First Take SA

The United Democratic Movement, UDM has requested President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish a commission of inquiry into NPA boss Advocate Shamila Batohi's fitness to hold office and her provisional suspension. The UDM is unhappy with how the NPA has handled the Gupta corruption and extradition case after a unanimous judgment by a full bench in a Dubai court declined the application to extradite the...

Al Jama-ah leader Ganief Hendricks has rubbished DA allegations of their councilor, newly elected Joburg Mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda of being part of a funeral Ponzi scheme. The DA's Mpho Phalatse alleges that Gwamanda was complicit in a funeral investment scheme that defrauded many people in the city. Al Jama-ah says the allegations are unfounded. To further discuss this Elvis Presslin spoke to Al Jam...

Mangaung prison officials have been accused of attempting to cover up the death of an inmate in April, last month. The infamous privately-run Mangaung maximum prison In Bloemfontein recently gained notoriety following the escape of convicted Facebook rapist and murderer Thabo Bester, reportedly with the aid of prison officials. Bester and his accomplices have since been arrested and are facing tri...

A suspended North West ANC ward councilor has been arrested in connection with two counts of statutory rape. The 40-year-old Matlosane Local municipality ward councilor who appears in now-viral sexually explicit videos and photos was detained for the statutory rape of two young boys in Kanana. The man has since been suspended by the provincial ANC. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to ANC Nor...

The African Christian Democratic Party, ACDP is appealing to all South Africans, particularly parents of school-going children to reject the Basic Education Laws Amendment, BELA Bill which they feel seeks to disempower parents, and promote abortion and transgenderism in schools. The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education resumed its public hearings on the Bill at the weekend after the hearings wer...

The Jacob Zuma Foundation is demanding President Cyril Ramaphosa withdraw what they term "his illegal and irrational" appointment of Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. President Ramaphosa appointed Zondo last year after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission and political party leaders in the National Assembly. The Zuma Foundation says Ramaphosa has until next week Thursday to withdraw the ap...

The Johannesburg City Council will reconvene its meeting today to elect a new Executive Mayor. This was after a special council sitting was adjourned without electing a mayor due to councilors of different political parties asking for endless caucus breaks. Last month, Al Jama-ah's Thapelo Amad resigned from the position, leaving the city without a mayor. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to...

President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the second Presidential Health Summit currently underway at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg. The Summit serves as a platform for government to assess the readiness of the country's health system to implement National Health Insurance, NHI. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to the National Health Department Spokesperson, Foster Mohale

Time to take 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 bail application of five men accused of killing two University of Fort Hare employees continues today in the Alice Magistrates court. The suspects are accused of the murders of Fort Hare fleet manager Petrus Roets and the vice-chancellor's bodyguard Mboneli Vesele. Meanwhile, FEDUSA affiliate - the National Tertiary Education Union, NTEU says its members looking into the deaths at the Universi...

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport says payments have been made to Bus Company Putco following its announcement to suspend bus services today. In a statement issued yesterday, Putco cited a diesel shortage, caused by the non-payment of their subsidy from the government, as reason for the suspension. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Lesiba Mpya, Spokesperson for the Gauteng Depa...

The City of Johannesburg is without a mayor yet again. This, after a special council meeting intended to elect a new Executive Mayor in the city, was adjourned without electing a mayor. The City has been without a mayor since the resignation of Al Jama-Ah's Thapelo Amad as mayor last week. The Council will reconvene on Friday. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Political and Policy Analyst,...

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says she supports a centralized procurement system as it gives the contractors the opportunity to negotiate lower prices when buying goods. Motshekga was briefing the media yesterday about the school feeding scheme debacle in KwaZulu Natal. Scores of KZN pupils went without a meal at school for weeks, after the sole supplier was unable to deliver food for t...

Dr. Nandipha Magudumana and three co-accused will be applying for bail in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court today - In the case of the escape of the Facebook rapist and murderer Thabo Bester. The four accused are facing charges of murder, aiding the escape of a prisoner, and defeating the ends of justice among others. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to our SABC reporter in Bloemfontein Aph...

 The City of Joburg will convene an extraordinary council meeting to elect a new mayor today. This follows the resignation of Al Jama-ah's Thapelo Amad after a short stint in office. The Democratic Alliance's Mpho Phalatse who was ousted through a motion of no confidence in January, and was replaced with Thapelo Amad will stand as the DA's mayoral candidate today. For more on this, Elvis Presslin...

The All Truck Drivers Forum and Allied South Africa have expressed disappointment at the poor turnout of its planned national shutdown of roads yesterday. The group embarked on a shutdown over the employment of foreign truck drivers by local trucking companies. Meanwhile, the African Unite Borders Bus trucks association, AUBBTA is calling on the government, SADC, and other stakeholders to find sol...

Time to take 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 Maruleng local municipality in Limpopo will commission a feasibility study on alternative energy, as South Africa continues to grapple with load shedding. The municipality hopes this initiative will minimize load shedding, and reduce energy consumption from Eskom while cutting down on electricity costs. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Tsheko Musolwa, the Mayor of Maruleng Municipalit...

Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, says he has instructed the province's Law Enforcement Advancement Plan, LEAP officers to arrest Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, should he set foot in the province in August. Winde was speaking during the DA national Freedom Day celebration in Nyanga on the Cape Flats. Putin is expected to attend the BRICS Annual Heads of State Summit in Gauteng in August. This...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says while the country has made significant strides since the dawn of democracy - Much still needs to be done to improve the lives of South Africans. President Ramaphosa was speaking at a Freedom Day rally in Klerksdorp, North West yesterday, as the country celebrated 29 years since the first democratic elections in 1994. Elvis Presslin spoke to Political Analyst from the...

The National Health Department has denied reports of shortages in the distribution of free condoms. This follows reports suggesting that there are shortages of condoms in Gauteng, which had resulted in a spike in sexually transmitted infection cases in the province. The provincial health department had earlier indicated the province has encountered challenges in the supply of condoms and is curren...

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi will today unveil an anti-crime unit that will be deployed to hostels, townships, and informal settlements in the province. The unit was mentioned in his State of the Province address earlier this year and will be tasked to combat crime in high-risk areas. The surge in the country's crime rate has once again prompted conversations on whether municipalities should hav...

Africa Brief 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... TALKING POINTS: ***We start off in Nairobi, Kenya where Kenya Airways (KQ) will now access more Chinese cities after the airline signed an interline agreement with China Southern Airlines. **...

Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter will today appear virtually before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, SCOPA to provide further information on alleged criminal activities at the power utility. SCOPA invited de Ruyter to brief the Committee following his scathing TV Interview in which he accused ANC officials and Ministers of corruption at Eskom. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to ou...

The ANC has proposed the deployment of the army to fight violent crimes around the country. The party announced the resolution yesterday following its NEC meeting. To discuss the matter further Elvis Presslin spoke to Independent Defence Analyst, Helmoed Heitman.