First Take SA

President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead a historic ceremony today at the Freedom Park Heritage Site and Museum in Pretoria to honour 42 South African freedom fighters who lost their lives in Zambia and Zimbabwe during Apartheid. The repatriation and restitution homecoming ceremony follows the arrival of the mortal remains of these liberation heroes and heroines, who were received at Waterkloof Air For...

The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) has welcomed the ousting of Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink, following a vote of no confidence spearheaded by the ANC and backed by ActionSA. 120 councillors supported Brink's removal, while 87 opposed it, and one councillor abstained. The dramatic shift in the city's leadership comes after ActionSA severed ties with the DA in Tshwane. For more on thi...

Protests are set to unfold in Hartbeespoort, North West, as the Harties Shutdown Movement organizes a shutdown due to allegations of racism. At the heart of the issue are claims by black business owners that their white counterparts are intentionally sabotaging their operations. The shutdown follows a surge in threats and violent attacks targeting black-owned businesses in the area. For more on th...

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 National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) will today march to Parliament to protest against the non-compliance of security companies. These companies, some with government contracts, have reportedly failed to provide essential benefits like pension funds and medical insurance to security workers. NUMSA's national spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, spoke to Elvis Presslin to she...

The Executive Director of the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organization, Billy Claasen has strongly condemned the actions of Lutzville farmer Christoffel Stoman, who allegedly ran over 6-year-old Khwezi Jantjies, accusing him of stealing fruit. The incident left the young boy with both legs broken. Claasen is demanding the full force of the law to be applied and has vowed to protest against S...

The Budget Justice Coalition says the impending budget cuts to Basic Education will put the most vulnerable students at risk. This warning comes after Minister Siviwe Gwarube revealed that seven provincial education departments will be unable to cover their budgets by 2027/28. The coalition is strongly criticizing the government's austerity measures, arguing they undermine human rights and widen t...

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is staging a protest today outside Tshwane House in a show of support for Executive Mayor Cilliers Brink and his administration. This comes as a motion of no confidence against Brink is set to be debated later today. The ANC and other opposition parties say they have lost faith in Brink's leadership, citing service delivery failures among other grievances. Elvis Pressl...

Sixteen South African women die from cervical cancer everyday. The Right to Care health NGO says its calling on all men to circumcise to help prevent the second most common cancer in women. To discuss this further Elvis Presslin spoke to CANSA National Manager for Health Programmes, Lorraine Govender

Investigations are underway to establish the cause of a massive blaze that engulfed Broadwalk Urban Village, a residential complex in Midrand last night. No injuries or fatalities have been reported and authorities are still trying to establish the cause of the fire. Joburg Emergency Management Services Spokesperson, Xolile Khumalo spoke to our Senior Producer Ronald Phiri

Concerns are growing about the erosion of indigenous languages in South Africa. The Pan South African Language Board (PANSALB) is urging parents and guardians to instill mother tongue in children. PANSALB CEO, Lance Schultz says defending the linguistic heritage of communities requires a collective effort, beyond government intervention alone. Schultz emphasized this point during Heritage Day cele...

A massive project is underway to construct a 160-kilometer wall along the border of South Africa and Mozambique in KwaZulu-Natal. The project is aimed at combating rampant vehicle hijackings and illegal crossings. To elaborate further on the project, KZN MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma, who will be celebrating 100 days in office tomorrow, spoke to Elvis Presslin

Is the Khoi and San heritage forgotten? That's a question many are asking, especially considering the significance of Heritage Day in South Africa. Chief Stanley Peterson, Royal Chief of the Griqua people and President of the Khoisan Revolution Party says Heritage Day has lost its true meaning, often being reduced to simply "Braai Day." However, he says the Khoi and San community remains committed...

The General Secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions, Zwelinzima Vavi has expressed concern over the erosion of integrity within unions. This comes after a staggering 7,000 Johannesburg municipal workers reportedly fell victim to an unsecured loan scheme promoted by the South African Municipal Workers Union, SAMWU and Shosholoza Finance. Launched in 2017, the scheme allowed repaym...

Former Gauteng Speaker Ntombi Mekgwe has denied allegations of colluding with her ANC colleagues to block disciplinary actions against 32 employees accused of defrauding the provincial legislature. These allegations surfaced after a forensic investigation, initiated by the former legislature secretary. At the center of the controversy are shocking findings that Deputy Speaker Nomvuyo Mhlakaza-Mana...

ActionSA in Gauteng has slammed the City of Johannesburg's plan to rename Sandton Drive, citing the name's neutral and unifying nature. The party's stance comes after the city invited residents to share their thoughts on the proposed renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive. To discuss this, we caught up with  ActionSA Gauteng Provincial Caucus Leader, Funzi Ngobeni

KwaZulu-Natal authorities say all commuters stranded on the N3 highway due to severe snowfall since last Friday have been accounted for. Inclement weather led to the closure of the N3, with black ice and fog posing significant risks to drivers. While parts of the highway have reopened, concerns linger that some commuters may still be trapped. We caught up with KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Set...

The Road Freight Association is warning of dangerous conditions on the roads due to recent snowfall across the country. A severe snowstorm brought the KwaZulu-Natal province to a standstill on Saturday, leaving thousand of commuters stranded. The N3 highway, a critical transportation artery, was transformed into a winter wonderland, but also a hazardous obstacle course. Motorists were forced to en...

A disturbing trend is emerging in South Africa's rural schools, where social media bullying is fueling conflict among learners. Educator Sphelele Myeni, who conducted a Master's study on the issue, joined us to share his findings

One in seven moms in South Africa are teenagers. Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism says nearly 365 teenage girls give birth in South Africa every day, with 10 of those daily births to moms younger than 15. The organisation says moreover and according to data from the Human Sciences Reseach Council, many young moms in South Africa also have HIV. To discuss this further Elvis Presslin spoke to...

South Africa's Reserve Bank has given homeowners a breather by cutting interest rates by 25 basis points. This follows the US Federal Reserve's 50 basis point reduction. This move will bring some much-needed relief to those struggling to make bond repayments, especially after previous interest rate hikes. To elaborate on what the latest interest entails for the property sector, Elvis Presslin spok...

The Democratic Alliance in Govan Mbeki Local Municipality is demanding answers over a questionable payment of R160,000 to upgrade the driving licenses of just four employees. The amount  of R40,000 per person is staggering compared to the standard rate paid by the municipality in Secunda, and the R6,000 to R10,000 charged by local driving schools for similar services. Executive Mayor Nhlakanipho Z...

Former Eskom CEO and MK MP Brian Molefe is advocating for the regulation of coal prices. Speaking during a parliamentary debate on NERSA's decision to grant Eskom's application to retrospectively recover R8 billion for the 2021/2022 financial year, Molefe stressed that the price Eskom pays for coal directly affects electricity tariffs. Elvis Presslin spoke to MK MP Brian Molefe

Former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been dealt a significant blow after the Constitutional Court dismissed his appeal to overturn an order to repay a R11.5 million "success fee" he received from the public broadcaster. This fee was deemed unlawful and invalid by the Gauteng High Court. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed this decision, which paves the way for them to recover the ou...

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