First Take SA

The South African Policing Union, SAPU in Mpumalanga will today march to the office of the MEC for Safety over what they term "a leadership crisis in the province". The Union is expected to hand over a memorandum of grievances to the MEC. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to SAPU deputy general secretary Tshepo Matsane

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni is in Russia for an annual high-level international security meeting. The meeting comes as South Africa faces criticism over its stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. The security meeting will focus on issues like the international security situation and global food security. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Sipho Mbele, Spokesperson for the Min...

The African Transformation Movement, ATM says it is suspicious about President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to withdraw his review application on section 89 independent panel report. The Independent Panel led by Justice Sandile Ngcobo last year found that Ramaphosa may have a prima facie case to answer with regard to the 2020 robbery at his Phala Phala farm. Ramaphosa has since been advised to no lo...

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 publisher of ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba's autobiography, Jonathan Ball Publishers is withdrawing Mashaba's unauthorized biography, 'The Outsider', which was authored by political analyst Prince Mashele. Mashaba reportedly gave Mashele R12,5 million to write the book. The publishers say they had no option but to withdraw the book from the market following the disclosure that Herman Mashaba...

A three-year-old is among the 10 people who have died in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria after they were admitted to hospital with diarrhea. The authorities have now confirmed that the diarrhoeal disease outbreak reported in the area in the last few days is cholera. Lab tests were conducted on stool samples of 19 people who presented at the Jubilee District Hospital with symptoms of diarrhea, stom...

Online applications for next year's Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners will be open on the 15th of June. The MEC for Education in Gauteng, Matome Chiloane says the admission application system has been upgraded to be faster and more efficient. The MEC has urged parents to submit the correct documents and avoid applying from Internet cafes. To further discuss this Elvis Presslin spoke to the National Ass...

A seven-day ceasefire in Sudan has been signed as fighting between two warring factions entered its sixth week. The ceasefire is expected to take effect this evening (Monday). Previous truce attempts between Sudan's regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have tended to collapse within minutes of beginning. Fighting between the two sides has plunged the country into chaos, wit...

EFF leader Julius Malema has reiterated his claim that South Africa could face a grid collapse in the next two weeks. Malema told the SABC yesterday that information about the eminent grid collapse was reportedly exchanged between the FBI and local intelligence authorities - This as the country continues to implement higher stages of rolling blackouts. Meanwhile, power utility Eskom says the count...

Eskom is considering taking action against its former CEO Andre de Ruyter for the breaching confidentiality clause in his employment contract. The power utility's Board chair Mpho Makwana says de Ruyter broke trust and committed various transgressions by breaching the company's rules when publishing his book 'Truth to Power'. In the book, De Ruyter makes serious allegations of political interferen...

The City of Cape Town has raised concerns about the delays in the destruction of illegal firearms confiscated by the police. It has emerged that none of the illegal firearms that the police confiscated in the Western Cape in the first quarter of 2023 have been destroyed. This as last week, Gun Free South Africa lodged papers in the Western Cape High Court on behalf of families, to hold police acco...

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 Government seems to be pushing ahead with its plans to use Turkish company Karpowership's mounted power plants in an effort to alleviate the country's energy crisis. During his appearance before Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan shared his thoughts on the matter, saying that if the terms are right, South Africa should use Ka...

The partial privatization of SAA is underway with Takatso Consortium poised to acquire a 51% stake in SAA. The Competition Commission recently approved the deal on the condition that Takatso agrees to retain a minimum number of employees. Another condition includes starting a process to allow some shareholders in the consortium to exit the deal in the spirit of fair competition in the domestic air...

Residents of Fleurhof and Florida, on Gauteng's West Rand, will embark on a two-day total shutdown starting today, over a lack of service delivery. The residents have accused local government officials of turning a blind eye to long-standing issues, water and electricity supply problems, and illegal mining activities, among other grievances. Major roads such as Main Reef and Ontdekkers could be im...

President Cyril Ramaphosa and his predecessor, former President Jacob Zuma will face off in court today over the private prosecution sought by the former Head of State. Ramaphosa is seeking a final interdict to halt the private prosecution bid against him. Zuma brought an application against Ramaphosa last year, accusing him of failing to act against prosecutor, Advocate Billy Downer, for allegedl...

Grade 4 learners in South Africa have produced one of the worst reading results in the world, with 81 percent incapable of reading for meaning. This is according to the latest Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study report. The country's average score was 288 in the last five-year period in which the study was conducted, far below the 500 international average. For some analysis, Elvi...

The Independent Electoral Commission, IEC says allocations to some political parties are being withheld since they did not submit audited financial statements. The AIC, IFP, and Congress of the People are some of the parties whose funds are being withheld by the IEC. Of the 515 registered parties, only 12 disclosed a total amount of 145.5 million. The ANC, DA, ACTION SA, EFF, and IFP are some part...

Acting Joburg Mayor Kenny Kunene says they will be issuing warnings to Hillbrow residents living in dilapidated and hijacked buildings. He says they will also be raiding scrap yards and buildings where drugs are sold. Kunene was doing rounds in the city centre yesterday. To discuss this further Elvis Presslin spoke to the MMC of Safety and Security in the City of Johannesburg Municipality, Dr. Mgc...

The government's climate body, the Presidential Climate Commission has raised concerns about the financing of the expansion of the electricity grid capacity. The Commission was briefing the media virtually yesterday. It says that while there is consensus between all stakeholders on the significance of upgrading and expanding the national grid - the funding element must be cleared. The commission s...

The DA is preparing to challenge the draft Employment Equity Amendment Act in the constitutional court. The party says the draft Act which was published for public comment last week, categorizes South Africans along racial lines. The DA says it is particularly outraged by the effect the proposed "racial quotas" would have on colored and Indian citizens. Trade union Solidarity has since served Pres...

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 state of local governance in KwaZulu-Natal, coalitions, and service delivery are some of the challenges facing the provincial ANC. This is according to ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula who was part of the ANC top brass visiting party provincial structures at the weekend. Mbalula says there will be no holy cows, as the state of affairs within the provincial ANC is continuing on its downward...

Calls are mounting for the removal of the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety following his claims that South Africa sold weapons to Russia. Brigety who has since apologized, alleged that a Russian ship had been loaded with ammunition and weapons in Cape Town last year. The South African Communist Party, SACP, and EFF are now calling for Brigety's removal stating his comments are tantamo...

Scores of people have been evacuated from Motherwell, and Kwazakhele in the Eastern Cape, with some roads closed following heavy rains in the province. Several families in Nelson Mandela Bay have also been displaced. According to Nelson Mandela Bay, some community members are currently accommodated in community halls, and more people were being evacuated. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to...