First Take SA

Men should be taught to use their strength for the protection of women and children instead of harming them. This is the message that emerged from the Father's Day Virtual National Men's Dialogue hosted by parliament to mark Father's Day. Speakers from a broad spectrum of organisations said men need to step up and lead the fight against the scourge of Gender-based violence.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has faced pressing questions ranging from his decision to ease the lockdown regulations, to the ailing economy and why a lockdown was necessary. Ramaphosa was addressing a hybrid sitting of the National Assembly during his first virtual oral reply session

Fear grips many women across the country, as they ask themselves if they too will become a statistic of gender based violence. This comes as a suspect in the murder of Tshegofatso Pule was arrested and appeared in court on Wednesday. Tshegofatso Pule - who was 8 months pregnant - was found hanging from a tree - with stab wounds - in Roodepoort west of Johannesburg, early this month. She is just on...

The Department of Correctional Services has described as 'thuggery and hooliganism' a video of 34 awaiting trial inmates brandishing manacing weapons inside a prison cell at Butterworth Correctional Centre in the Eastern Cape. The prisoners can been heard demanding to have their day in court as their cases have been further delayed by the covid-19 pandemic. This comes as over a 1 500 positive COVI...

A multi-million rand drug lab has been discovered on a game farm in Marble Hall near Groblersdal in Limpopo. Two suspects, who are foreign nationals, have been arrested. Police say that they are looking for an unknown number of suspects who are on the run

The assets value of regional airliner SA Express has decreased from one point eight billion to a hundred and thirty million in five weeks. This is according to the airliner's liquidators in a virtual briefing to Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts,-SCOPA. The liquidators appeared before SCOPA to brief it about the airliner's liquidating process. The liquidators took office last mont...

One of the investors in the liquidated VBS Mutual Bank and former board chairperson, Madambi Muvhulawa says investors and depositors are happy at the arrest of the bank's former executives. The executives allegedly contributed in the looting of over two-billion rand of the bank's money. Muvhulawa says properties of those implicated in the looting must be sold for depositors to recoup their money.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the easing of lockdown regulations against restaurants and personal beauty care services including salons. He made the announcement during his address to the nation on the 100th day of the national lockdown at the Union Buildings in Pretoria last night. But he issued a stern warning against the abuse of alcohol which he said contributes to criminality, espec...

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi says his country wants peace, however they will respond if provoked. This after the Indian army reported that 20 of its soldiers were killed in fighting with Chinese troops on Monday night. It is the first time deaths have been reported during a standoff between the two countries in decades. The confrontation happened in Galwan Valley in the disputed Ladakh reg...

Researchers at the Imperial College London in the United Kingdom, have described as "ground-breaking" the results of a drug trial, in the fight against Covid-19. The low-dose steroid treatment called Dexamethasone, is part of the world's biggest trial, testing existing treatments to see if they also work for coronavirus. The cheap and widely available drug is believed to cut the risk of death for...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged young people to lead the country's economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. He virtually delivered his annual National Youth Day message yesterday. The president also had an interactive panel discussion with four influential young people about challenges facing the youth, and how they can contribute to the country's recovery post the pandemic

The Educators Union of South Africa has given president Cyril Ramaphosa two months to get rid of Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga. EUSA's Kabelo Mahlobogwane says since the re-opening of schools more than two-thousand learners and teachers have tested positive for COVID-19. He adds that more than 100 schools across the country had to close and teachers have already died from disease. Howe...

The brutal murder of a 42-year-old woman has left the community of Eersterus, East of Pretoria reeling from sudden shock. The mother of two was reportedly stabbed multiple times, allegedly by her boyfriend whom the police are still searching after he fled the scene leaving the deceased in a pool blood. The deceased was discovered by relatives at her parents backrooms yesterday afternoon.

Student movement, Congress of South African Students COSAS has threatened to shut down all schools, from today, that have not fully implemented strict control guidelines to combat the spread COVID -19. The movement has also reiterated its call for covid-19 tests to be made compulsory in all public schools. Last week, a group of COSAS members forcefully removed learners at various schools in Bloemf...

The controversy surrounding the costly construction and use of nuclear power in South Africa is back in the spotlight. This as the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has begun consultations in preparation for the development of the proposed 2,500 megawatt nuclear power plant building programme. The department says through the consultation process it aims to get some insight into the costs,...

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South Africa's capital city remains under administration pending a court battle in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein. MEC for Cooperative Governance, Lebogang Maile, has petitioned the Supreme Court of Appeal to appeal the Pretoria High Court ruling dismissing their appeal against the ruling declaring the decision to put the City of Tshwane under adminstraiton was illegal. The city was p...

Men are being called out to end the abuse and murder of women as Tshegofatso Pule is laid to rest. Pule was found murdered and hanging from a tree in a veld in Roodepoort - west of Johannesburg - on Monday. The 28-year-old, who was 8-months pregnant at the time, was found with a stab wound to the chest. She was buried at the Roodepoort Cemetery yesterday.

The Constitutional Court has declared parts of the Electoral Act unconstitutional - meaning independent candidates are allowed to contest for national and provincial elections without being a member of a political party. The case was brought by civil society organisation the New Nation Movement and others. They sought to have the Electoral Act declared unconstitutional as it did not make provision...

Smokers in South Africa are waiting anxiously for the High Court in Pretoria to deliver judgement in the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Assocation (FITA) case against a ban on the sale of tobacco products. FITA took the government to court saying Regulation 27 of the Disaster Management Act was irrational its impact on people's lives was not considered. A full bench of judges reserved judgement in...

Eight people have been died in a crash involving a truck and nine other vehicles in the town centre of Jozini in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The truck driver is suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol and has been detained by the police. It is alleged that he lost control of the truck and ploughed into the other vehicles. The KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department has instituted an investiga...

28-year old Tshegofatsho Pule is expected to be laid to rest today following the discovery of her lifeless body hanging from a tree in Rooderport, Johannesburg on Monday. Pule was eight months pregnant and found with stab wounds to her chest. In another gruesome killing in Mossel Bay in the Southern Cape, 26-year old Naledi Phangindawo was butchered to death with an axe by her husband and father o...

South African repatriates, who were forced into mandatory quarantine after arriving back into the country, say they were treated like prisoners while under isolation. They allege they were ill-treated and forced to live in unhgienic conditions, where they did not receive medical care. Now civil rights group -- Afriforum -- is taking their plight to court and wants repatriates to be allowed to self...

The Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) will ask the Pretoria High Court to unban the sale of tobacco products. FITA consists of 7 independent tobacco companies. They are asking the high court to declare Regulation 27 of the Disaster Management Act, irrational and illegal saying it infringes on the rights of smokers.

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Ndzimande says the department remains committed to resume the 2020 academic year. This as the country grapples with the COVID 19 outbreak that so far claimed over a thousand lives. Thousands of students from the country's 26 universities and several TVET and private colleges have been affected. Nzimande says the reopening dates will be adj...