First Take SA

Mzansi is raising the alarm over what it describes as a continuing road safety crisis on South Africa's major routes, including the N1, N2, N3 and N4. The party says thousands of pedestrians have been killed or seriously injured on these routes over the past three financial years, arguing that the problem is not simply about individual behaviour, but also about infrastructure, enforcement and acce...

The Department of Health says South Africa is making significant progress in rolling out lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable medication used to prevent HIV infection. Since its national launch in June, more than 55,000 people have started using lenacapavir, with women, particularly pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, making up the majority of recipients. Gauteng has recorded the highest uptake,...

The ANC Women's League in Ekurhuleni says only 29 of the ANC's 112 ward councillor candidates are women, representing just under 26% of the candidates ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections. The League says the outcome raises concerns about women's representation and acknowledges that some women contestants felt they did not receive enough support during the selection process. However, it sa...

 Hundreds of Burundians in Kenya are rushing to secure travel documents to leave the country. This comes ahead of a government crackdown on unlicensed small businesses run by migrants. President William Ruto set Monday (Yesterday) as the deadline for foreigners operating small-scale businesses to stop work. The trade ministry says some migrants exploited visa rules to work without permits. Fo...

A skills shortage could see South Africa's mining industry fall behind as the global energy transition drives demand for critical minerals. The shift towards electric vehicles and clean energy is increasing the strategic importance of minerals such as copper. Industry players at the five-day Electra Mining Expo say the country needs to urgently address this challenge to capitalise on growing deman...

Following reports that FIFA World Cup bonuses for Bafana Bafana have not been paid a month after the conclusion of the tournament in the Americas, has left SAFA Presidential candidate, Sandile Zungu, fuming. He has promised to crack the whip and fire those responsible for the administrative bungle should he be elected. Zungu will oppose incumbent Danny Jordaan in Saturday's SAFA elective conferenc...

Media personality Molemo "Jub Jub" Maarohanye's lawyer says the ongoing case is taking a toll on him, with fewer work opportunities. Maarohanye appeared briefly at the Germiston Magistrate's Court on Monday. The matter was postponed to 17th September to allow the state more time to provide the defense with the investigation docket and to facilitate the transfer of the case for firearm forensic res...

 The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, POPCRU in the North West says dilapidated infrastructure is to blame for the escape of a dangerous inmate at Rooigrond Maximum Security Prison near Mahikeng. Edward Khomotso Madiba allegedly cut through a burglar-bar door to escape from his single cell. Eight prison employees have now been served with notices of possible suspension. For more we spok...

The Democratic Alliance is taking its campaign for law and order to Laudium, where party members and community residents are expected to march against what they describe as a suspected illegal drug den and brothel. DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Alderman Cilliers Brink will lead the march, calling on police to investigate the premises and shut it down if illegal activity is confirmed. The DA says th...

The Freedom Front Plus says it will report Amazon Web Services to the American authorities over its South African investment programme. The company requires firms to be 100% black-owned to participate in its Equity Equivalent Programme. The FF Plus says this excludes businesses based on race and wants clarity on whether the rule comes from government or Amazon Web Services itself. For more, we spo...

A look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of Africa Is Open For Business and Africa Bounces Back

Leader of the newly formed party MOVE SA Rali Mampeule says South Africans must brace themselves for a new game changer in delivering basic services. This as the party says it is about to rattle and shake up local politics for the benefit of residents who deserve decent basic services. Molebogeng Sebidi has more

A 40-year-old supplier linked to a 16-million-rand fleet tender in Emfuleni is expected in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court today. Police say he was contracted to deliver 18 municipal vehicles but only seven arrived. He faces charges of fraud, corruption and theft following his arrest by the Gauteng Political Killings Task Team in Pretoria. His appearance follows that of former fleet manager...

More than 2,200 candidates from 45 political parties missed the Electoral Commission's August 28 deadline to submit their details for the November 4 local government elections. The ANC is challenging the decision, arguing that some candidate information had been captured on the IEC's online system but that technical problems prevented final confirmation. The IEC, however, says the system was opera...

SADTU is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to sanction Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube over the continued suspension of the new Foundation Phase textbook catalogue. The union says investigations found no wrongdoing in the procurement process and accuses the Minister of political interference that could undermine transformation and smaller publishers.  We spoke to  SADTU Secret...

The Afrika Mayibuye Movement is facing fierce public backlash over its newly announced Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate, Themba "SkeemGP" Nzimande. The Katlehong businessman, a former cash-in-transit offender turned podcaster, was unveiled as part of the party's mayoral line-up for Gauteng. The announcement has sparked heated debate online about whether a former convict should lead a metro. We spoke t...

The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, DIRCO has denied sidelining AmaZulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini from the SADC Summit hosted in KwaZulu-Natal last month. The Ministry says an official invitation was extended to the King for the banquet and opening ceremony. This after the King said holding events in his province without acknowledging him was disrespectful. We spoke to ...

A small town in the Northern Cape might have unofficially dethroned Sandton as South Africa's richest square mile. Kathu - which means the town under the trees - is experiencing a boom as a result of mining in the area. The region has rich deposits of manganese, iron ore and zinc. The minerals are used the world over to build not only infrastructure, but also Artificial Intelligence data centres a...

Gauteng is reporting major progress in its fight against Foot-and-Mouth Disease, with new outbreaks dropping by more than 96%. The province says the improvement follows a rapid response that included increased vaccination, disease surveillance, movement controls and stronger cooperation with livestock farmers. More than 542,000 animals have been vaccinated, while 94% of cattle outside feedlots hav...

A look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of Africa Is Open For Business and Africa Bounces Back

A 21-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death in Refilwe, Cullinan, after a group of youths splashed a 53-year-old man with water on Spring Day. Police say the older man has been arrested in connection with the killing. The tragedy has sparked renewed community outrage over the traditional September first water fights, which residents claim have shifted from a playful custom into deliberate har...

The family of anti-apartheid icon Steve Biko has filed urgent court papers to challenge the Judiciary's alleged refusal to postpone the reopened inquest into his 1977 murder. Legal representatives argue that the ruling forces the family into proceedings without adequate preparation time to review thousands of pages of un-translated historical archival documents. For reaction, we spoke to Jabu Rakw...

The National Energy Regulator, Nersa has opened public commentary on Eskom's revised eight-point-eight percent electricity tariff hike proposed for April next year. The fresh application follows a Nersa calculation error that originally capped the utility's initial request at six-point-two percent. Cash-strapped consumers have until the second of October to submit their written feedback on the str...

Soweto Giants, Kaizer Chiefs are preparing for their return to the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Sunday. They'll take on Siwelele in a Betway Premiership match at the smallest of Soweto's three premier football venues. Amakhosi head into this clash unbeaten but they were held to a draw in their last match, while their MTN8 campaign was also cut short. Last season, Siwelele was the team that put...

The South African Police Service in the Western Cape has paid tribute to Captain Zamani Mzayiya, who was killed in a shootout with a suspect in Knysna last week. Mzayiya was part of a police operation following a series of deadly shootings in the area. His colleagues and family have remembered him as a dedicated officer who served in the police for 24 years. Yonda Magubudela reports