First Take SA

The National Consumer Commission has warned consumers against participating in pyramid schemes. The Commission briefed the media regarding its investigation into a pyramid scheme called Up Money. Acting Commissioner Thezi Mabuza says Up Money unlawfully exploited desperate South Africans during Covid-19. The scheme lured citizens by offering huge financial rewards and grocery packages if they part...

The State Capture Commission yesterday heard claims of corruption that took place during a 2014 Free State Human Settlements project. The department appointed a joint-venture between Gauteng-based Blackhead Consulting and the late Igo Mpambani's Diamond Hill Trading to identify and remove asbestos roofs from houses in the province. It has emerged that massive profiteering and price escalation took...

The ANC in North West has suspended membership of its 15 councillors at the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality in Zeerust. The party accuses them of defying the caucus' instructions by removing their mayor and the speaker and electing their preferred candidates.

Some parties in Parliament have expressed reservations about a call by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni for elected public representatives to consider a salary cut due to the prevailing economic situation. Mboweni made the call during the debate on the adjustment's appropriation bill in the National Council of Provinces last week.

The ANC in Mangaung region in the Free State has come out in defence of party secretary general, Ace Magashule. This follows reports that Magashule`s sons clinched COVID-19-related contracts in the province worth two-point-seven million Rand. Magashule`s sons are listed as directors of two companies, Motheko Projects and Marvel Deeds, which are among the companies that secured contracts with Free...

Eskom and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have issued summonses to recover close to 4-billion rand from former Eskom executives, board members, the Gupta brothers and their business associates. The matter relates to the acquisition of Optimum Coal Holdings - a mine which supplied coal to Eskom through the Guptas.

The General Secretary of the SACP, Blade Nzimande, has called for an end to what he calls the 'tenderisation of the state', in order to fight the continuing corruption in South Africa. He says following the reports of alleged corruption by ANC and government officials involving funds meant to be used in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 - the state must review the process of doing business....

Opposition parties have called for an investigation into the COVID-19 contracts awarded in the Free State. This comes after revelations that the sons of ANC secretary general, Ace Magashule, received COVID-19 contracts worth more than two-point-seven million rand. Both Motheko Projects and Marvel Deeds appear on the list of companies that secured contracts, and Magashule`s sons are listed as direc...

Tourism Minister, Mamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has announced that restaurants will be allowed to operate until 10 pm -- extending the lockdown curfew by an hour. This -- to enable restaurants to maximise their peak customer serving time. Kubayi-Ngubane was briefing the media on tourism-related activities and regulations under COVID-19 Risk Adjusted Level 3. Intra-provincial travel for leisure will also...

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has appointed Roads and Transport MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, as acting Health MEC. The Premier has placed Health MEC Bandile Masuku on a leave of absence over his alleged involvement in a controversial tender to supply personal protective equipment to the department during the coronavirus pandemic. Masuku has been accused of influencing the processes that led to the 125-mil...

Efforts to end violence against women and gender inequality are expected to be the focus of this year's women's month programme. Under the theme - "Generation Equality: Realising Women's Rights for an Equal Future" - the 2020 Women's Month - which takes place amid the COVID-19 global pandemic - was launched in Pretoria on yesterday.

South Africa has been grappling with the deadly coronavirus, Covid-19, since it made its untimely appearance on the world stage earlier this year. Covid-19 has highlighted and indeed reinforced the existing serious fault lines in South African society - from record levels of unemployment and a depleted fiscus to ever-deepening poverty and inequality. But what should South Africa be doing to prepar...

The controversial anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine is back in the headlines after a Cameroonian-born Houston-Texas-based doctor promoted unproven claims about the drug as an effective cure for COVID-19. In the video, Dr Stella Immanuel appears on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington to push the drug despite mounting scientific evidence from multiple clinical trials showing the drug as...

There has been a marked increase in the demand for training material on how to manufacture coffins and caskets since the lockdown. That's according to Peter Louw, of the SA Coffin Training School, based in Boksburg on Gauteng's East Rand. Louw says the increased number of deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic has also led to a high demand for funeral services, as well as burial space.

Political parties have given mixed reactions to the International Monetary Fund - IMF's - multi-billion rand loan to South Africa. The Executive Board of the IMF has approved the country's request for a 70-billion rand loan to help bolster its response to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. But with rampant corruption in the country, some parties are sceptical the money will reach its in...

Trade union Nehawu has questioned the accuracy of Covid 19 stats that are released by the Health Department, particularly on health workers. The union was briefing members of the media in Johannesburg. This as the country's confirmed cases continue to reach record highs. The union has also threatened to go on a nationwide strike in the health care sector over the lack of protective gear in some ho...

Electricity tariffs are set to increase after Eskom won a court battle against the National Energy Regulator of South Africa over a 69-billion rand equity injection. In the scathing judgment YESTERDAY*, the high court declared that Nersa's decision to deduct the equity injection into Eskom from its allowable revenue for the period 2019/2020 to 2021/2022 was illegal. The court has instructed that t...

Government's "special official" funeral for the last Rivonia trialist to pass away, Andrew Mlangeni, will be held at the University of Johannesburg in Soweto THIS MORNING (Wednesday 29/07/2020) at about nine o'clock. Ninety-five-year-old Mlangeni died at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria last Wednesday (22/07/2020). He was one of the ANC's first MK members to be trained in China and to meet "Chairma...

Residents of Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas in KwaZulu Natal run the risk of suffering from further respiratory diseases as toxic smoke continues to blanket the City, forcing many residents to flee their homes. The smoke emissions, which environmentalists have warned could potentially carry cancer-causing chemicals, emanates from a local landfill site that has been continuously burning for...

President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Khusela Diko, has temporarily left office. This comes amid a probe into the awarding of two contracts for the supply of PPEs to Royal Bhaca Projects in which her husband is a director. There are concerns that Diko might have used her position to get the tender for Royal Bhaca Projects. This comes as the ANC in Gauteng announced that it had summoned Khusela...

At least 25 people were arrested yesterday across the Cape Penisula on charges of public violence and contravening sections of the Disaster Management Act. This followed various shutdown protests called by the Cape Coloured People's Congress demanding among others houses and job opportunities.

Cape Town Mayoral member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says the City will act against protests, should they turn violent, including the obstruction of access to public roads and the vandalism of infrastructure. This as a group called the Gatvol Capetonian Movement plans a shutdown of the City this morning. They are protesting against poor service delivery in coloured communities

The Gauteng Health Department says it's waiting for the City of Tshwane to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to enable them to turn the Tshwane Events Centre -- formerly known as Tshwane Show Grounds -- into a Covid-19 field hospital. The city took control of the facility after a protracted legal battle with TSHWABAC -- who owned and managed it. The property was transferred free of charge to Tshw...

ANC veterans have criticised the governing party for having former president Jacob Zuma lead a memorial service paying tribute to the late struggle veteran Andrew Mlangeni. In a letter directed to the party's general manager, Febe Potgieter-Gqubule, the veterans bemoaned what they called the "unsuitability" of choosing Zuma to fulfil such an important role. Zuma was a keynote speaker at a virtual...

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