First Take SA

Time to take a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of  Africa Is Open For Business and Africa BouncShes Back. Victor is also the Executive Director for Marketing and Communication at the University of Limpopo

The Government will establish an independent inquiry into allegations that South Africa supplied weapons and ammunition to Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine. This follows a scathing attack by US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety who accused South Africa of providing arms to Russia through a Russian ship that docked at the Simon's Town naval base in Cape Town in December last year. The...

Please Call Me inventor Nkosana Makate says he will continue to oppose Vodacom's application to have the high court order granted against them overturned. Earlier this week the Supreme Court of Appeals reserved judgment on the matter over the right compensation for Makate's "Please Call Me" concept. Vodacom has offered Makate R47 million, but he wants 5% of the generated revenue, which he puts at...

ActionSA has called for an investigation into the disappearance of R300 million in pension funds of employees who belong to a government bus company in Limpopo. More than 800 employees of the Great North Transport bus company have been left without their retirement savings. To further discuss this Elvis Presslin spoke to ActionSA Limpopo Provincial Chairperson, Sello Lediga

The Department of Tourism is proposing the establishment of a police unit to safeguard tourists visiting South Africa. Deputy Minister of Tourism, Fish Mahlalela says the government is working closely with law enforcement to set up a special policing unit to address safety concerns in the country. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Chad Thomas, Chief Executive Officer IRS Forensic Investiga...

A group of disgruntled former Covid-19 contract workers has staged a sit-in demonstration at the office of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi. The workers whose contracts were terminated by the Gauteng Department of Health in March this year are demanding employment from Lesufi. The temporary Covid-19 workers were appointed in 2020 during the height of the Pandemic. For more on this, Elvis Presslin sp...

Gun Free South Africa has lodged papers in the Cape Town High Court on behalf of families, to hold police accountable for deaths and injuries resulting from police-owned firearms, sold to criminals by a former police colonel, Christian Prinsloo. Prinsloo, who supplied gangs in the Western Cape with firearms, was sentenced to 18 years in jail in 2016 and was later released after serving less than a...

The South African Municipal Workers' Union, SAMWU will today march to the office of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi over the outsourcing of municipal services in the City of Johannesburg. SAMWU says the City has more than capable workers to execute municipal services but the City insists on using outside labour. To further discuss this Elvis Presslin spoke to SAMWU General Secretary, Dumisane Magag...

AfriForum is heading to court to challenge the 5-year validity period for South African driving licences. The organisation believes it is unconstitutional for motorists to have to renew their licence cards. This as the country's only licence printing machine is once again out of order. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Afriforum's Campaign Officer for Strategy and Content, Ernst van Zyl.

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...