First Take SA

One of South Africa's most loved comics Trevor Noah, is going to assume his role as the new Daily Show host on Monday. The American political satire show runs on US television. On Monday, Noah will make his debut as the show's new host taking over from comedian John Stewart. We spoke to our colleague Dhashen Moodley who met with Trevor Noah in New York...

One of South Africa's most loved comics Trevor Noah, is going to assume his role as the new Daily Show host on Monday. The American political satire show runs on US television. On Monday, Noah will make his debut as the show's new host taking over from comedian John Stewart. We spoke to our colleague Dhashen Moodley who met with Trevor Noah in New York...

As the nation prepares to celebrate its colourful diversities tommorow on heritage day, Owami Woman and Brand SA are presenting a one of a kind Woman tailored heritage day celebration. The Owami Women and Brand South Africa event will amongst other things, highlight various Women in different fields. Trough their leadership and contribution,these women have positively affected their communities an...

Reserve Bank Governor, Letsetja Kganyago, has announced that the bank's repo rate will remain unchanged at 6-per cent and the prime lending rate at 9-point-5 per cent. This is in line with the prediction by most economists. Speaking in Pretoria, Kganyago cited a few concerned which led to the decision. These include a weaker rand and the exchange rate, electricity increases and low domestic growth...

The application by two Mpumalanga rhino breeders to overturn government's moratorium on the sale of rhino horn continued in the High Court in Pretoria today. John Hume and Johan Kruger are challenging the government's legislation and moratorium barring trading in rhino horn. Hume own over a 1000 rhinos at his farm. Meanwhile, advocate David Unterhalter was replaced by Isabel Goodman as lawyer stan...

Reserve Bank Governor, Letsetja Kganyago, has announced that the bank's repo rate will remain unchanged at 6-per cent and the prime lending rate at 9-point-5 per cent. This is in line with the prediction by most economists. Speaking in Pretoria, Kganyago cited a few concerned which led to the decision. These include a weaker rand and the exchange rate, electricity increases and low domestic growth...

Power failure on the 18th of June at Letaba Hospital was the reason behind the death of one of the three patients, who died at the Letaba Hospital outside Tzaneen in Limpopo. This was revealed by health minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi in Polokwane today when he released the findings into the incidents of that day. Motsoaledi says the hospital had not experienced load shedding, but that a back up gen...

European Union ministers are meeting in Brussels to try to resolve a dispute over how to relocate 120,000 asylum seekers who have recently arrived in Europe. Some central European states have resisted calls for EU members to accept mandatory quotas. Whatever is decided, the United Nations says the EU's plans will not be enough. The migrants are part of 500,000 that have arrived by sea this year so...

Reports coming out of the capital city of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou are that a deadline for the coutry's elite guards to surrender has passed. Troops loyal to Burkina Faso's deposed government said they were preparing to attack Camp Naaba military base near the capital's presidential palace, which is held by troops who staged a coup last week. The coup leader, General Gilbert Diendere, has defied...

Free State University Vice chancellor, Professor Jonathan Jansen, says South Africa spends the biggest share of its GDP on education than any other country, yet its results are among the worst in the world. Jansen was addressing a dialogue on raising the standard of education in SA in Sandton, north of Johannesburg. He says says this crisis is due to government's inefficiency to turn their resourc...

COSATU has continued to campaign that companies must discontinue doing business with Apartheid Israeli regime as an instrument to isolate the intransigent regime against ill-treatment meted against the people of Palestine. COSATU says they agree with BDS-South Africa that 'International mobilisation, mass protests, global boycotts and specifically the cultural and sports boycott against the oppres...

It's not entirely a 'Happy day for Pharell as he prepares for his first concert in South Africa. The City of Cape Town says its finalising security arrangements for this evening's Pharrell Williams concert at Grand West Casino as thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters are expected to protest outside the venue ahead of the start of the event.

