First Take SA

The death toll from the devastating mudslide in Nepal has risen to more than one-thousand according to the latest figures released by Nepal's police. Six South Africans remain missing. Deadly floods struck northern Nepal a week ago, causing massive damage to buildings, road infrastructure and power plants. The Nepalese government has declared the region a disaster crisis zone for at least three mo...

The newly formed political party in North West, the Amalgamated Concerned Residents Association (ACRA), has raised alarm about voter safety in gang infested areas in Gauteng and the Western Cape ahead of local government elections in November. The party has singled out areas such as Westbury, Eldoradopark, Reigerpark, Manenburg, Hanoverpark, Delft, and Nyanga. Addressing the media in Klerksdorp, t...

The ANC says just under 200 of its ward and PR councillors will not contest next year's local government elections after missing the IEC deadline. ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu told SABC News the party hit technical problems uploading names and "a portion of candidates were kicked out by the system". The affected areas include parts of the Eastern Cape, Free State and KZN. But the IEC says it w...

South Africa now holds key positions across the AU, SADC, and the UN as conflict and rights abuses escalate across the continent. It took up a two-year seat on the AU Peace and Security Council in April, chairs the SADC Council of Ministers since August, and sits on the UN Human Rights Council until 2028. Government has also publicly defended the ICC in recent weeks. The question is whether Pretor...

The Democratic Alliance says it will take new complaints against Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie to the Public Protector. The DA alleges that public resources may have been used in ways that strengthen the Minister's political position, and says McKenzie has repeatedly avoided Parliamentary accountability. DA spokesperson on Sport, Arts and Culture, Leah Potgieter, will be at the...

Civil rights group AfriForum has written to Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana demanding an independent audit of the fuel price and all levies. The organization wants scrutiny of how the charges are calculated, where the money goes and the impact on consumers, transport and agriculture. AfriForum says the temporary levy cut should be made permanent or reinstated, arguing global oil prices and press...

The South African Police Service has dismissed suspended Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan with immediate effect. SAPS says Khan was fired after failing to appear before a disciplinary hearing. Khan's legal team says they will be challenging his removal from the Service. We spoke to Lisa Schickerling, MP and DA Spokesperson on Police.

A high-level government delegation will head to the Eastern Cape to address the volatile situation in Ngcobo following prolonged shutdowns over transport, safety and services. United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa directly petitioned President Cyril Ramaphosa to step in following weeks of intense community unrest. Local residents blocked major transport routes and halted all business op...

Airlink says it has withdrawn its application for a formation flyby at FNB Stadium this Saturday due to forecast bad weather. The airline confirms it handed over flight data recorders to the South African Civil Aviation Authority, which is now reviewing last weekend's Cape Town DHL Stadium flypast. Both Airlink and the Aviation Authority say safety was prioritized, with three senior captains on bo...

The fifth suspect arrested in connection with the murder of Democratic Alliance Chief Whip, Nhlalayenza Ndlovu has denied any involvement in the crime. Forty-three-year-old, Manelisi Zuma appeared in the Howick Magistrates Court for his bail application, yesterday. He faces charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder In 2023, Ndlovu was gunned down at his home in full view of his wife and ch...

As South Africa heads to the local government elections, basic service delivery is once again under scrutiny in the Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality in Mpumalanga. Residents of Msukanyoni in Maphotla say they have waited for years for reliable water supply, with some now forced to collect stagnant, unsafe water, from a water-hole where animals drink from. Residents say they are also without electri...

Convicted serial killer Rassie Hlabirwa Nkuna and dismissed police officer Jacob Chego are set to appear in the Pretoria High Court today for sentencing. The pair were found guilty for the 2022 murders of Lucky and Sabeliwe Mogashoa, who were killed near the Etwatwa off-ramp in Ekurhuleni in front of their two children. National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe elaborates.

A continued interruption in the supply of Phenobarb, an essential medicine used to manage epilepsy, is raising concerns about access for children relying on it in government hospitals. While the shortage has also affected veterinary care, the bigger concern is the potential impact on children with epilepsy who depend on this medicine to control seizures. The South African Veterinary Association ha...

Motorists are paying more at the pumps today after this month's fuel price increase took effect at midnight. Both grades of petrol went up by R1.34 per litre. Diesel also jumped by R3.14 for standard. But will this fuel surge force taxi operators to increase their fares? To answer this and more, we spoke to  National Taxi Alliance spokesperson, Theo Malele.

The Gauteng Provincial Government is standing by its decision to appoint former Health HOD Arnold Malotana as Johannesburg's Head of Public Safety. Government says an ongoing SIU investigation and allegations alone cannot bar someone from public service until due process is completed. But critics argue the move undermines accountability and public trust. We spoke to Gauteng Government Spokesperson...

Communities in parts of the Free State are raising concern over unfinished infrastructure and failing basic services. The African Liberation Movement says residents in Fouriesburg have relied on water tankers since 2017 after a R38 million reservoir project was left incomplete. We spoke to  African Liberation Movement National Chairperson, Monele Dlamini.

The arrest of Stefan Joel Govindraju was described as another breakthrough in the SIU's wider investigation into corruption at the Tembisa Hospital. Govindraju was granted bail of R200-thousand by the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, east of Johannesburg. He faces charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and contravening the PFMA relating to 635-million of the Two-billion Rand...

Civic organizations and residents at Niani, near the Limpopo River in Limpopo, have called on government to deploy more resources and law enforcement personnel to intensify the fight against cross border crime. Police have on separate occasions, intercepted several stolen and hijacked vehicles, being smuggled across the river into Zimbabwe. While commending police for their efforts in fighting bor...

The DA says it is ready to contest all 112 wards in the eThekwini Municipality in the November4  local government elections. The party announced its ward candidates in Durban yesterday (Monday 31  August) as it outlined its preparations for the elections. DA KwaZulu-Natal Chairperson, Dean McPherson, says 65 percent of the party's ward candidates are new councillors, while 35 percent are...

The Gauteng Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committee is opening applications for initiation school principals who want to operate during the upcoming 2026 summer initiation season. Applications open today, and close on 2 October, with the province stressing that only registered initiation schools with valid permits will be allowed to operate. We spoke to  Kiba Kekana, spokesperson for the...

The Legal Practice Council has dismissed reports that advocate Malesela Teffo has been readmitted to practice law. This comes after he made a surprise appearance at the Johannesburg High Court yesterday, during the attempted murder trial of alleged kingpin Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, where he tried to address the magistrate. The Council says Mr Teffo remains struck from the roll and cannot work as a l...

Suspended deputy Crime Intelligence head Major-General Feroz Khan is due to appear before the Madlanga Commission today. Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels says Khan's subpoena remains in force, but the Commission has not received official confirmation of his health status.   Michaels adds Khan's legal team may seek a postponement after reports that he's been readmitted to hospital. Khan...

South Africans are in for another tough month at the pumps. From today, petrol goes up by R1.34 a litre and diesel by more than R3 a litre. The South African Petroleum Retailers Association, SAPRA says the increase is driven by global oil prices, supply pressures and a weaker rand. But with transport, food and delivery costs set to rise, motorists, farmers and businesses will feel the impact most....

ACDP Ekurhuleni Councillor Palesa Yates says roads and facilities named after struggle heroes must be properly maintained to honour their memory. She says Atlas Road, renamed after Freedom fighter Solomon Jefferson Mahlangu in 2021, has unreliable traffic lights in Kempton Park causing daily delays for motorists and airport traffic. Yates is calling on the City to urgently attend to the infrastruc...

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