDSWATCH where we take a look at news that dominated social media this week. Pm live producer Molebogeng Sebidi ...

The court case involving former president Jacob Zuma and his co-accused, a French arms supply company - has been postponed to June the eighth by the High Court in Durban. This after both the prosecution and the defence teams requested more time to allow Zuma's legal team to bring a review application against the NPA's decision to reinstate the charges against him. Zuma is facing 16 counts of fraud...

The DA says preparations are in place for its national elective congress in Pretoria this weekend. Over two-thousand delegates from all nine provinces are expected to attend the event. Current party leader Mmusi Maimane is expected to be elected unopposed. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to DA's director of Communications, Mabine Seabe...

Chairperson of the uMkhonto We Sizwe Sizwe National Council General Siphiwe Nyanda has joined many other leaders who visited the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela family home in Soweto following her death on Monday. Tsepiso Makwetla an interview with Tsepiso Makwetla, Nyanda has described Madiizela Mandela as courageous and fearless...

Corruption Watch says growing public pressure on corrupt people and systems has contributed to the significant changes in South Africa. In its 2017 corruption report released today, the organisation says there has been a 25% increase in the number of reports of corruption in 2017. Titled "The Time is Now", the report reveals that 46% of reports originated from Gauteng, followed by KwaZulu-Natal wi...

The Minister of Energy, Jeff Radebe has signed 27 Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Projects. The projects will amount 55-point-92 billion rand. Last month, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and Transform RSA lodged an urgent application for an order interdicting Eskom from concluding the twenty-seven IPP projects, including the Power Purchase Agreements with Esk...

The Market Theatre is commemorating the life and works of late Gibson Kente in a musical tribute of songs from the plays he produced. Gibson Kente, also known as the father of township theatre died in 2004. The Gibson Kente Musical coincides with the 55th anniversary of Kente's first play, Manana, The Jazz Prophet, which featured celebrated musicians Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbulu. Elvis Presslin...

Anglo American has described the petrol bomb attack on a bus carrying mineworkers at Driekop outside Burgersfort in Limpopo as a senseless act. Six mineworkers were killed and 28 others injured. Mining companies, Anglo American Platinum and African Rainbow Minerals who have joint ownership of the mine. They have condemned the incident. Anglo American Platinum Chief Executive Officer Chris Griffith...

Tributes continue to pour in for the late ANC struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. ANC NEC member Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize pays her tributes in this interview with Tsepiso Makwetla

Some South Africans say they are not impressed by some uncalled for negative comments following Winnie Madikizela Mandela's death. Political Journalist, and authorised biographer of the late President Nelson Mandela Charlene Smith says she is appalled by white South African social media users for their negative comments since Madikizela- Mandela's passing yesterday. She earlier spoke to Tsepiso Ma...

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene says the South African Revenue Service (SARS) collected 1,216 trillion rand in 2017/18. Announcing the preliminary revenue results in Pretoria, Nene says the figure was very close to the revenue collection target of 1,217 trillion rand. He says the main contributors to revenue were personal income tax, VAT and company income tax. Nene says lower economic growth has a...

American Civil Rights leader Reverend Jessie Jackson has described Mama Winnie Mandela as the live face and force behind the South African freedom movement for 27 years. Jackson says she was the first First Lady of South Africa. He says he and his wife, Jacqueline knew her for more than 30 years, adding that she was a source of strength and courage, a role model for men and women around the world....

Some South Africans say they are not impressed by some uncalled for negative comments following Winnie Madikizela Mandela's death. Tsepiso Makwetla speaks to Senior research fellow and political analyst at Trade Collective Lebohang Pheko about feminism in politics

Transport Minister, Blade Nzimande has expressed concern over the spike of fatal road crashes involving public transport. This after 14 people died when a taxi overturned near Greytown in KwaZulu Natal last night. Earier this week, another thirteen people including three children, died and more than fifty others were injured in a bus crash at Satansnek between Ngcobo and Elliot in the Eastern Cape...

Time now for our Open Mic feature. Today we profile Malvern Sibanda, fondly known by his fans as "Mr B"... Mr B is a musician, a lyricists and a producer, who's music career started at a mere age of 4. Ronald Phiri spoke to the Cape Town based artist...