First Take SA

A senior official at the WHO has warned against stigmatization, which could emerge as the divide between vaccinated and unvaccinated people within communities or societies, grows.  This sentiment was echoed by an official at GAVI- The Vaccine Alliance who reiterated their view that vaccinations were an individual choice despite the urgent public health implications of not vaccinating.  T...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he considered a number of options when he found out state capture was happening under his watch as deputy.  He was testifying at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture YESTERDAY. Ramaphosa, will continue to testify TODAY, giving evidence as head of the ANC and as Deputy President of the Republic from May 2014.  The president also dealt with matters of...

As South Africa continues to record new covid-19 cases and deaths, pharmaceutical company MSD says an effective treatment, in addition to vaccination, could prove to be a critical component in the fight against the virus. MSD says it is in its final stages of developing an Investigational Antiviral Candidate for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19.  The organization says clinical trial...

Demand for oxygen and Oxygen cylinders has skyrocketed in the country due to covid-19 related infections. Health care professionals say consumers are prepared to pay any price to purchase oxygen and oxygen cylinders to save the lives of their loved ones. An oxygen cylinder and a regulator could now cost you about four thousand Rands, while refiling oxygen could set you back more than 200 Rands. Am...

The ANC in the Free State has re-iterated that members can support criminally-charged party members in their personal capacity. This is ahead of TODAY'S multimillion rand asbestos corruption pre-trial hearing in the Bloemfontein High Court. Suspended ANC secretary-general, Ace Magashule, alongside 10 others and five companies face more than 70 charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering. The...

The ANC caucus in Parliament has nominated former Defence minisiter, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, as the Speaker Elect. This follows the selection of National Assembly Speaker, Thandi Modise to replace Mapisa-Nqakula in her former position in last week's cabinet reshuffle. Parliament is currently in recess until the middle of this month after which a Speaker will be elected at the sitting of the Natio...

Today's highly anticipated court appearance of jailed former President Jacob Zuma will be heard virtually. This after the former president was admitted at a Military hospital on Thursday for observation by the Military Health Services. The virtual court appearance in the Pietermaritzburg High Court is expected to hear Zuma's application for a postponement of the case. Initially, today's date was s...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says government has allocated approximately R21 billion over the next three years to support the six pillars of the national strategic plan aimed at eradicating gender-based violence. He says the critical pillar of the plan is to ensure womens' economic-financial inclusion. Yesterday, Ramaphosa held a virtual women's day celebration address, marking the sixty years since...

Power utility Eskom has assured consumers that an explosion at the newly completed multi-billion rand Medupi power station would not result in load shedding. The power utility said a generation unit caught alight on Sunday night and affected another unit. All employees who were on duty were accounted for while several employees were treated for shock. No other serious injuries were reported. For i...

This Tuesday, 10 August 2021 edition of Africa Brief we take a look at SADC Cross-Border Payments Become Seamless Agricultural Exports in Egypt Rise to 4.3 Million Tons...and... Nigeria's Dangote Refinery Capacity Scares Off Licensees From Investing in Petrol Refining

Victor Kgomoesoana, Director at "Africa Is Open For Business" who has also authored a new book "Africa Bounces Back", to look at this week's top African economic stories....... EAST AFRICA: The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development - IGAD - Issues Alert Over Ageing Tanker Abandoned in the Red Sea ANGOLA: Isabel dos Santos Ordered to Return to Angola U.S.$500 Million in Shares 'Tainted by Ill...

The battle by education advocacy group, Section 27, to get rid of pit toilets in Limpopo schools is set to continue in the Polokwane High Court today (Friday). In 2018, Judge Gerrit Muller ordered that the Limpopo Department of Education and Department of Basic Education to develop a plan to eradicate pit toilets at Limpopo schools. Section 27 together with Equal Education, who have joined as a fr...

One of the most glaring surprises of last night's cabinet reshuffle announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa was his acceptance of the resignation of a long-standing request by Minister Tito Mboweni to be excused from his position as Minister of Finance. He was replaced by ANC finance guru, Enoch Gondongwana. To find out how he will be recieved by the business sector and the markets here is Dawie Ro...

For some analysis of last night's cabinet reshuffle here is Prof Zwelinzima Ndevu, Director of the School of Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University....

President Cyril Ramaphosa has made some changes to his Cabinet. This saw several ministers being moved around, following the resignation of Health Minister Doctor Zweli Mkhize and Finance Minister Tito Mboweni. The president told the nation as he announced the changes in his cabinet, that this happens at a time the country is facing several challenges which needed to be attended to, with urgency....

Former president Jacob Zuma will have his in-person court hearing next week Tuesday, following a directive that the matter involving him and the Thales Group will be heard in an open court in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. The decision comes after a ruling against an application by prosecutor advocate Billy Downer, who wanted the matter to be held virtually like before. For more on this here is...

The South African National Parks has announced that it is set to go cash-free from next month. The cash-free payment system will be implemented in a two-phased approach with several parks implementing from this year and the remaining parks implementing at a later stage. SANParks' Chief Financial Officer, Dumisani Dlamini elaborates....

Economic Freedom Fighters in the eThekwini region will TODAY (Thursday) march to Phoenix. The party says this is in response to the killings that occurred during the unrest last month, as well as vigilante incidents that resulted in racial tensions in the area. About 36 people were killed. The DA leader, John Steenhuisen has meanwhile written to the Human Rights Commission in an attempt to stop th...

Lobby group AfriForum has joined the lawsuit over the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC's) ConCourt application to postpone this year's local elections. IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini, YESTERDAY confirmed that the application to the Constitutional Court will be served on all political parties. Afriforum however believes that the implementation of the correct measures will ensure that the Loc...

Additional train and bus trips have been scheduled between Paarl and Cape Town, as part of the contingency measures to help commuters who have been left stranded by renewed taxi violence. This, as another person has been gunned down at a taxi rank in Milnerton near Cape Town. The shooting comes hours after a truce was announced by Transport minister Fikile Mbalula, including an immediate ceasefire...

As of THIS MORNING, the price of fuel has increased to record high levels that will have a domino effect on food prices, transport costs and services. Petrol now costs R18-30 cents per litre inland. Diesel is up by 58-cents a litre and illuminating paraffin by 50-cents a litre. While this steep increase is a major blow to consumers and motorists, it is a double blow for the unemployed and poor peo...

Co-operative and Traditional Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has proclaimed the local government election date as the 27th of October - until such time as the Constitutional Court postpones the elections. Dlamini-Zuma says she is bound by the Constitution and other legal statutes to timeously proclaim the date of the local government elections. She announced that gazetting the date does...

The National Department of Health is working on a program that will enable them to vaccinate undocumented foreigners against Covid-19. According to Stats SA and the United Nations, there are roughly four million undocumented foreigners living in South Africa. Liela Magnus has more... 

Employees at the SABC may soon be under surveillance, as the organisation intends contractually to intercept communications.  In clause 24 of the new contract, the public broadcaster says it reserves the right to act on any incoming and outgoing emails. It also says it reserves the right to read, save and block cellphone and telephone conversations as well as SMSs. Sashin Naidoo reports...

Trade unions representing Mango Airlines' workers are heading to court to demand that the low-cost airline be placed under Business Rescue. Their application will be heard in the Johannesburg High Court today (Tuesday). Unions want clarity on the airline's future, citing that the Public Enterprises Department has no intention of keeping the cash-strapped carrier in the sky. President of the South...