First Take SA

The Constitutional Court is today expected to hear arguments from Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the DA on whether it should confirm the decision of the high court regarding Mkhwebane's suspension. The court found that Ramaphosa was conflicted when he suspended Mkhwebane because she was investigating his Phala Phala farm theft. The decision will only come into...

The South African Reserve Bank is expected to raise interest rates even further. The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is expected to announce its decision on the interest rates later this afternoon. To discuss this further Elvis Presslin spoke to UKZN School of Economics Senior Lecturer, Dr. Sanele Gumede

The latest statistics released by Police Minister Bheki Cele have painted a horrifying picture of violent crimes in South Africa. More than seven thousand people have been murdered between July and September 2022, with over eight hundred more people murdered, compared to the same period last year. More than ten thousand women, men, and children were raped, with the majority of rape survivors being...

Labor analyst Terry Bell says the government can afford a lot more than a 3% wage hike. This is as public service workers continue the strike across all provinces, demanding a 10% wage increase. Speaking to our Senior producer Ronald Phiri, Bell says the government is prolonging wage negotiations to buy time to force workers to accept their 3% wage offer

The Democratic Alliance has given the acting national Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale a deadline of Friday to ensure former President Jacob Zuma returns to prison. The party's lawyers wrote to Thobakgale demanding that Zuma be returned back to Estcourt Correctional Centre to serve out the remainder of his sentence. This follows Monday's ruling by the Supreme Court of App...

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa is leading the pack in the race for the party's presidency. President Ramaphosa is way ahead of his opponent, former Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize by 2 037 nominations from branches while 916 branches nominated Mkhize. For political analysis on the latest branch nominations for the top six ANC positions ahead of the party's 55th National Conference, Elvis Presslin...

More than 800 000 public sector servants will embark on an indefinite strike from today. The strike comes after the government unilaterally implemented a 3% wage increase in the public sector. Meanwhile, Public Service Administration Minister Thulas Nxesi has called on the labor unions to return to the negotiation table. To further discuss this Elvis Presslin spoke to Public Servants Association N...

The lawyer representing Janusz Walus has welcomed the Constitutional Court's ruling for Chris Hani's killer to be released on parole within 10 days. Handing down his ruling yesterday Chief Justice Raymond Zondo said Minister Ronald Lamola's decision not to grant Janusz Walus parole was irrational and must be set aside. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Chrispin Phiri, Spokesperson for the M...

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says former President Jacob Zuma will not be going back to prison. This is despite the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein ruling which has ordered that Zuma must return to the Estcourt Correctional Centre to finish serving his sentence. In a unanimous judgment, the Appeals court declared that Zuma did not lawfully complete his prison sentence. The ANC KZN says the for...

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

Janusz Walus will today find out if he is staying in jail or being released on parole. Walus approached the Constitutional Court to review Justice Minister Ronald Lamola's 2020 decision not to approve his release on parole. Walus has been serving time in prison for the 1993 murder of SACP leader Chris Hani. To look at the legal prospects of the case Elvis Presslin spoke to Public interest Lawyer,...

The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein will hand down judgment on former President Jacob Zuma's medical parole appeal today. Zuma challenged the decision of the Pretoria High Court to set aside his medical parole. Our senior producer Ronald Phiri spoke to the spokesperson for the Jacob Zuma Foundation Mr. Mzwanele Manyi who is confident that the court will rule in Zuma's favor

The South African National Taxi Council, SANTACO in the Western Cape will embark on a stay-away today and tomorrow. The Taxi Council is protesting against the impoundment of their vehicles and demands the restoration of the Blue Dot taxi program. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to SANTACO Western Cape chairperson Mandla Hermanus

The South African Police Service is investigating a case of culpable homicide after Deputy President David Mabuza's convoy was involved in an accident in Middleburg, Mpumalanga. The accident claimed the life of one of Mabuza's bodyguards, while the second bodyguard was rushed to hospital. Police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe elaborates...

A petition calling for Pitbulls to be banned has so far garnered more than 100- thousand signatures. The petition was started by the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation following a number of fatal pit bull attacks in the Eastern Cape and the Free State. In the latest reported incident, a three-year-old boy died in Phomolong in the Free State, after he was mauled by two of the dogs. For more on this, Elvis Pre...

Public service unions have joined forces to embark on a National Day of Action next week Tuesday, following the collapse of wage negotiations with the government. The unions say pickets across the country and a march to the offices of the National Treasury in Pretoria will characterize the day. Public service unions say all public servants, including essential service workers, will be mobilized to...

Whistleblower Patricia Mashale a former administrative clerk with SAPS in the Freestate, is pleading for protection from the government after exposing wide-scale corruption within the South African Police Service. Mashale first reported the alleged corruption back in 2009. She has since been fired from the force and is in hiding amid death threats against her. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spok...

The South African police and Interpol are continuing their investigations following the arrest of an Israeli most wanted gang leader, along with seven others at a house in Bryanston, Johannesburg. 12 firearms, 40 thousand US Dollars, and suspected stolen motorcycles were seized by authorities during the arrest yesterday. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Police spokesperson Colonel Athlend...

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

German software company S.A.P has been issued with a demand to pay back over R1 billion in fees paid to the company by Eskom. The Special Investigative Unit says S.A.P scored several deals with Eskom by paying development fees to Gupta-linked companies. AmaBhungane's Expert on SAP, Susan Comrie spoke to our Senior Producer Ronald Phiri about how companies owned or controlled by the Guptas were app...

The Section 89 Panel of Experts, considering whether President Cyril Ramaphosa has a case to answer in relation to the theft of foreign currency from his Phala Phala farm will continue with its assessment over the next two weeks. The panel was expected to conclude and report back to National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula today. However, Mapisa-Nqakula announced that the deadline has be...

Avis car rental has withdrawn its fleet from the City of Joburg due to non-payment allegedly by the DA-led multiparty government. This is according to ANC Joburg regional chairperson Dada Morero, who in a tweet, accused the multiparty government of "compromising the ability of the City to maintain road safety during the festive season" after some JMPD vehicles were withdrawn. The DA says the ANC i...

The fraud and corruption trial of former State Security Agency Minister, Bongani Bongo has been postponed once again - This time to June next year. He and 11 co-accused were appearing in the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court in Mpumalanga yesterday for the start of their trial. But the defense attorney of one of the accused wanted additional information from the state. Last week, the matter was po...

Former speaker of Parliament and ANC NEC member Baleka Mbete is retiring from politics. She says she will not be available for re-election during the party's elective conference in December this year. Mbete who ran and abandoned her own ANC presidential campaign at Nasrec, Johannesburg in 2017 to back Cyril Ramaphosa told our senior Producer Ronald Phiri that she will endorse any presidential part...

Disgruntled ANC Mangaung branches say the Interim Regional Committee has tempered with the nomination packages ahead of the party's elective conference. The members have threatened legal action if their grievances are not addressed. Members gathered in their numbers outside the provincial office demanding answers. ANC Free State Spokesperson Oupa Khoabane says they are in the process of resolving...