First Take SA

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and the department of Social Development have come under fire for asking the Constitutional Court for a six month extension of its contract with Cash Paymasters Services (CPS). This, after the court ruled in 2014 that the contract Sassa signed with CPS in 2012 was illegal and invalid. COSATU has called on minister Bathabile Dlamini to be released fr...

17:30 Econ Wrap with Herman Lloyd of FNB Securities

Activists from the Alternative Mining Indaba, earlier marched to the Cape Town ICC to hand over a memorandum to the officials at the Mining Indaba2018. The Alternative Mining Indaba is calling on mining bosses to change their attitudes and shift their mind-sets when it comes to the communities around the mines. Elvis Preslin spoke to the Executive Director of the Economic Justice Network, Reverend...

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says its saddened by the death of two mine workers who were trapped underground at Kloof mine, on Gauteng's West Rand due to a fall of the ground. It's unclear at this stage what the exact cause of the incident was, but Sibanye Gold believes it may be due to seismic activity. Elvis Preslin spoke to NUM's Health and Safety Chairperson, Peter Bailey

The highly anticipated Black Panther film premieres in South Africa on the 16th February 2018 at cinemas nationwide. The cast features a few South Africans including veteran actor John Kani. Kani, who plays King T'Chaka, the ruler of a fictional world called Wakanda has managed to influence Marvel Studio to adopt isiXhosa as Wakanda's official language. Kani's son, Atandwa also features in the mov...

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured South Africans that his engagement with President Jacob Zuma seeks to find a speedy resolution to the current leadership and political impasse. In a statement, Ramaphosa says he has begun "direct" discussions with President Zuma on the transition and matters relating to his position as Head of State. Ramaphosa was responding to the heightened anxiety over...

arliament's Portfolio Committee on Transport says it is disappointed by the conduct of the PRASA board. This, after they failed to appear before the committee this morning. PRASA's Acting Chief Executive Officer, Cromet Molepo, told the Committee that there was confusion with the invite and it reached Prasa only yesterday. Elvis Presslin spoke to Chairperson of the Committee of Transport, Dikeledi...

National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete has announced that the State-of-the-Nation-Address, which was due to be delivered on Thursday, has been postponed to a date yet to be announced. The postponement comes after various opposition parties wrote to Mbete requesting that President Jacob Zuma not be allowed to deliver the address. They want the ANC to resolve whether the President will serve the rem...

Webber Wentzel says the widespread dissatisfaction with the new mining charter has crippled trust between government and the mining industry. This was seen this morning, when the CEO of the Chamber of Mines Roger Baxter told the media that the regulatory environment was the worst they've experience in the sector and that chamber has resolved not to engange with the minister of mineral resources. T...

The Hawks subpoena'd Eskom to hand over documents linked to the state capture probe. Eskom spokesperson, Khulu Phasiwe says they are cooperating with the crime busting unit. It's beingf reported that the documents are mainly related to a coal deal involving the company Tegeta which is owned by the Gupta family and President Jacob Zuma's son Duduzani. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Hawks Spokesperson, B...

ANC and Black First Land First members have clashed outside the governing party's headquarters at Luthuli House in the Johannesburg CBD. ANC members have chased away BLF members who had gathered in support of President Jacob Zuma. Meanwhile, the Protect Luthuli House co-ordinators have called for calm and for ANC members not to assault Zuma's supporters. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to political reporte...

The ANC's National Working Committee is currently holding a closed-door meeting at Luthuli House in Johannesburg to discuss President Jacob Zuma's future. This urgent meeting was convened after talks between President Zuma and the party's top six officials last night. During last night's meeting held at the president's official residence in Pretoria, he refused to resign. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to...

The wife and son of a farmer who allegedly forced his worker to drink liquid human feces appeared briefly at the Springs magistrates court on the East of Johannesburg. The duo, was arrested yesterday- the police are still searching for the farmer. Police say the farmer allegedly forced the employee to drink liquid human feces as punishment for allegedly not switching on the engine of the septic ta...

17:30 Econ Wrap with Francois Smith of FNB Securities

The Minister of Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane, says Sibanye Gold's Beatrix mine will remain closed until due process has been concluded. Zwane was addressing the media following Sibanye Gold's briefing on what led to over 950 mineworkers being trapped underground. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Minister Zwane

16:30 Econ Update with Francois Smith of FNB Securities

National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete says she does not have the powers to postpone the State of the Nation Address. The EFF had written to the speaker asking her to schedule a motion of no confidence before the President delivers the SONA next week. Mbete has also added that the motion of no confidence cannot happen before the SONA. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Parliamentary spokesperson, Moloto Mo...

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has apologized to the families of 144 psychiatric patients who died in the Life Esidimeni tragedy. Testifying at the arbitration hearings into the tragedy yesterday, Motsoaledi wept saying this was "one of the most painful events in post-apartheid South Africa". Minister Motsoaledi was the last witness to give evidence, as the arbitration will now move to the ne...

Tshwane Mayor Solly Msimanga is closing in on drug dens in the city. Today he led a multidisciplinary team on an operation to intensify the cleaning up of the inner city. Today's operation was carried out in Pretoria West and we will be conducted on an ongoing basis in various other areas in the city. The focus is on removing drugs form our streets which are often found in abandoned buildings in o...

16:30 Econ Update with Herman Lloyd of FNB Securities

Kenya's High Court has suspended the government's shutdown of three of the country's largest private TV channels. The 3 TV channels were taken off-air over plans to broadcast opposition leader, Raila Odinga's unofficial "inauguration" this Tuesday. Kenyan police have also arrested an opposition lawmaker who administered the oath during the "swearing in" of Odinga. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to our rep...

Workers at the previously Gupta owned TV News channel Africa News Network 7 (ANN7) say they are extremely worried by yesterday's announcement by Multichoice to remove the news station off DSTV. MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela announced that the platform broadcaster will not be renewing its contract with the channel in August, when the current one lapses. Employees say this will have a huge and negati...

Police are searching for a Springs Farmer who with his family, allegedly forced a worker to drink litres of human feces to punish him. They then threw him into a septic tank. The farmer's wife and son have been arrested and will appear in court tomorrow. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to our reporter Jamaine Krige

The National Union of Mineworkers says they are concerned about the health of hundreds of miners who remain trapped below surface at Sibanye-Stillwater Beatrix mine near Theunissen in the Free State. Reports indicate over 60 miners have been rescued and more than 900 remain trapped. The incident happened after a severe storm affected power lines at the mine last night. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to NU...

National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete and National Council of Provinces chairperson Thandi Modise are briefing the media at Parliament after the EFF and the DA wrote letters to them. They two parties are requesting the delay of the State-of-the-Nation-Address which President Jacob Zuma is due to deliver on Thursday next week and the tabling of a vote of no confidence in Zuma. The two presiding of...