First Take SA

A Manhattan jury has found former U.S. President Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation of author E. Jean Carroll as a weeks-long civil trial concluded in New York. Carroll claimed Trump sexually assaulted her more than two decades ago and then defamed her by claiming her account was a hoax. The federal jury of six men and three women took less than three hours to return their verdict...

The eThekwini municipality is proposing an R100 monthly flat rate for services in the City's rural areas. City Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda says rural areas in the municipality have seen rapid population growth over the past few years which has led to increased demand for services like water, electricity, and refuse collection. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Mxolisi Kaunda

Tensions remain high in Pakistan following the arrest of the country's former prime minister Imran Khan. Mr. Khan was arrested while appearing at the High Court in the capital, Islamabad on charges of corruption, which he says are politically motivated. Yesterday the country witnessed sporadic protests organized in major cities of Pakistan. The protests have also spread to Pakistan's consulate in...

The government will appeal a ruling by the North Gauteng High Court which exempted public facilities such as hospitals, police stations, and schools from power cuts. Yesterday Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan announced that Government will lodge an urgent appeal to set aside the judgment. Last week the Court ordered the government to exempt essential public facilities from load shedding....

Deputy President Paul Mashatile will today conduct a service delivery oversight visit to the Jagersfontein disaster area in the Free State. In September last year, a dam collapsed at a diamond mine in Jagersfontein, leading to the death of one person and the displacement of many others, leaving more than 160 families homeless. The Deputy President is expected to provide feedback to the community o...

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 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...