First Take SA

ActionSA's motion for Inner-City Rejuvenation has been approved by the City of Johannesburg Council. The plan revives a 2018 resolution to transfer 154 properties, including 37 abandoned factories, to private developers. The party says these properties, once valued at R32 billion, are set to generate 22,000 construction jobs and 14,000 social housing units. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to...

Today marks the final deadline for Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders to apply for a waiver or transition to a General Work visa, valid until November 2025. Those who fail to secure a one-year exemption permit by the end of the day are at a risk of deportation. However, asylum seeker, refugee, and migrant advocacy groups argue that Home Affairs backlogs have made meeting this deadline nearl...

South African shoppers are bracing for the excitement of Black Friday today, though many stores have already been offering deals in the lead-up to this highly anticipated event. According to fintech company Capital Connect, drawing on insights from the Bureau of Market Research, the Black Friday sales frenzy is projected to inject over R88 billion in additional economic value into November 2024. F...

The Electoral Commission of Namibia has sent a recommendation to the president to allow voting at specific polling stations today and tomorrow from 7 am to 9 pm. The commission says this will allow registered voters the chance to vote. Opposition political representatives have criticized the commission for its failure to address concerns promptly. The Namibia Media Professionals' Union (NAMPU) has...

The Democratic Alliance says it has submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act application for Minister of Justice Thembi Simelane's VBS loan report to President Ramaphosa. The DA says It cannot be that a Minister of Justice, accused of corruption, can continue to oversee the Justice system, and more importantly the National Prosecuting Authority, the body tasked with investigating her. El...

The Solidarity Movement which includes Solidarity and AfriForum among its members says it has reached an agreement with the government around the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act dispute. According to the Solidarity Movement's statement, the contested sectors of the BELA Act will no longer be implemented from the 13th of December 2024. To further discuss this Elvis Presslin spoke to Afriforum CE...

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

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) is intensifying its fight against fraud, rejecting over R1 billion in bogus claims to protect funds meant for road crash survivors. The insurance funds says Over the past three years, 2,031 claims were blocked, with R65 million already prevented from being paid out. This includes a high-profile conviction of Siyabulela Kima, who falsely claimed R8.3 million, only for i...

As the holiday season approaches, South Africans are urged to remain vigilant against rabies, a deadly viral disease affecting both animals and humans. Authorities have identified high-risk areas, with cases reported in dogs, Cape fur seals, and other animals. Disturbingly, rabies has now been detected in Cape fur seals along the coastline, marking its first presence in a marine mammal population....

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently authorize a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into alleged fraud within SASSA's Social Relief of Distress (SRD) R370 grant system. This follows revelations from an independent investigation by Masegare & Associates, confirming vulnerabilities such as weak identity verification, OTP-based fraud, and security f...

The South African National Civic Organisation in KwaZulu-Natal has overturned its decision to not supporting the ANC in the province. SANCO announced in June this year that it had parted ways with the ANC. It cited various reasons including the failure of the ANC to be accountable. SANCO says it will support the ANC in the 2026 local government elections. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to t...

Voters waited in long queues outside polling stations in Namibia's capital Windhoek yesterday to cast their ballots for a new president and parliament. SWAPO has governed the Southern African nation since leading it to independence from Apartheid South Africa in 1990. Its presidential candidate, Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah,would be the country's first female leader if she wins. To look i...

Police uncovered a drug laboratory with an estimated value of R100 million in Rietfontein, Gauteng last night. The South African Police Services say they have arrested a 39-year-old Mexican national in connection with the bust. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to the Spokesperson for the South African Police Services, Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda van Wyk

The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) is set to deregister over 500,000 companies and close corporations for failing to file Annual Returns and Beneficial Ownership declarations. The business regulator in a statement says this follows Notice 60 of 2024, issued in September, warning of non-compliance consequences. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Rory Voller, Commissione...

Minister responsible for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, is attending the Global Women's Forum underway in Dubai under the theme Power of Influence. Minister Chikunga will lead discussions on women's leadership in parliament, highlighting its role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Minister Sindisiwe...

This year marks the 33rd anniversary since South Africa adopted the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign which aims to raise awareness of the enduring and devastating impact that gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). Legal experts say while much has been achieved through collective commitment and resilience, the campaign serves as a moment to reflect...

South African Revenue service Commissioner Edward Kieswetter has commended the collaborative effort between SARS, the Hawks, and SAPS in a search-and-seizure operation at the La Lucia mansion of businesswoman and TV personality Shauwn Mkhize, also known as Mam'Mkhize. Acting on a preservation order from the Durban High Court, Kieswetter reiterated that no one is above the law and highlighted the c...

The South African National Defence Force has reportedly canceled, as wasteful expenditure, a R2.6bn Cuban medical training program. The SA Military Health Service (SAMHS) has decided not to send additional medical students to Cuba. However, students already there will be allowed to complete their Cuban medical courses. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to SANDF Spokesperson, Siphiwe Dlamini

The Association of Independent Publishers and Google have announced a multimillion-rand fund to finance independent journalism. The Digital News Transformation Fund (DNTF) will deliver R114 million, the biggest financial commitment ever made to South Africa's grassroots media sector. This is also the largest-ever single injection of development funds into the community media sector and probably th...

The North West MEC for Community Safety, Wessels Morweng says 20 illegal miners resurfaced at the Margaret Shaft yesterday. This brings the total number of illegal miners who have resurfaced since the 18th of August to 1 259. The MEC also noted that on Friday there was a note that was sent from under the ground saying that there are approximately 500 illegal miners underneath and 300 of them are u...

A coalition of civic groups, including the South African People's Tribunal on AgroToxins (SAPToA), has launched a petition demanding immediate action to address pesticide poisoning in South Africa. This comes after incidents like the deaths of six children in Soweto, caused by the hazardous pesticide Terbufos, which was sold illegally in spaza shops. The petition calls for a ban on Terbufos and an...

The Constitutional Court will today hear an application from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) challenging the National Assembly's decision not to adopt the Independent Panel's Report on the Phala Phala scandal. The EFF argues that the decision was irrational and unlawful, violating constitutional provisions. The case follows the National Assembly's rejection of the Report in December 2022, with...

Dr Mike Nkuna, a real estate tycoon and pioneer of township and rural commercial and retail property development has been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Dr Nkuna who last month received the Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management (Honoris Causa) degree from UNISA for his significant contributions to the real estate development industry was honoured at...

The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has raised concerns after learning that, of five provinces that requested disaster funding from the National Treasury, only the Western Cape received assistance. Committee chair, Dr. Zweli Mkhize, has called this decision "illogical" and "unfair," citing the severe disasters in other provinces, such as floods in Durban. Mkhi...

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