The basic education department says it is not backing down on its decision to continue with the Annual National Assessment (ANA) examinations in December. This, despite the unions' outrage and threats that they will boycott the assessment examinations. It was earlier announced that the assessment will take place in February next year. But on Friday basic education Minister, Angie Motshekga announc...

As the Macufe annual festival draws nearer, on this week's OPEN MIC our producer Asanda Ntame caught up with legendary musicians Caiphus Semenya and his wife Letta Mbulu. The pair are amongst various artists that will entertain thousands of music junkies in Bloemfontein during the main festival on the 10th of October. Kicking off from the 3rd of the same month and ending off with a soccer clash be...

Kenya's Education ministry has ordered the closure of all public primary and secondary schools following a three week nationwide teachers' strike. Kenyan teachers went on strike at the beginning of the term following a pay dispute with the government. The country's Supreme Court ruled that a 50 - 60 per cent pay increament awarded by the Industrial court in a ruling last month, was justified. Howe...

The Annual National Assesment exams, or ANA's, will be written from the 1st to the 4th December this year. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has annouced this in Pretoria today. She says Education MEC's in all provinces indicated that they will able to go ahead with ANA's

The 2015 Rugby World Cup kick's of in London tonight, with the hosts England taking on Fiji in the opening match at Twickenham. Fans were officially welcomed to the United Kingdom by Britain's Prince Harry and the Prime Minister David Cameron in central London last night. Aphiwe Honono asks commuters for messages for support for the BOKS

Legal representative for the Democratic Alliance Advocate Anton Katz has stressed that disciplinary action without suspension would be meaningless. The DA is the first respondent in the appeal case by the SABC against the Western Cape High Court ruling that the public broadcaster's chief operating officer be suspended and disciplinary action be taken against him. The DA wants the SABC to implement...

The taxi driver phoned by murder accused Sindisiwe Manqele on the night before she killed her rap star boyfriend Nkululeko "Flabba" Habedi has taken the stand in the High court sitting in Randburg. During his testimony Khumbulani Ncube has contradicted evidence given by Manqele. Manqele stabbed her boyfriend Flabba to death during an argument at the rapper's home in Alexandra north of Johannesburg...

The Democratic Alliance Student Organisation has won the Student Representative Council elections at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth. DASO retain it's twelve seats in the council and SASCO dropped from nine seats it got last year to seven seats while the EFF Student Command managed 920 votes which gave them one seat as compared to their dismal debut in last year's election...

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressd shock following Hungary's closure of its border with Serbia. This after thousands of migrants and refugees flocked to that country in recent weeks en route to Europe. Meanwhile crowds of migrants and refugees crossing from Serbia have now broken through riot police lines on the Croatian border at Tovarnik. Croatia is struggling to deal with at least 6,...

After working for government for nearly 20 years Lazarus Batji was baffled when he could not receive his entire pension fund pay out. His problem started in 2013 and Batji says his frustration was exacerbated by the fact that he has a small child.

INTRO: The leader of a coup in Burkina Faso says the country's interim president and prime minister are in good health and will be released. President Michel Kafando and his cabinet were detained by soldiers during a cabinet meeting last night. General Gilbert Diendere says the coup was launched by the presidential guard because of what he called the serious pre-election security situation. The co...

The four day World Social Science Forum 2015 hosted in Durban has now ended. The Forum is considered to be the most significant gathering of scholars and policy-oriented intellectuals drawn from all the regions of the world and across different disciplinary interests in the social sciences and humanities. We earlier caught up with the Chairperson of the 3rd World Social Science Forum 2015, Prof Ol...

The KwaZulu Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Willies Mchunu is currently hosting a media briefing following two attacks in the province today. Three people were killed when gunmen opened fire at the Brook Street Taxi Rank in the Durban CBD in what is suspected to be a taxi related feud. Three others were wounded in the shooting. The taxi rank was temporarily closed today. Poli...