First Take SA

The Office of Deputy President David Mabuza, has confirmed that he will be available to answer oral questions from the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) today. This follows several postponed appearances, due ill-health.

Police Minister Bheki Cele says they are following up on some leads in the killing of Glenn and Vida Rafferty at their Normandien farm, just outside Newcastle, in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Cele was addressing a meeting of community policing and farming structures in the area. The elderly couple was shot dead by unknown suspects as they entered their home.

The Democratic Alliance has lost its direction according to the party's long-time Gauteng leader, John Moodey. Moodey resigned from the party yesterday. He says it doesn't care about black, coloured and Indian voters and has been captured by individuals, who want to maintain the status quo in the organisation and the country. Moodey is the fourth senior leader to leave the party in less than a yea...

Artists in the entertainment industry have called for the immediate release of 35 people who were arrested yesterday after they blockaded the N3 near the Pavillion, West of Durban in KwaZulu Natal. This after a group of Durban-based artists took to the highway to highlight the impact the national lockdown has had on their livelihoods. The artists, who also included event organisers, are demanding...

Nelson Mandela Bay councillor, Andile Lungisa says he intends on taking the fight against his suspension back to the ANC headquarters at Luthuli House in Johannesburg. Lungisa was speaking during a media briefing with the SABC YESTERDAY where he announced that he will be writing to ANC secretary Secretary General, Ace Magashule over the decision by the party's regional body to have him resign and...

The National Treasury has told Parliament that various state-owned entities have approached it for extra funding totaling nearly ten-billion rand. These include the SABC, Post Office and the Airports Company of South Africa. The National Treasury was briefing Parliament's Standing Committee on Appropriations on its performance as well as measures taken to curb fraud and corruption related to COVID...

Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, says there's been incidents of corruption in Gauteng but nothing close to the scale and magnitude of the Covid-19 personal protective equipment scandal. He wants those implicated in PPE corruption to be sent to jail and the stolen monies recovered. Two Gauteng Health Department officials, believed to be at the centre of the scandal, have been identified by the Speci...

The ANC's alliance partners have called for less talk and more action in dealing with corruption within the ruling party. This follows decisions taken at last weekend's ANC special National executive Committee meeting that those formally charged with corruption must step aside from their leadership positions immediately. Furthermore, those reportedly involved in malfaesance must face the Integrity...

The National Prosecution Authority says it will oppose bail for two officers accused of killing Eldorado Park teenager Nathaniel Julies. 46-year-old Simon Ndyalvana, commonly referred to as 'Scorpion' in Eldororado Park and 23-year-old Caylene Whiteboy, made a brief appearance in the Protea Magistrates' Court in Soweto, south of Johannesburg yesterday. They face charges including pre-mediated murd...

The ANC National Executive Committee has endorsed the letter written by the President last week, denouncing any acts of corruption by officials deployed in government. President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a consolidated report on the outcomes of the past weekend's NEC meeting during a virtual media briefing on Monday afternoon. He also told the media that the NEC has come to a conclusion that there...

It is everyone's responsibility to wage war on gender-based violence and femicide. This is according to panellists during a security cluster dialogue on gender based violence and femicide held in Pretoria. The dialogue was held under the theme: "improving access to justice for the victims and survivors of GBV and Femicide". The dialogue marks the closure of the 2020 Women's Month programme and is...

The death of a Newcastle farming couple in northern KwaZulu-Natal has left the tightknit farming community devestated and frustrated. It is believed that Glenn and Vida Homann Rafferty were attacked as they entered their home on their farm in the Normandien area on Saturday night. The murders come a day after bikers across the country gathered in peaceful protest, calling for an end to racism and...

Some health workers believe the handling of the Covid-19 procurement for personal protective equipment (PPE) by government will continue to impact negatively on the health sector, unless drastic measures are taken soon. The PPE corruption scandal has angered many South Africans and the World Health Organisation (WHO) labelled it murder. Twenty-four thousand health workers have contracted the Coron...

The owner of the Victorian Guest House in Krugersdorp, Frederick Hendrik Coetzee, has confirmed that he hosted former Minister Nomvula Mokonyane's 40th birthday party in 2003. The event was paid for by Bosasa. Coetzee was testifying at the State Capture Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday. The Commission also heard that Bosasa ordered meat for Mokonyane to the value of 17-thousand rand. Last year, Mo...

The Chief Whip of the EFF Floyd Shivambu has introduced a private members' s bill in the Standing Committee on Finance to nationalise the South African Reserve Bank .. The bill was originally introduced by the party leader, Julius Malema, in 2018 but lapsed due to the term of the fifth Parliament expiring. But Parliament's legal advisor says the bill could face constitutional challenges. According...

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says the high number of teachers who were infected with COVID-19 in June did not contract the virus due to the reopening of the schools, but in their communities. Motshekga was responding to the debate on the re-opening of schools brought by IFP MP Lindinkosi Ngcobo during hybrid sitting of the National Assembly. She also says the Department is ready to con...

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula is adamant South Africa will have a zero percent alcohol limit for motorists by the end of this year. Mbalula says the Road Traffic Amendment Bill, which will prohibit drivers from consuming any amount alcohol before driving, is now before parliament. The minister said this YESTERDAY evening when he announced the new transport regulations under level 2 of the nati...

Judgment has been reserved in the case of the Public Protector wanting to stop parliament from kickstarting a process to investigate her fitness to hold office. Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane approached the Western Cape High Court after the National Assembly endorsed a motion by the DA Chief Whip Natasha Mazzone for a panel of indepedent experts to be appointed to assess whether or not Mkhwebane has...

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says regulations regarding alcohol consumption should be tightened to ensure that people do not drink and drive. Mbalula visited families of the three deceased metro police officers, who died in a head on collision in Pretoria on Sunday morning. Families of the deceased are devastated.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has requested more clarity on the details contained in the report on forced sterilisation of HIV positive women in South Africa. In February, the Commission for Gender Equality released a report on how 48 HIV positive women, were sterilised forcefully at 15 public hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The Commission revealed that the women were forced to sign consent...

The majority of KwaZulu-Natal's 2-point-8 million learners, who have been at home since the start of the lockdown in March, will return to school this week. The provincial government has announced plans for the return of learners at a virtual briefing in Durban. The national plan is for Grades R to 4, and Grades 6, 9, 10 and 11, to return today. The remaining grades will return to class at the end...

Public school learners in grades 1-4, 6 and 9-11 will be returning to school on Monday. The schools were forced to shut down last month after the cabinet decided on a four week break following concerns about rising Covid-19 infections in the country. Grade 12 and 7 had a 1 and 2 weeks break respectively. Some political parties have raised their concerns about the state of schools readiness for mor...

As the World Health Organization has urged African countries to put solid COVID-19 prevention measures in place before the reopening of learning institutions, South African schools are set to welcome back more learners starting this week. In July, President Cyril Ramaphosa had announced that learning would be suspended for four weeks, as Coronavirus infections continued to rise across the country....

Former Botswana President Ian Khama and South African businesswoman Brigette Motsepe will be launching legal action against Botswana's government accusing them of defaming their characters. This comes after a forensic report by a British law firm cleared the pair of allegations of money laundering and financing political unrest. The two high profile figures are key figures in a criminal case in wh...

Black Lives Matter generated heated debate among political parties during a hybrid sitting of the National Assembly. The Debate of National Importance was brought by EFF Chief Whip Floyd Shivambu. While many political parties were in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement,- others criticised it and its purpose. Calls for solidarity with the movement gained prominence following the brutal...