First Take SA

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, NUMSA says Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan is the worst minister since the advent of democracy. The Union was reacting to Gordhan's intention to retire from active politics after the general elections. NUMSA adds Gordhan has singlehandedly contributed to hundreds of thousands of job losses during his tenure. For more on this Elvis Pres...

The South African Weather Service has warned residents of scorching temperatures as a heat wave blazes through Gauteng this week. The Weather Service's forecaster Celeste Fourie spoke to our Senior Producer Ronald Phiri, about conditions that have exacerbated the rise in temperatures

Ekangala residents near Bronkhorstspruit, East of Pretoria have vowed to intensify their water outage protest if water is not restored in the area. The protesting residents have shut down the local municipality after enduring two weeks without water. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to the Chairperson of the Ekangala Development Foundation, Rankitsing "Asha" Xaba 

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

Impeached Western Cape judge president John Hlophe has approached the Constitutional Court to declare his impeachment unconstitutional. This after President Cyril Ramaphosa removed judges Hlophe and Nkola Motata after they were impeached by the National Assembly. Our senior producer Ronald Phiri spoke to Hlophe's legal representative Barnabas Xulu...

On Wednesday taxi operators embarked on a strike in the City of Ekurhuleni over a contract awarded to a private bus company to transport local communities. The strike follows the collapse of talks between various taxi associations, the Gauteng Provincial Government and local authorities.  For more and the latest we spoke to Zweli Mnisi, Secretary of SANTACO in Ekurhuleni...

Cosatu in KwaZulu Natal says it is deeply concerned about the state of affairs in eThekwini. This after Samwu affiliated workers embarked on a week long strike demanding salary adjustments. The strike has affected businesses and service delivery in the municipality. 13 municipal workers have since been arrested and appeared in court following the violent strikes. Now for more on this, we spoke to...

Nelson Mandela Bay is preparing for a surge in tourist arrivals due to a thriving cruise liner season, but there are calls mounting for the need of a dedicated tourism safety sector forum focusing on the beachfront and Route R67. Several incidents of tourists being robbed have been reported. This was raised at an economic development, tourism and agriculture committee meeting that was held this we...

The Democratic Alliance, DA says it will not participate in cover up of the SAA-Takatso deal. This after Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan reportedly threatened to hold members of the Portfolio Committee liable, if contents of the controversial deal are made public. Gordhan handed over documents regarding the deal to MPs. For more on this we're joined on the line by Alf Lees, DA MP and Me...

Independent candidates and political parties are running against time to submit their nomination requirements before the IEC's Friday deadline. The Electoral Commission of South Africa has been accused of unfair election requirements, preventing new and independent parties from participating in the upcoming elections. Several political formations have expressed their unhappiness with the high sign...

The ANC says it is rigorously vetting through the party's list of potential members of Parliament and provincial legislatures. The party has been accused of retaining members implicated in State Capture. This as the ANC scrambles to meet tomorrow's (Friday) deadline set by the IEC for submission of lists. For more on this we're now joined on the line by Zama Khanyase, Spokesperson for the ANC Yout...

The South African Human Rights Commission is calling for immediate reforms to the country's school uniforms and learner appearance policies. The Commission was briefing Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Basic Education about its investigations into school uniforms and reports about the over-regulation of appearances.

The South African National Civic Organization, SANCO in the Free State says it will not campaign for the ANC in this year's elections. The movement's provincial chairperson Gift Poli says the decision was taken at SANCO's provincial General Council over the weekend. 

The City of Johannesburg is on a drive to collect outstanding debt by big corporates. The City says its pursuing CEOs of large companies who owe the municiplity millions of rands in unpaid municipal services. For more on this we are now joined on the line by Nyaniso Jeku, Public Relations Specialist for the City of Johannesburg.

Activists from the Treatment Action Campaign and Gender Dynamix will today be protesting outside Ghana's High Commission to South Africa, demanding President Akufo-Addo to reject the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, which would criminalize LGBTQ+ individuals in Ghana. 

Gauteng Police have launched a manhunt for suspects involved in a fatal shooting incident that claimed the lives of two people in their 20s, in Eldorado Park extension 4 in the south of Johannesburg. The police, in a statement, says the motive of the shooting is unknown, and a team has been activated to investigate the murders. The area has been riddled with gun violence for some time now. For a c...

The ANC says it will finalise the party's candidate lists ahead of the IEC's Friday deadline. The ANC NEC met at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg yesterday to finalise the party's election lists. The gathering comes amidst recommendations by the ANC's Integrity Commission to disqualify individuals implicated in State Capture from the electoral lists.  Elvis Presslin spoke to Political A...

KwaZulu-Natal premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube has condemned SAMWU's wage strike in eThekwini saying it is tantamount to treason. Striking SAMWU municipal workers are demanding to be paid in line with Category 10 workers, equivalent to their colleagues in the Ekurhuleni metro. The strike has led to the blockade of state buildings, clinics and delays in service delivery. To discuss this further Elvis Pre...

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

This year marks the 200th anniversary since King Moshoeshoe founded the Basotho nation. The peace loving nation of Basotho are celebrating this milestone with all sorts of different activities throughout the year. The annual historical Moshoeshoe walk, founded in 2007, will be part of the celebrations. The three-day journey of approximately 116km aims to re-kindle the spirit of unity among Basotho...

Parliamentary speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is under investigation for allegedly receiving millions in bribes from a South African National Defence Force contractor. Mapisa-Nqakula is accused of taking bribes totaling R2.3 million between 2016 and 2019 during her tenure as Defence Minister. The payments in cash were reportedly delivered to Mapisa-Nqakula in gift bags by defence industry busines...

Gauteng's new top cop Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni has hit the ground running just a few days after his appointment. Mthombeni - who previously served as Acting Provincial Commissioner has 37 years of service. His appointment follows Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela's retirement last month. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Lieutenant-General Mthombeni...

Residents of Ekangala near Bronkhorstspruit, east of Pretoria, will this morning embark on a mass protest over water shortages in the area. Aggrieved residents say they have been without water for two weeks. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Rankitsing "Asha" Xaba, Chairperson of the Ekangala Development Foundation

Western Cape police have found pieces of blood-stained clothing believed to be that of missing six-year-old Joslin Smith. The items of clothing were found in an open field in Middelpos, Saldanha Bay. Joslin was last seen in the area last month after she was left in the care of her mother's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance. For the latest on the case, Elvis Presslin spoke to Western Cape...

Anti-crime activist Ian Cameron is venturing into politics by joining the Democratic Alliance ahead of South Africa's May 29 general elections. Cameron, renowned for combatting crime in local communities in the Western Cape - dominated headlines in 2022 after Police Minister Bheki Cele told him to shut up at a crime imbizo in Gugulethu. Cameron is touted to be high up on the list of DA candidates...