First Take SA

University of Witwatersrand students are on hunger strike, protesting against financial exclusion due to historical debt. Despite 95% of students registering successfully, returning students are demonstrating against financial barriers. For more on the strike, Elvis Presslin spoke to Feziwe Ndwayana, a Masters' student representing Wits University's unregistered students

Elvis Presslin takes a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of "Africa Is Open For Business" and "Africa Bounces Back". Victor is also the Executive Director for Marketing and Communication at the University of Limpopo

Globally, one in every hundred newborns is affected by Congenital Heart Defects. This is a condition that impacts the structure and function of the heart. South Africa is no exception, with numerous cases reported annually. Grateful Hearts, a non-profit organisation founded by Nhlamulo Tlakula-Sesing, seeks to raise awareness about this often-silent killer and advocate for the training of paediatr...

Advocacy group, My Vote Counts is challenging the Political Funding Act in the Western Cape High Court today. The organization claims the Act falls short of its constitutional goals of transparency, openness, and accountability. My Vote Counts is objecting to provisions that allow donations below R100,000 to remain undisclosed. For more on the court challenge Elvis Presslin spoke to My Vote Count...

Deputy Minister Steve Letsike has strongly condemned the heinous murder of Muhsin Hendricks, an openly gay Imam from Cape Town. The 58-year-old was brutally killed in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, over the weekend. For more, Elvis Presslin spoke to Deputy Minister Steve Letsike

Gautrain passengers between Rosebank and Park Station will have to rely on bus services for now, after train operations were suspended due to illegal drilling on a private property above the tunnel. The Gautrain Management Agency has scaled up its bus services to mitigate the disruption. To discuss the situation Elvis Presslin spoke to Tshepo Kgobe, CEO of the Gautrain Management Agency

The accused wife of slain Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department officer, Banele Sikhosana, is set to appear in the Springs Magistrate Court alongside an alleged hitman. Sikhosana was gunned down outside his tuck shop last week. For the latest developments, Elvis Presslin spoke to Zweli Dlamini, City of Ekurhuleni Spokesperson

ActionSA is seeking clarity on a lucrative tender awarded to Korone Engineering, a company with Nigerian links, to repair Lilian Ngoyi Street in Johannesburg. The party has written to Mayor Dada Morero and Transport MMC Kenny Kunene, demanding answers on the R194 million tender. This move comes after ActionSA's recent oversight visit to the construction site, where they discovered Korone Engineeri...

The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) has reiterated its call for the ANC and EFF to abandon plans to rename Sandton Drive in Johannesburg to Leila Khaled Drive. This appeal comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the National Address and a parliamentary debate, where ACDP leader Reverend Dr. Kenneth Meshoe expressed concerns that the name change would not benefit South Africa and...

The bodies of 14 South African National Defence Force soldiers killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo will arrive in the country today. A solemn ceremony will be held at the Air Force Base Swartkop in Centurion to hand over the mortal remains, followed by a memorial service to honour the fallen troops. To provide more insight into this event, Elvis Presslin spoke to Rear Admiral (JG) Prince Ts...

EFF Tshwane Activists will today stage a picket at St Alban's College in Pretoria, following allegations of racism at the institution. The activists claim that black students are being bullied by their white counterparts. To elaborate further on the allegations, Elvis Presslin spoke to EFF Tshwane activist, Bongani Ramontja

ActionSA's MP Dr. Kgosi Letlape has expressed confidence that funding for the National Health Insurance (NHI) will not be a challenge. This despite concerns raised by critics about the scheme's feasibility and potential for corruption. Dr. Kgosi Letlape has likened the NHI to a medical aid scheme with funds controlled by the Minister of Health. During yesterday's SONA debate, Dr. Letlape expressed...

A rift has reportedly emerged within the MK Party Caucus, pitting Chief Whip Mzwanele Manyi against Caucus Leader Dr. John Hlophe. The alleged fallout stems from Hlophe's recent SONA debate speech, with some party insiders claiming that Hlophe was sabotaged with a subpar speech drafted at the last minute, to undermine his carefully prepared remarks. For a deeper dive into this developing story, El...

The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (CONTRALESA) is staging a march to the Limpopo provincial government offices today, where traditional leaders will submit a memorandum outlining their grievances to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. This demonstration is part of the traditional leaders' escalating push for government action on pressing concerns, no...

A new report on strike trends in 2024 has uncovered a significant rise in wildcat strikes in South Africa. The Casual Workers' Advice Office has released its latest Strike Barometer, showing 45 wildcat strikes took place in 2024, surpassing the number of protected strikes. To analyze the findings, Elvis Presslin spoke to Sydney Moshoaliba, Researcher at the Casual Workers' Advice Office

The Department of Basic Education has unveiled a teen suicide awareness campaign, designed to empower young people with essential skills to navigate mental health challenges. Timed to coincide with Teen Suicide Prevention Week, this initiative follows alarming National Department of Health statistics, which indicate that 7,426 minors attempted to take their own lives between April and December las...

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa will this week convene a national convention to address the concerns of the Khoi-San community. The two-day convention aims to find permanent solutions to challenges faced by the Khoi-San people, including recognition. For insight into the significance of this convention and the expectations of the Khoi-San communit...

Umkonto weSizwe party MP Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has apologized to her father, Jacob Zuma, and the party leadership for her social media outburst. But the apology didn't mention party Secretary General Floyd Shivambu by name - the target of her profanity-laced tweets. Elvis Presslin got analysis from KZN-based Political Analyst, Zakhele Ndlovu

The cost of living crisis in South Africa has reached alarming levels, with new data revealing that workers spend over half their monthly earnings on transport and electricity. The latest Household Affordability Index report reveals that citizens spend more than 57% of their salary on transport and electricity, leaving insufficient funds for basic necessities like food. The General Industries Work...

Calls for Defense and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga's resignation are intensifying, as several political parties demand she steps down following the deaths of 14 South African soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The soldiers, part of a UN peacekeeping mission, were killed in an attack by M23 rebels in a region ravaged by violence and displacement. President Cyril Ramaphosa h...

A DA Councilor has raised concerns about the surge in illegal mining activities in Roodepoort, Gauteng. The councilor's warning comes as two or three miners are believed to be trapped inside a disused mine in the area since the weekend. DA Ward 70 Councilor in Johannesburg, Caleb Finn says the temporary suspension of rescue operations of the miners has sparked worries about the potential risks pos...

The Democratic Alliance, DA is challenging the contentious Expropriation Act in court. The party filed papers with the Western Cape High Court, in a bid to have the recently signed Act declared unconstitutional. The DA says it rejects what it calls "ANC attempts to smuggle in further powers of expropriation without compensation". For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Public Works and Infrastru...

The FW de Klerk Foundation has issued an urgent call to Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump to engage in constructive dialogue and negotiations to resolve the deteriorating relationship between South Africa and the US. The foundation warns that the current impasse poses a significant risk to South Africa's Government of National Unity and could have dire political and economic consequences...

Elvis Presslin takes a look at the top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of "Africa Is Open For Business" and "Africa Bounces Back". Victor is also the Executive Director for Marketing and Communication at the University of Limpopo...

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) has expressed outrage over what it calls the latest imperialist and racist assault on South Africa's sovereignty by U.S. President, Donald Trump. SAFTU was reacting to an executive order in which Trump announced that his administration will halt financial aid to South Africa and allow for opportunities of settlement for white Afrikaners in the U...