First Take SA

More than 660-thousand people have lost their jobs in Gauteng since the beginning of the national COVID-19 lockdown. Premier David Makhura revealed this at yesterday's weekly briefing on the province's response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Premier says moving to alert level 1 of the lockdown gives government an opportunity to continue with its economic development plans, and he hopes there won...

South African borders are officially open to international travellers, subject to some restrictions. Government says only people with a valid PCR test certificate which is not older than 72 hours from the time of departure from the country of origin will be allowed into the country. Those entering the country will also be screened upon entry and may be asked questions about their contacts.

The long-awaited Vrede Dairy Project probe has been completed. Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane says the investigation has identified all implicated parties and they have been served with notices. The Vrede Dairy Project was established in 2012, on the Krynaauwslust farm in the Free State. An earlier investigation by former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela revealed that no payments were made...

The Hawks and the Special investigating Unit are still searching for two suspects they believe are linked to the Free State asbestos tender saga, currently under the spotlight at the State Capture Commission in Johannesburg. Six suspects were arrested YESTERDAY (wednesday 30 September), three in the Free Sate and three in Gauteng. Among those arrested are ousted Mangaung Metro Mayor, Olly Mlamleli...

Labour unions say the latest unemployment figures are unacceptable and a disaster, despite a decrease in the numbers. Stats SA yesterday reported that official unemployment decreased to 23-point-three per cent in the second quarter from 30-point-one per cent in the first quarter of the year. The country also lost 2-point- 2 million jobs in the second quarter. However, the expanded definition of th...

Residents of Diepsloot extension 13, north of Johannesburg, are angry at Eskom for cutting off illegal electricity connections in their area yesterday. The power utility's energy management and losses campaign is targetting those tapping into the grid illegally. Eskom says illegal connections in Gauteng cost the company 2.5-billion rand annually and are a leading cause of network overloading and r...

ActionSA leader, Herman Mashaba, has described as ridiculous the refusal by the Independent Electoral Commission to register his party. Mashaba reacted to the rejection of his party's application while leading a delegation to Mashishing, Mpumalanga, following calls from the local community for help

Advisor to Former MEC for Human Settlements Mosebenzi Zwane in the 2010 1billion rand housing project insists there were some positive aspects to the scheme. Mmbuso Tsoametsi who was the former Deputy Director General in the Free State Local Government and Housing department says there were over 5 thousand 2 hundred houses built and small contractors were capacitated. The scheme however also saw 6...

The High Court in Johannesburg is today expected to conclude sentencing of former head of Crime Intelligence, Richard Mdluli and his co-accused, Mthembeni Mthunzi, The case relates to the 1999 murder of Oupa Ramokgibe, who allegedly had an affair with Mdluli's customary wife - Tshidi Buthelezi. In July last year, Mdluli and Mthunzi were found guilty of kidnapping, common assault, assault with inte...

Former president Jacob Zuma has written to the state capture commission, requesting the chairperson deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo to recuse himself. In his formal notice to the commission, Zuma cites what he calls "historical personal, family and professional relations that ought to have been publicly disclosed" by Zondo. This follows Zondo's order that the former president must appear before...

Parents who've applied online to have their children enrolled in grades 1 and 8 in Gauteng next year will have 7 days to accept the school where their children have been accepted, or risk forfeiting the space. Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says they have received more applications than their capacity allows. He was briefing the media in Johannesburg. Lesufi announced that Gauteng will THIS...

Five suspects arrested in connection with tender fraud at the South African Police Service are expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrates Court today following the arrest of two police employees and three civilians, of which two of them were re-arrested. Those arrested include a colonel, and administrative employee within the SAPS Supply Chain Management Division and three civilians. The arres...

President Ramaphosa reprimanded Mapisa-Nqakula for using a military jet to give a "lift" to a delegation of senior ANC members to Zimbabwe. Mapisa-Nqakula will lose three months' salary to the Solidarity Fund established to fight the spread of the coronavirus and has to make sure the ANC reimburses the state for the trip.

There are mixed reactions to president Cyril Ramaphosa's action against Defence Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. The president says there was an "error of judgement" on the side of the minister, when she gave a lift to top ANC leaders to Zimbabwe earlier this month. Now, Mapisa-Nqakula will lose her three month's salary to the Solidarity Fund for Covid-19. But many say the president could have d...

The book, 'The Lie of 1652: A decolonised history of land' by prominent historian and heritage activist Patric Tariq Mellet was launched this week. It's a radical critique of established pre-colonial and colonial history and retells the story of dispossession, the destruction of livelihoods and the brutality of slavery in South Africa. Decolonisation is a common thread in the book that also focuse...

A recent expose by a South African online news publication has forced police investigations into allegations of abuse and money laundering at the KwaSizabantu Mission Church at Kranskop in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The KwaZulu-Natal Social Development Department has called on people who may be victims of abuse to come forward.

A war of words has erupted between former president, Jacob Zuma, and State Capture Commission chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. This is over Zuma's failure to appear before the commission. Justice Zondo has set down the 16th to 20th of November for Zuma's appearance and warned that the dates are non-negotiable. The Jacob Zuma Foundation responded by accusing Zondo of being selective...

Police Minister, Bheki Cele has lambasted liquor outlets such as taverns, shebeens and restaurants for the sale of alcohol outside the stipulated national lockdown regulations. Cele says the police will not hesitate to enforce the closure of all these outlets, arrest their owners and possibly revoke their operating licenses. Cele was updating the media in Pretoria yesterday about law enforcement i...

Human trafficking in South Africa has once again come under the spotlight following recent reports of child abductions. Residents of Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, are up in arms as they continue their hunt for a man who they allege attempted to kidnap a child yesterday. This as police in Bloemfotein, in the Free State province, have confirmed receiving reports of an alleged human trafficking...

While United Nations leaders were arguing for greater solidarity and unity in global governance, United States President Donald Trump used his address to the annual debate of the General Assembly to attack China's response to the global pandemic. World leaders including President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke in pre-recorded messages in a hybrid model adopted by the UN during COVID-19. The AU Chair used h...

The total number of reports on corruption has increased. In 2020 there were 1-thousand-995 corruption cases reported to civil society organisation Corruption Watch compared to 1-thousand-591 cases last year. This is an increase of over 400 cases. The anti-corruption body says 55 percent of the bulk of corruption cases reported to them were gathered after the national state of disaster was declared...

The Health Workers Union, Nehawu, will meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Wednesday. This comes after Nehawu's leadership protested infront of the Union Building in Pretoria yesterday and threatened NOT to support the ANC in next year's elections. Nehawu handed over a memorandum to the presidency at the beginning of September with a deadline of seven days for action. When that didn't happen t...

Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo will on the 9th of October hear an application by the Commission's legal team for a summons to be brought for Former President Jacob Zuma to testify. This is after Zuma's lawyers informed the Commission that he would be unable to appear this week as scheduled, due to his preparing for his Arms Deal criminal trial due to proceed in December and his doctors advisin...

The Khoisan community has described as both insulting and culturally insensitive the branding of their traditional ritual Rain Dance by a wine making company in the Northern Cape. The company, Namaqua Wines, has used the Khoisan illustration on their wine boxes labelled "Rain Dance" seemingly without the full understanding of the significance of the ritual dance. The DAK Network, a Khoisan organis...

Water continues to be a major challenge in rural parts of the Eastern Cape, and communities still fetch water from rivers, which they share with animals. This despite the announcement made in 2014 by former president Jacob Zuma, of the multi-billion rand UMzimvubu Water Catchment Project. The project, which entails the construction of Ntabelanga, Laleni and Mbokazi dams is meant to supply water to...