First Take SA

Environmental justice groups and some coastal communities have opposed plans by the South African government to buy emergency electricity from gas-to-power powership projects. A deal between the government and Turkish owned operator, Karpowership SA, has been given the environmental go-ahead by assessors, subject to a few mitigation measures aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the projec...

All captive lions or lions bred for commercial use must be ethically and humanely euthanised. This is one of the recommendations of the High Level Panel appointed by Forestry, Fisheries and Environment minister Barbara Creecy. The panel investigated the management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling of five of South Africa's iconic animals - namely elephant, lion, leopard and white and black rh...

The Interim Provincial Committee of the ANC in the North West says former Premier of the province, Supra Mahumapelo remains suspended from the party until his appeal has been communicated to the structure. The committee says it was taken aback by letters written by ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule informing Mahumapelo that since he has appealed his five-year suspension to the national disciplin...

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa says he regrets that the party delayed investigating allegations of state capture through parliament's committees in 2016, but denies that this was due to deliberate resistance. Testifying on Day Two at the State Capture Commission as Head of the ANC, Ramaphosa dealt with issues relating to political party funding including his CR17 campaign, party discipline as well...

Former ANC Chairperson and Premier of the North West, Supra Mahumapelo has called on the party's Secretary General, Ace Magashule to NOT step aside if he feels he has not done anything wrong. Mahumapelo was speaking with our political reporter, Samkele Maseko in an exclusive interview YESTERDAY. Although Mahumapelo has been slapped with a five year suspension from the party for indiscipline by the...

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande has defended the government's decision to source Cuban engineers to help repair the country's ailing water infrastructure. Nzimande was speaking during a visit to the Elijah Barayi Memorial Training Centre in Midrand, north of Johannesburg. The centre upskills mineworkers in various fields

The City of Cape Town will today be meeting firefighters over a threat to down tools due to poor working conditions and retrenchments. The meeting comes after South African Municipal Workers Union - SAMWU warned against the impending mass dismissal of over 500 firefighters by the City of Cape Town. SAMWU is also complaining about the long working hours without any form of compensation nor control...

Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, has until Friday to suspend her department's Cuban engineer programme, or she may have to defend its rollout in court. The programme has aroused controversy, with trade union Solidarity, threatening to go to court TOMORROW (Friday) to obtain an interdict, forcing its suspension. There's also been a backlash from South Africa's Engin...

The ANC did not do enough to fight corruption and state capture. President, Cyril Ramaphosa made this acknowledgement at the Zondo Commission on Wednesday. He said the capture was only clear in hindsight. The commission spent much of the day questioning Ramaphosa on the ANC's Cadre Deployment policy.

The South African Municipal Workers Union - SAMWU - has warned against the impending mass dismissal of over 500 firefighters by the City of Cape Town. This follows a wage dispute between firefighters and City management which dates back to 2010. The matter was brought to the Labour Court with both parties instructed to sit and resolve their differences. The bone of contention is the terms of emplo...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has implored South Africans to vote out corrupt and incompetent leaders at the upcoming October 27th polls. He says voting is the best form of protest and reminds all leaders that they are in the service of the people and not themselves. The President was speaking at the Freedom Celebrations in Botsabelo, Free State, YESTERDAY as the country commemorated 27 years of Democ...

Former Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane has told the State Capture Commission that he appointed two of his advisers because they understood the culture of the African National Congress. However, when further questioned the former minister failed to give information about two of his advisers, Malcolm Mabaso and Kueban Moodley. Zwane told the commission that it was his department that was...

Former ANC Chairperson and premier in the North West, Supra Mahumapelo, says the ANC is flouting the constitution, as some of the party's resolutions are in conflict with the law. He says they want the national executive committee (NEC) of the party to intervene. This emerged during Maumapelo' address to branch members in Delareyville.

Should the Charlotte Maxeke hospital fire be found to be the result of human error, heads will roll. That's according to the Gauteng government. The blaze broke out in a storage room, which spread to other parts of the hospital. After the fire was extinguished.... It opened more questions about the lack of working fire hydrants. Even more concerning, the safety of patients at state hospitals.

The Independent Electoral Commission says it has drawn important lessons from this week's by-elections and is better prepared for the sixth Local Government Elections later this year. President Cyril Ramaphosa has since announced that this year's elections will be held on October 27, pending the final proclamation by Cooperative Government and Traditional affairs Minister,Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. T...

It's crunch time today as government is expected to present its final make or break wage offer to public sector unions later this morning. Public sector labour unions have threatened to go on a nationwide strike if the government does not revise its zero percent wage increase offer for the 2021/22 financial year. Government has remained adamant that it will not review its decision to introduce a s...

ANC veteran and businessman Tokyo Sexwale has lamented statements by the South African Reserve Bank and the National treasury wherein they dismiss his claims about a Heritage Fund, called the White Spiritual Boy Trust as a scam. Sexwale says the fund was meant to operate through central banks across all jurisdictions via the Bank of International Settlements. He says it has security clearance from...

The ANC Interim Provincial Commitee(IPC) in North West, has temporarily suspended the membership of former premier and ANC provincial chairperson, Supra Mahumapelo, with immediate effect. This follows a meeting in Potchefstroom, where he allegedly instructed JB Marks Local Municipality mayor Kgotso Khumalo not to resign. The IPC earlier requested Khumalo to resign, as he was facing charges of frau...

Some South Africans and political organisations are up in arms following the announcement by the Department of Water and Sanitation that it has appointed 24 Cuban engineers to assist with the country's water infrastructure challenges. The department says the engineers have been seconded to South Africa to enhance and improve government's efforts on water delivery and related services.

The National Prosecuting Authority has confirmed that it received correspondence from former President Jacob Zuma's lawyers - Mabuza Attorneys - indicating they were no longer representing him in his upcoming corruption trial in connection with the arms deal. Mabuza attorneys also filed a notice of withdrawal with the Pietermaritzburg High Court YESTERDAY. No reasons were given for the sudden deci...

Firefighters who responded to last weekend's blaze at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg, say they could have acted more swiftly had the fire hydrant system been fully operational. The fire has again put the spotlight on poor health and safety controls and non-compliance in government buildings. In 2018, three firefighters were killed in an inferno at the Bank of Lisbon building in the...

South Africa has struck a R218 billion energy deal with Turkish company Karpowership to provide South Africa with power from Ships. The three floating power stations - which use Liquefied Natural Gas to produce electricity - are expected to dock at Saldanha, Richards Bay and Gqeberha towards the second half of next year. The Dept. of Mineral Resources and Energy has however acknowledged that Karpo...

Structural engineers and firefighters are continuing with assessments at the University of Cape Town's Jagger Library. The building is one of several on UCT's Upper campus, that were damaged by the recent fire. The blaze initially started on the upper slopes of Table Mountain above UCT on Sunday, but later spread, threatening the campus and adjacent suburbs. About four-thousand students had to be...

The involvement of women in traditional male circumcision is back in the spotlight. The debate has been revived by a recently released book Zajik'izinto by author, Siphokazi Vannessa Mpofu. Mpofu believes the involvement of women in this rite of passage to manhood of Xhosa boys may save lives as some of the initiates die during this ritual. Every year, during the initiation season, the Eastern Cap...

A leaked audio recording has emerged of former President Jacob Zuma's meeting with the ANC's Top Six officials. In it Zuma accuses the party's top leadership of neglecting him and wanting to see him in jail. The meeting was called to discuss, among others, his refusal to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. Zuma is also heard saying some of his comrades went to foreign count...