First Take SA

With just six days left before the Local Government Elections, access to information on political parties, their nominated candidates and the voting process has come to the fore. To help South Africans and in line with its public mandate, the SABC recently launched a dedicated website to bring you up to the minute election coverage and everything you need to know before you cast your vote on Novem...

The African Content Movement leader, Hlaudi Motsoeng has vowed to deliver 'miracles' within the first six months of being voted into municipal councils post the November 1st Local Government Elections. Motsoeneng launched his party's election manifesto in his home town of Qwa-Qwa in the Free State, labeling himself as a man of action. The former SABC COO, is known amongst many other controversies...

As the country heads to the Local Government Elections on November 1, a number of communities say they continue to be overlooked and marginalised. The Unemployed People's Movement and the Gatvol Movement are two such organisations. The movements have accused government of failing to improve the lives of ordinary South Africans in the 27 years since the birth of democracy. Millions of young people...

The November 1st Local Government Elections are just 11 days away and parties on the campaign trail will seek to intensify their messaging in the coming days. Communities across the country have for the past two months witnessed various political parties making promises and commitments on service delivery issues such as the provision of water and electricity, housing, jobs and the rooting out of c...

Despite constituting the majority of South Africa's population and comprising the largest number of voters, women participation as candidates in elections is still skewed in favour of men. In the 2016 municipal elections, women accounted for 58% of voters, and yet just under 40% of the elected candidates were women. Laws such as the Municipal Structures Act require that party lists for local gover...

In the midst of escalating new wave pro-democracy protests; King Mswati has ordered the immediate and indefinite closure of all schools in eSwatini. Pupils and students in the kingdom have been protesting for a number of weeks, boycotting lessons and calling for free schooling, as well as an end to the rule under King Mswati III. ESwatini's  Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini announced the king's...

Political analyst, Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast, believes the November 1st Local Government Elections will most likely produce more coalition governments. This morning we examine the future of municipal coalition governments in light of dismal developments in Nelson Mandela Bay , Tshwane and Johannesburg Metros where shacky coalitions were cobbled up after the 2016 election.  Dr Breakfast maintain...

The Minority Front has encouraged registered voters to vote with their heads during the upcoming Local Government Elections on November the 1st. The party, formed back in 1993 has been in existence for 28 years now although its base remains within the Indian community, in areas such as Chatsworth and Phoenix in KwaZulu-Natal. Party leader Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, wife of the former leader, Amichan...

Al Jama-ah is the latest political party to reject the call for an independent Western Cape. Addressing party members in supporters on the party's election manifesto ahead of the local government elections in Kliptown, Soweto last Friday, party President, Ganief Hendricks lambasted the suggestion. Founded in 2007, the party has grown to have a representation in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Weste...

The Patriotic Alliance says first on its priority list when it takes over municipalities will be to deal with the issue of illegal immigrants. It says all illegal foreign nationals will be taken out of South Africa following the November 1st elections. Its leader Gayton McKenzie says only those with scarce skills will be let into the country. The PA launched its local government election manifesto...

The 2021 local government elections have seen an increase in the number of independent candidates compared to 2016. A total of 1 549 independents have registered and will be contesting in wards across the country come November the 1st.  However, some voters are skeptical about voting for an independent candidate. On the show this morning, we are in conversation with One SA Movement leader, Mm...

The Congress of the People - COPE - wants all its Councillors to be trained so that they understand and implement the Public Finance Management Act. This was one of the promises made by party president, Mosiuoa Lekota during the party's manifesto launch in Johannesburg last month. The party, which is a splinter group from the ruling African National Congress, only won 0.67% of the popular mandate...

Good party leader, Patricia De Lille has pleaded with registered voters for the upcoming Local Government Elections to lend her party their votes in order to better fight corruption, deliver GOOD services and unseat the ruling ANC. The Good Party launched its election manifesto 3 weeks ago, ahead of the November 1st elections, promising pro-poor plans that are aimed at tackling transport and housi...

The ACDP launched its manifesto for the November 1st local government elections in Johannesburg on Saturday. Party leader Rev Kenneth Meshoe says the foundation of the party is based on biblical and family values. Meshoe put emphasis on fighting crime and corruption, empowering small business and the issue of mandatory vaccination. We speak to Deputy President of the African Christian Democratic P...

United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader, General Bantu Holomisa has promised voters that the party will not politicise service delivery. Holomisa was speaking on Saturday during the manifesto launch of the party at Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. 

The Western Cape Transport Department has warned that it will not hesitate to close down more taxi routes and ranks that risk the lives of commuters through violence. This follows YESTERDAY'S killing of three people at the Joe Slovo Taxi rank in Cape Town while a fourth person was admitted to a local hospital. Police have since opened a triple murder investigation and that of attempted murder. Ear...

The South African Cabin Crew Association says it is cautiously optimistic ahead of the South African Airways' return to the skies this morning. SAA was grounded in March 2020 due to travel bans to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. The cash-strapped airline was placed under administration after it failed to make a profit for almost a decade, surviving on state bailouts and government debt guarantees....

President Cyril Ramaphosa has given a strong signal that the 350 rand Social Relief of Distress Grant will be extended beyond March next year. Addressing COSATU's three-day Central Committee gathering, President Ramaphosa said the level of unemployment in the country is beyond a crisis. He said there's a need to extend more support to the unemployed and the poor. The three-day Central Committee ga...

The Democratic Alliance has reiterated its call for policing powers to be placed under provincial governments. The party says this will better assist in fighting violent crimes including gender-based violence in the country. DA shadow minister of policing, Andrew Whitfield, has also suggested a cut to the VIP protection budget by half and channel the savings to visible policing in communities. We...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has invited members of the public to send their nominations for the position of the next Chief Justice of South Africa. This comes as the term of the current Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng comes to an end on 11 October. Ramaphosa has given the public until 1 October to send their nominations, following which a panel will shortlist between three and five candidates for his...

Cosas reacts to adjustment of matric exam timetable

The ANC has urged its members to exhaust their internal party structures instead of resorting to protests. Hundreds of ANC members YESTERDAY marched on the party's headquarters Luthuli House in Johannesburg to protest against their councillor candidate selection process. They say the process is fraught with corruption and are accusing their Provincial List Committees of dismally failing to help th...

A professor in the Department of Safety and Security Management at the Tshwane University of Technology says the issue of members of the police who turn the gun on their families is often cultivated by the culture of secrecy within the police service. Professor Kholofelo Mothibi says much needs to be done to address some of the factors that contribute to officers reacting violently towards those c...

Fiduciary Technology Services Company, Cliqtech, estimates there is an estimated 43-billion Rands of unclaimed inheritance benefits in financial institutions in South Africa.  The company says there are many reasons for this - such as the lack of a valid Will, an outdated Will or a poorly drafted Will.  Most of the money is in unclaimed policies and investments. Now, SmartWill has partne...

The country is expected to be dominated by politics in the next coming weeks. This as the local government elections, set for November 1, are fast approaching. Many political parties are launching their elections manifesto this weekend, while others are yet to convince the electorate why they should be voted into power. The big guns, including the ANC, are yet to announce the date for the launch o...