First Take SA

President Nicolás Maduro has been declared the winner of Venezuela's presidential race in a disputed election. With 80% of ballots counted, the National Electoral Council (CNE) head Elvis Amoroso, who is seen as a close ally of Maduro, announced that the incumbent president secured 51% of the vote, narrowly beating his main opponent who garnered 44%. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Cosatu...

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) has strongly condemned recent incidents of racism at Table View and Pinelands High Schools in Cape Town. The union says it is unacceptable for racism to continue 30 years into South Africa's democracy, particularly during Mandela Month. These incidents include a disturbing social media video showing pupils at Pinelands High School auctioning off...

The Democratic Alliance is urging President Cyril Ramaphosa to initiate a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into all projects undertaken by the National Skills Fund (NSF). This call comes after an exposé by Nexus Forensic Services revealed that R123 million was misappropriated from the NSF to purchase luxury cars and a farm. The report implicates Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovatio...

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 Joburg Crisis Alliance will tomorrow (Saturday) march against City mayor Kabelo Gwamanda's administration. The alliance made up of several civic organizations is calling for the resignation of Gwamanda over what it deems the current deteriorating situation in the city. We caught up with the Executive Director at Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Neeshan Bolton

The Democratic Alliance in Tshwane has announced its intention to report EFF regional chairperson Councillor Obakeng Ramabodu to the South African Human Rights Commission and pursue criminal charges against him. The decision comes after Councillor Ramabodu made controversial statements during yesterday's City Council meeting, including a desire to "moer (hit) a boer" and a statement expressing a d...

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has refuted allegations of unfairly targeting Muslim women during passenger screening and searching. ACSA is responding to claims made by the Al Jama-ah party, which accused the company of profiling and victimizing Muslim women at airport security checkpoints. ACSA says its screening process is designed to strike a balance between ensuring security and respecti...

The ANC has withdrawn its motion of no confidence against Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink, citing concerns over service delivery and financial management in the metro. However, the party has acknowledged that a successful motion would require support from other parties in the local unity government, and plans to engage in consultations. To discuss this development further, we were joined by Tshepo Ma...

The Black Business Council (BBC) has hailed the signing of the Public Procurement Bill into law, citing its potential to transform public procurement by ensuring efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and integrity. Joining Elvis Presslin to discuss the implications of this legislation is BBC CEO Kganki Matabane

Interpol Secretary General, Dr. Jürgen Stock says his organisation will continue to support South Africa in fighting transnational organized crime. The Secretary General is on a two-day working visit in South Africa to strengthen and enhance police cooperation and to discuss technological tools and capabilities that could benefit South Africa in the fight against transnational organised crime. For...

The Al Jama-ah party has accused Airports Company South Africa, ACSA of profiling and victimising Muslim women at airports. The party claims Muslim women wearing hijabs (headscarves) and niqabs (face veils) are being asked to remove their headscarves by airport security. Al Jama-ah says ACSA's security tactics are tantamount to Islamophobia and a violation of freedom of religion. For more on this...

The US Treasury has imposed sanctions on two individuals identified as South Africa-based alleged operatives of the Islamic State (ISIS). The US Treasury has identified Abubakar Swalleh and Zayd Gangat as key figures in the ISIS machinery, serving as financial backers who enable the terrorist group's activities across Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa. For expert analysis, Elvis Presslin spoke...

Environmental groups have hailed President Ramaphosa's signing of the Climate Change Act as a significant milestone in South Africa's journey towards a sustainable future. This landmark legislation harmonizes policies to enable a smooth transition to a low-carbon economy. But Is SA on track to meet UN targets to combat climate change? To answer this and more, Elvis Presslin spoke to Professor Guy...

ANC Youth League leader Collen Malatji has lambasted Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi for his cabinet appointments. Malatji has has characterized Lesufi's MECs as "celebrity" and "golden boy" selections that overlooked young leaders. Malatji also criticized the provincial MECs for their alleged absence during the critical campaign period, when the ANC needed their support to stem its decline. Malatj...

The Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) is accusing the country's immigration officials of intentionally delaying Advocate Dali Mpofu's entry into Namibia. Mpofu was scheduled to represent the NEFF in a legal challenge against the Namibian electoral commission, which had deregistered the party for failing to submit required financial statements. The NEFF has denounced the delay as a political...

The Gauteng Health Department's failure to utilize R784 million allocated for cancer patients has led to a court case initiated by the Cancer Alliance, with lobby group Section 27 joining the fight. The case was postponed yesterday due to late document submissions by the respondents. Section27 attorney Khanyisa Mapipa discusses the background and implications of this case with Elvis Presslin

The Financial Intelligence Centre, FIC says certain business sectors are deliberately ignoring its directives, hindering South Africa's efforts to exit the grey list. The Financial Action Task Force greylisted South Africa in 2023 due to concerns over the country's ability to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. FIC says South Africa's continued presence on the grey list is attributed...

The Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) is accusing the country's immigration officials of intentionally delaying Advocate Dali Mpofu's entry into Namibia. Mpofu was scheduled to represent the NEFF in a legal challenge against the Namibian electoral commission, which had deregistered the party for failing to submit required financial statements. The NEFF has denounced the delay as a political...

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has taken legal action against the appointment of former Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The party is citing concerns over his suitability for the role. The DA argues that it is unacceptable for a former judge, who was previously impeached for gross misconduct, to be appointed by Parliament to serve on the very same co...

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, has vowed to take decisive action against underperforming municipalities plagued by corruption and inefficiency. In a bid to restore effective governance, Hlabisa has announced plans to dissolve municipalities found misusing funds. This move comes in response to the 2022 State of Local Government Report, which reveale...

The head of the US Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle has stepped down amid mounting pressure and scrutiny following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The resignation comes as lawmakers and officials continue to raise questions about the security measures in place during Trump's July 13 rally in Pennsylvania, where the former president was injured in a shooting. Cheatle's de...

The City of Cape Town is intensifying its efforts to revitalize key central business districts by boosting law enforcement presence. As part of this initiative, additional municipal police officers will be deployed, with Bellville CBD receiving an 18-officer reinforcement. JTo discuss the impact of this initiative Elvis Presslin spoke to Derek Bock, CEO at Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement Dis...

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union, NEHAWU is threatening to ban to ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary Bheki Mtolo over his derogatory remarks towards its members. During an ANC event in Kokstad, held to commemorate Nelson Mandela's birthday, Mtolo accused NEHAWU-affiliated workers for subpar service delivery in government departments, including SASSA, Home Affairs, and the Departme...

Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has finalized its retrenchment process, with roughly 3,700 jobs affected across its operations in South Africa. The retrenchments are reportedly a result of the company's efforts to mitigate the financial impact of declining platinum group metal prices, which have significantly squeezed profit margins. The job cuts account for about 17% of Amplats' workforce, with...

A South African delegation is currently in the United States to lobby against a Senate review of the bilateral relations between the two countries. Last month, the House of Representatives passed a law requiring a comprehensive assessment of the bilateral relations, which could potentially harm trade ties and jeopardize South Africa's participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)....