First Take SA

The crucial Eskom wage negotiations are teetering on the brink of collapse. The talks have been suspended after unions walked out. The unions are insisting that Eskom Chief Executive Officer Andre De Ruyter must come and address them. Eskom, on the other hand, is resisting the move saying the CEO is not part of the company's negotiating team

Battle lines have been drawn in the ANC as rival party factions gear up for the fiercest fight in years over the contentiuos step-aside resolution. Ace Magashule's suspension is in line with the party's step aside resolution which states that office bearers facing criminal charges step aside or be suspended. The ANC KZN Provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli, says the party's decision to push Magash...

Twelve Republican lawmakers have written to US President Joe Biden urging him not to support a proposal by South Africa and India to temporarily waive from intellectual property rules amid the Coronavirus pandemic. The two BRICS countries with the support of more than 90 others have since October last year sought to lead negotiations at the World Trade Organisation to waive certain IP rights in or...

Some supporters of the suspended Secretary General of the ANC, Ace Magashule, have described the move to push him aside as unfortunate. The South African National Civic Organisation-SANCO in the Free State province, says this is just a temporary setback that is going to be challenged in a court of law. The ANC's National Working Committee YESTERDAY officially temporarily suspended Magashule's memb...

Transnet National Ports Authority has confirmed that fourteen Filipino crew members onboard a ship at the Durban harbour have tested positive for Covid-19. The vessel - Eaubonne - arrived from India on Sunday. This comes on the heels of concerns of another traveller from India entering South Africa, testing positive for the virus. The case has sparked concerns about the possible spread of the B.1....

Thousands of impoverished households throughout South Africa face a bleak future. The R350 Covid-19 relief grant will not be paid out from the end of May. The demand for the grant remains huge, people continued to queue to apply for it last month. For many it was their only source of income. Nkululeko Nyembezi paid a visit to the Soweto informal settlement in Mthatha to find how resident plan to m...

Deputy Finance Minister, David Masondo says one way to tackle problems such as corruption and maladministration is for parliamentarians to vigorously hold the Executive to account. Masonda was keynote speaker at a workshop hosted by the National Council of Provinces, titled "Accountability in Public Expenditure Through Effective Parliamentary Oversight". He says Parliament can improve its processe...

It remains unclear if whether an ANC member that voluntarily steps aside from a party position may also need to vacate their position as party deployee in government. This as the ruling party has reaffirmed that all its members facing serious criminal charges should voluntarily step aside or face being suspended from the party. The ANC is set to hold a special NEC meeting this coming weekend in or...

The ANC has concluded its much anticipated National Working Committee meeting. The meeting of the NWC, responsible for the day-to-day running of the governing party, was called among others to consider reports from provinces of the names of members who are affected by the step-aside resolution. The NWC will compile a consolidated report that now been sent to the NEC which is expected to hold its r...

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...