First Take SA

The whole of the West of Johannesburg will this Friday and parts of Saturday experience water shut down due to maintenance at water reservoirs. The connection of a new pipeline and maintenance of the Water Treatment Plant in Vereeniging. Consumers are urged to use water sparingly and only for essential purposes. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Johannesburg Water General Manager for Opera...

South Africa is facing a number of critical challenges with two of the most worrying being a faltering economy and a crisis in leadership which is leaving many of our future business leaders either waiting on the sidelines or leaving the country. Change EQ Founder Dudu Hlatshwayo says the high rate of unemployment, and skills shortage in the public and private sector is a result of the country not...

Malesela Teffo, the defense advocate for the four men accused of the murder of Senzo Meyiwa, says he will bring evidence that the goalkeeper was allegedly shot by his then-girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, by mistake. Teffo raised this during his cross-examination of state witness - Sergeant Thabo Mosia. Five men are on trial for the murder of the soccer icon in the Pretoria High Court. They have all ple...

The Constitutional Court deadline looms large in the race to amend the Electoral Act 73 of 1998 by parliament. The bill aims to make the Electoral Act constitutional by incorporating independent candidates into the electoral system. Civil organization, New Nation Movement, has also instructed its lawyers to file an opposition to parliament's application for an extension by the court. To further di...

Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu has urged communities to report cases of statutory rape against those who sleep with and impregnate under-aged girls. This is as South Africa observes National Child Protection Week to raise awareness about the rights of children as articulated in the Children's Act of 2005. This year, the focus is on teenage pregnancy, which saw a spike...

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has expressed shock and disappointment after the arrest of its councilor Muzi Ngiba for the alleged murder of his predecessor. Ngiba was arrested in the eThekwini metro in connection with the murder of late party candidate, Siyabonga Mkhize. Mkhize - together with another party member - was killed ahead of the November municipal elections last year. For more on this, Elvis...

AgriSA has called on the government to consider all viable options to buffer the cost pressures that impact food prices. This, as the agricultural sector and consumers, face a massive hike in the price of fuel from today (Wednesday). The increases are smaller than feared after Treasury decided to grant an extension of the reduction in the general fuel levy. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke t...

On World No Tobacco Day today (31 May 2022), the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) has reiterated its call for the regulation of e-cigarettes through the implementation of the new Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill. The new bill, soon to be presented to Parliament to be passed to amend the existing Tobacco Control Law, focuses on hundred percent smoke-free in...

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the North West province say the decision by the North West Provincial Executive Committee to place eight municipalities under administration due to a serious financial crisis, is a desperate move by the ANC to advance its political interests and take advantage of the plight of the people in the province. The intervention comes a few days after the Auditor-Gen...

Time to take 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...

Trade Union Satawu says Transnet board members should equally be accountable for the paralysis, mismanagement, and maladministration at the freight and logistics utility. This follows the arrest on Friday of former Transnet officials on charges of fraud, corruption, and money laundering. Amongst the officials arrested is the former chief executive Siyabonga Gama. The accused appeared in court and...

Scores of Sibanye Stillwater mineworkers camping outside the Union Building in Pretoria say they're optimistic about a breakthrough in the wage negotiations between unions and mine management that are scheduled to resume today. The talks were adjourned on Friday after unions and mine management disagreed on the tabled wage offers. The unions AMCU and the NUM, rejected the offer of R700 in the firs...

Swiss-Anglo Mining Company Glencore has pleaded guilty to a web of bribery and price manipulation charges. Authorities in the United States, Britain and Brazil announced that three of Glencore's subsidiaries were pleading guilty to a range of crimes including market manipulation and bribery related to its conduct in developing countries. The penalties will total about one-point-five-billion- U.S d...

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has called on Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana to extend the R1.50 per liter temporary reduction of the general fuel levy beyond 31 May. This is as government deliberates whether to continue with its fuel price relief intervention introduced in March, as the latest data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) shows that consumers could see another huge incr...

Vaccine hesitancy has decreased slightly from 28% in July 2021 to 25% in November 2021, according to a COVID-19 Democracy Survey by the University of Johannesburg, UJ, and the Human Sciences Research Council, HSRC. The online survey has also revealed support for compulsory workplace vaccinations. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Sibongiseni Dhlomo

Cabinet has approved the publication of the Constitution's Eighteenth Amendment Bill for public comment. The amendments will give recognition to South African Sign Language as the 12th official language of the country. The Department of Basic Education announced earlier this month that it would incorporate sign language as an option in the school curriculum. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke...

Time to take 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...

After two days of political bickering on whether the four suspended SAFTU National Office Bearers should be allowed to contest elections, delegates finally agreed to have their names on the ballot paper. The issue nearly collapsed the five-day meeting with the federation's biggest affiliate NUMSA threatening to pull out from the congress while police union SAPU threatened to disrupt the gathering....

The Congress of Traditional Leaders of SA (Contralesa) is calling for a referendum on the death penalty amid the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide against women and children. Over the past few weeks SA has been rocked by several GBV cases, including the murders of Hillary Gardee, Namhla Mtwa shot nine times in her driveway, and 6-year-old Bontle Mashiyane kidnapped raped, and mur...

The family of Nomaqocwa Blackie is appealing for help from the South African government following the mysterious death of their daughter, whose body was found in her apartment in Shanghai, China in April. Her family says it has done everything that was required in terms of documentation for the repatriation of her body. Nomaqocwa fondly known as 'Noma' left Motherwell, in the Eastern Cape in 2017...

Former General Secretary of COSATU, Mbhazima Shilowa has expressed his concern following tensions among senior leaders of the South African Federation of Trade Unions SAFTU. This as the federation holds its second elective conference in Boksburg, East of Gauteng. During his address to delegates at the conference yesterday, Shilowa urged union members to introspect on where they are as an organizat...

The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) says its members, who are employed by the South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) will today officially start their strike action. Nehawu and the Public Servants Association (PSA), are demanding an across-the-board wage increase of 7%. Wage talks between the union and the employer are deadlocked. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to...

South Africans continue to mourn the death of veteran TV actor Jamie Bartlett. The multi-award-winning actor best known for his role as TV villains Mike O'Reilly in Isidingo on SABC3 and David Genaro in Rhythm City on e.tv died Monday night at the age of 55. For more on Jamie Bartlett's life, Elvis Presslin spoke to Jack Devnarain, a renowned actor and chairperson of the South African Guild of Act...

As the continent marks the annual commemoration of Africa Day today, we focus on the status of migration on the continent and try to find ways how to integrate Africans. Africa's mass migration and displacement are exacerbated by wars, conflicts, politics, famine, and environmental factors such as floods, droughts, and other natural disasters. How can we find a lasting holistic solution to the cha...

The Democratic Alliance says it has learned with dismay of a proposal by the Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa the name of the Afrikaanse Taal Monument in Paarl Western Cape province, changed. The DA says the Monument symbolizes the diversity and growth of the Afrikaans language, and changing the name would take away from its historical value. For more on this, Elvis Presslin sp...