First Take SA

The Supreme Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling that municipalities cannot demolish structures without a court order. The legal battle stems from the demolitions that took place at the Ethembeni informal settlement in Khayelitsha, Cape Town in July 2020. Now for more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Thato Masiangoako, Researcher at Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI)

Elvis Presslin takes a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoesoana, 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 Department of Justice is proposing a change to reduce the number of languages for which court interpreters are provided, limiting services to the 12 official languages, French, and Portuguese. This decision follows the department's expenditure of nearly R176 million on interpretation services for foreigners who claimed they did not understand English or any other local language over the past t...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the assassination attempt on former United States President Donald Trump. Trump was shot in the ear, and rushed to safety by secret service agents during his election rally in Pennsylvania. In a statement on X, Ramaphosa says the attack on Trump is a stark reminder of the dangers of political extremism and intolerance. He says political violence is the antit...

Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile has unveiled plans to establish a state bank. Maile, held a press conference to brief the media on the current state of the province's economy and financial situation. He says the proposed state bank and revenue enhancement initiatives are expected to be major priorities for the province's economic development agenda. For the latest...

The South African Police Service (SAPS) is launching a specialized social media monitoring unit to track down criminals hiding behind online profiles. This move comes after investigations into the 2021 unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal which claimed 350 lives, revealed the need for closer scrutiny of online activities. To discuss this initiative Elvis Presslin spoke to Police Spokesperson, Briga...

Tragedy has struck in Boston, KZN Midlands, where a raging veldfire has claimed the lives of six brave firefighters. Three of the firefighters succumbed to their injuries, leaving only two survivors, who are fighting for their lives in critical condition. The devastating blaze is believed to have been sparked by poachers attempting to drive animals out of the forest. To share more on this tragic i...

Civil rights organization AfriForum is preparing to lay charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering against EFF leaders Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu. This after former VBS chairperson, Tshifhiwa Matodzi, implicated the pair and ANC leaders in the collapse of the bank, as part of his plea deal. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to AfriForum CEO, Kallie Kriel

North West public healthcare facilities are still facing ongoing challenges. The latest Ritshidze State of Health report reveals persistent issues of lengthy clinic wait times and inadequate ARV refills for HIV patients. While waiting times have improved slightly, patients still face average wait times of over three hours at 53 facilities. Elvis Presslin spoke to Ndivhuwo Rambau, Project Coordinat...

Nine police officers have been arrested by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) in connection with a May shooting incident in Pinetown. The officers reportedly pulled over a local businessman on the M13 and opened fire while he was still in his vehicle. The businessman escaped uninjured as his vehicle was bullet-proof. The officers are now facing charges of attempted murder. Elv...

The MK Party in Durban is planning a march and legal action against DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille over alleged racist remarks. The party claims Zille's comments about KwaZulu-Natal being "thrown to the dogs" were derogatory and targeted MK and EFF members. However, Zille maintains that her statement was misconstrued and meant to convey concerns about the potential consequences if MK a...

Kenyan political economist Martin Andati says President William Ruto's decision to dissolve his cabinet has come too late. In a move that has been seen as a response to mounting pressure, Ruto fired his entire cabinet, with the exception of the deputy president and one senior cabinet member. Andati argues that the President is finally yielding to the intense pressure generated by the widespread pr...

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) has announced plans to retrench around 152 non-academic staff members. The decision comes after the university has already let go of 21 staff members in the past year due to operational requirements. To discuss this further, Elvis Presslin spoke to Nehawu Durban regional secretary, Prince Mthalane

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

Build One South Africa leader, Mmusi Maimane, has been appointed as the Chairperson of Parliament's Standing Committee on Appropriations. The committee oversees government spending, amends legislation, and reviews reports on actual expenditure before they are presented to the National Assembly. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Mmusi Maimane, the new Chairperson of Parliament's Standing Com...

48% of South Africans are without a retirement plan in place. This is according to the 2024 FNB Retirement Insights Survey. The survey found that most South Africans are unprepared for retirement due to economic pressures and financial illiteracy. Our Senior Producer Ronald Phiri spoke to FNB's Wealth and Investments Product Head, Samukelo Zwane about why a large number of South Africans are witho...

The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng is calling for criminal charges against individuals found negligent in the Life Esidimeni patient deaths. The court found former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and Mental Health Head Dr. Makgabo Manamela responsible for the deaths of 144 mental healthcare patients who died in 2016. The DA says criminal charges against Qedani Mahlangu and all individuals impli...

Equal Education (EE) has vehemently denounced the appointment of former minister Zizi Kodwa, who is currently facing corruption charges, to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education. In a strongly-worded letter to ANC Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli, the Movement urged the party to immediately withdraw Kodwa's nomination and initiate proceedings to remove him from his position as a member of parliamen...

The highly anticipated cabinet lekgotla, a gathering of 11 political parties, is now scheduled for this weekend in Cape Town. This after being rescheduled from its original dates of Thursday and Friday. This crucial meeting will bring together the Government of National Unity (GNU) parties to outline the government's strategic plan for the next five years - setting the stage for a unified approach...

The ANC Youth League has slammed Sports, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie over his decision to end government-funded trips for superfans. The League is also criticizing McKenzie's decision to release a list of creatives who received funding from the Department during the Covid-19 pandemic. To elaborate on the ANCYL's stance, Elvis Presslin spoke to the ANCYL spokesperson Zama Khanyase

The Democratic Alliance has vehemently opposed Dr. John Hlophe's election to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The party argues that Hlophe's prior removal as a judge for gross misconduct makes him unfit to represent the National Assembly on the JSC.  The DA says that appointing Hlophe could damage the JSC's credibility and efficiency, potentially leading to numerous objections and legal chal...

Newly appointed Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has announced on social media platform X that he has terminated all sponsored trips for 'super fans'. According to Minister McKenzie, the funds previously allocated for these trips will now be redirected to support struggling athletes and artists in attending events and exhibitions. Notably, the two individuals known as the faces of the 'super-fans',...

Eskom has reintroduced load reduction measures to mitigate excessive demand on its strained networks. The power utility is reporting widespread overloaded transformers, particularly in seven provinces, namely: Limpopo, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and North West. Eskom has deemed load reduction necessary to prevent repeated equipment failures and explosions. Elvi...

The eThekwini municipal council is set to elect a new mayor today, following the deployment of Mxolisi Kaunda to the National Council of Provinces. The new mayor will inherit a raft of challenges, notably the persistent service delivery issues and concerns over the quality of water sources and rivers in the metro. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Zwakele Mncwango, ActionSA's KZN Provincial...

The highly anticipated judgment in the Life Esidimeni inquest is expected to be delivered today by Judge Mmonoa Teffo at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. The inquest aimed to hold accountable those responsible for the tragic deaths of 141 vulnerable mental health patients. The patients lost their lives after being transferred from Life Esidimeni facilities to under-equipped and ill-prepared Non...