First Take SA

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has taken legal action against the appointment of former Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The party is citing concerns over his suitability for the role. The DA argues that it is unacceptable for a former judge, who was previously impeached for gross misconduct, to be appointed by Parliament to serve on the very same co...

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, has vowed to take decisive action against underperforming municipalities plagued by corruption and inefficiency. In a bid to restore effective governance, Hlabisa has announced plans to dissolve municipalities found misusing funds. This move comes in response to the 2022 State of Local Government Report, which reveale...

The head of the US Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle has stepped down amid mounting pressure and scrutiny following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The resignation comes as lawmakers and officials continue to raise questions about the security measures in place during Trump's July 13 rally in Pennsylvania, where the former president was injured in a shooting. Cheatle's de...

The City of Cape Town is intensifying its efforts to revitalize key central business districts by boosting law enforcement presence. As part of this initiative, additional municipal police officers will be deployed, with Bellville CBD receiving an 18-officer reinforcement. JTo discuss the impact of this initiative Elvis Presslin spoke to Derek Bock, CEO at Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement Dis...

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union, NEHAWU is threatening to ban to ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary Bheki Mtolo over his derogatory remarks towards its members. During an ANC event in Kokstad, held to commemorate Nelson Mandela's birthday, Mtolo accused NEHAWU-affiliated workers for subpar service delivery in government departments, including SASSA, Home Affairs, and the Departme...

Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has finalized its retrenchment process, with roughly 3,700 jobs affected across its operations in South Africa. The retrenchments are reportedly a result of the company's efforts to mitigate the financial impact of declining platinum group metal prices, which have significantly squeezed profit margins. The job cuts account for about 17% of Amplats' workforce, with...

A South African delegation is currently in the United States to lobby against a Senate review of the bilateral relations between the two countries. Last month, the House of Representatives passed a law requiring a comprehensive assessment of the bilateral relations, which could potentially harm trade ties and jeopardize South Africa's participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)....

Elvis Presslin takes a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoesoana, 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

Minister of Police, Mr. Senzo Mchunu, has welcomed the arrest of four individuals, including a farm owner and two Mexican nationals, in connection with a secret laboratory uncovered in Groblersdal. The Limpopo Hawks and Limpopo SAPS collaborated on the operation, which led to the seizure of chemicals worth an estimated R2 billion. Elvis Presslin spoke to Chad Thomas, IRS forensic investigator

The Gauteng government has reiterated its dedication to ensuring timely payments to non-profit organizations (NPOs) in the province. Briefing the media at the weekend, Provincial Finance MEC Lebogang Maile announced that the province has committed to restoring the NPO budget to  R2.1 billion for the 2023/24 adjustment period. To discuss this further, Elvis Presslin spoke to Gert Jonker, CEO of the...

South Africa is witnessing a disturbing increase in the number of people going missing. According to experts, this surge can be attributed to a rise in depression cases triggered by severe economic hardships, as well as the growing prevalence of human trafficking. In light of this alarming trend, Missing Children South Africa is urging citizens to remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings. T...

An inmate, accused of stabbing Janusz Walus, the killer of anti-apartheid activist Chris Hani, has reportedly not been formally charged. This despite the incident happening over a year ago. The accused inmate, Mandla Madonsela, a former member of uMkhonto we Sizwe and sergeant in the South African Air Force reportedly stabbed Walus' just two days before his controversial release on parole in Novem...

US President Joe Biden has endorsed Kamala Harris as his preferred Democratic Presidential candidate. This announcement follows his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, which he made on X on Sunday - less than four months before the election. Biden says despite his initial intention to seek re-election, he has decided not to run for presidency again, citing the best interests of h...

ACTIONSA leader Herman Mashaba appears to be reconsidering his previous stance on collaborating with the ANC. This despite his party's repeated assertions of never working with the ANC. Mashaba revealed on the sidelines of the recent Opening of Parliament in Cape Town that discussions are underway with the ANC regarding a potential partnership in Gauteng. Additionally, ACTIONSA is scheduled to hol...

A survey by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has found that over two-thirds of South African agribusinesses engaged in innovative activities from 2019 to 2021, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. survey Conducted by HSRC's Centre for Science, Technology, and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII) for the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI). The survey included sectors s...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government is paving the way for a "cooperation nation" by initiating a National Dialogue. This initiative aims to stabilize governance in metros, improve service delivery, and ensure that qualified and capable individuals are appointed to senior municipal positions. Ramaphosa shared these plans during his address at the opening of parliament at the Cape Town Cit...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government of national unity plans to broaden and formalise the Presidential Employment Stimulus and Expanded Public Works Programmes, with the aim of providing more job opportunities and skills development for young people. During his Opening of Parliament Address last night, Ramaphosa also highlighted the significant potential that small businesses and the info...

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse has expressed concern over the City of Johannesburg's new prepaid electricity surcharge. Starting this month, the city's power utility, City Power has implemented a R200 surcharge, which includes a R130 monthly network capacity fee and a R70 service fee on prepaid meter users. OUTA  has criticized the initiative, calling it a simplistic revenue-raising effort by...

Elvis Presslin takes a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoesoana, 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 uMkhonto weSizwe Party says the disciplinary hearing against its leader and former African National Congress President, Jacob Zuma has been postponed to next Tuesday. Zuma did not appear physically during the hearing yesterday, but was represented by former ANC NEC member, Tony Yengeni via a virtual platform. Zuma has been hauled before the ruling party's  National Disciplinary Committee follo...

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) calls on the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to cut interest rates. This as The Reserve Bank is expected to keep the repo rate unchanged when it makes its announcement later today. The union in a statement says SARB's decision to hike interest rates to their current high of 11,75% prime lending has signif...

Rise Mzansi says it expects President Cyril Ramaphosa to prioritize areas such as crime, corruption, and the economy. This as president Cyril Ramaphosa will today open Parliament  for the 7th Democratic Administration. The party in a statement says the President should support the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, focusing on halving the murder rate, removing illegal guns, profession...

Cooperative Governance Minister, Velenkosi Hlabisa has expressed his condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives while fighting wildfires in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Accompanied by KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Thami Ntuli, Hlabisa visited the home of 38-year-old, Mabongi Shishane in Vulindlela, near Pietermaritzburg. Shishane was part of the teams that have, for the past 10 days, f...

The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng has sounded the alarm on Premier Panyaza Lesufi's plan to launch a Provincial State Bank. The party says this initiative might become a vehicle for corruption and political favouritism. To elaborate on their concerns is Ruhan Robinson, MPL and DA Gauteng's Shadow MEC for Finance

Former president Jacob Zuma's disciplinary hearing is expected to get underway today. This after being postponed earlier this year to accommodate the May 29 elections. Zuma is facing allegations of violating rule 25 of the ANC constitution for endorsing and supporting the Umkhonto weSizwe party in the run-up to the elections. The virtual hearing will determine whether Zuma's ANC membership will be...