First Take SA

Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts has resolved to investigate allegations of racism against Eskom CEO, Andre De Ruyter. The allegations are contained in a letter by the company's Chief Procurement Officer, Solly Tshitangano. He accuses De Ruyter and other officials being biased against black suppliers. The committee says it has a responsibility to investigate the allegations as th...

The bereaved Maluleke family at Maphophe village outside Malamulele in Limpopo has expressed sadness over the killing of their son, allegedly by the police. 16 year old Wisani Maluleke was shot and killed during the protest outside the Saselamani police station on Sunday evening. The community has been protesting to demand the arrest of the motorist who allegedly shot to death 20 year Adoly Malule...

Unions at the SABC say the retrenchment process at the public broadcaster has been flawed. The Section 189 process was meant to be completed at the end of February, but unions say that key positions in the coporation's new structure have not yet been advertised. The public broadcaster had indicated that it wants to cut just over 300 permanent jobs as part of its restructuring plans. Unions however...

Some former Lily Mine workers in Barberton, Mpumalanga YESTERDAY blockaded the R38 road demanding that the potential investor, Arqomanzi to withdraw its case against Vantage Goldfields and business rescue practitioners. Last week, Arqomanzi obtained a court interdict against the implementation of an amended business rescue plan.

The independent review panel, appointed by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise, has found that prima facie evidence exists to institute removal proceedings against Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane. Chaired by Justice Bess Nkabinde, alongside Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza and Advocate Johan de Waal, the panel had to investigate whether there is proof of incompetence or misconduct by M...

Cosatu has vowed to convene a Special Central Executive Committee meeting soon to review its support for the ANC in the forthcoming local government elections. The labour federation says it will also have a bilateral meeting with the SACP with a possibility of supporting the party in future elections should its planned meeting resolve to withdraw support for the ANC. This is part of the resolution...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on private sector corporates to help government in growing and developing small-to-medium and micro-enterprises or SMMEs in South Africa through capital support, skills development and access to markets. Ramaphosa was addressing entrepreneurs and cooperatives during an SMME focused webinar hosted by the Department of Small Business Development this afternoon. R...

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has expressed optimism about the country's economic recovery. Mboweni tabled the 2021-2022 budget in Parliament, with revenue projected to be 1.35 trillion rand. He says non-interest spending will remain steady at approximately 1.56 trillion rand over the next three years, but will decline as a share of GDP to 26.2 percent in 2023/24.

Mpumalanga Premier, Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane has made four changes to her cabinet. The new members are Nkangala ANC chairperson, Speed Mashilo, responsible for Human Settlement. Former Deputy Speaker of the Legislature, Vusi Mkhatshwa is now MEC for Finanace, Economic Development and Tourism, while ex-Speaker Busi Shiba presides over Co-operatives Governance and Traditional Affairs. Mohita Latchmin...

Economists and the business community at large have welcomed Finance Minister Titio Mboweni 's2021 budget. Many industry experts who were interviewed said the budget was balanced and showed compassion for the corporate sector that is struggling. Markets also reacted positively to the minister's speech in late evening trade (wednesday 24 February)

Economists say Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is unlikely to increase taxes in order to finance the country's vaccine rollout programme. Their comments come as Mboweni is expected to table the 2021 Budget THIS AFTERNOON. Experts say Mboweni should rather focus on keeping spending low in order to make fiscal room to fund an effective vaccination programme. Other experts say the minister should lean...

Opposition parties have expressed doubt over the ability of government to address the country's economic crisis. This comes as Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is set to table his much-anticipated Budget Speech TODAY (24 February). Mboweni's 2020/21 budget will be the toughest ever presented to Parliament - as the country is still reeling from the prolonged COVID-19 lockdown which has caused an econo...

The Pietermaritzburg High Court has set May 17th as the start of the corruption trial of former President Jacob Zuma and the French arms company Thales*. Zuma and Thales are facing corruption, racketeering and money laundering charges linked to South Africa's multi-billion rand arms deal in 1999. By agreement with the state, Zuma and the Thales representatives were not present in court when Judge...

The pass rate for the Class of 2020 is 76.2%. Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, says although the national pass rate dropped below 80%, with a drop of 5%, it is much better than she expected. She announced the pass rate in Pretoria.

The community of Doornkop in Soweto is reeling from shock after the body of a mother of four was found buried in a shallow grave inside a shack on Friday. Last Sunday, the body of the woman's husband was found inside the couple's other shack. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding their deaths. On Friday, Police Minister Bheki Cele announced that from October to December last year,...

It's been seven days since residents in the eastern part of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape had any water in their taps. Leaks at the James Kleynhans Water Treatment Plant have damaged pumps resulting in parts of the town running dry. According to a municipal report, the Settlers Dam is currently at five percent and the Howiesons Poort Dam is at 25 percent.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised how the country will rise from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic during his reply to the debate on the State of Nation Address. Although he conceded that there have been mistakes, which include problems with the efficacy of the Astrazeneca vaccine regarding the new variant of the corona virus, he says the country has started rolling out Johnson and Jo...

The Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has fired the MEC for Health, Sindiswa Gomba. COGTA MEC, Xolile Nqata, will act in Gomba's position until a replacement is named. Gomba is facing fraud and corruption charges related to the funeral of Nelson Mandela in 2013. The former superintendent general of the health department, Dr. Thobile Mbengashe, will also face disciplinary action in line with the...

The state has warned that it's likely to add more charges against ANC secretary-general, Ace Magashule, when he appears in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court today. Magashule is among eight people and five companies that face multiple charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering relating to the multimillion rand Free State asbestos roofing audit contract.

The first COVID-19 vaccine doses were yesterday administered to President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize along with a group of healthcare workers at the Khayelitsha District Hospital, in Cape Town. The Western Cape will be receiving 13-thousand of the 80-thousand Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines which have arrived in the country.

The joint sitting of the National Assembly on Wednesday held the second day of the debate on the State of the Nation Address. Opposition political parties didn't mice their words in criticising President Cyril Ramaphosa's administration, while the ruling party, reitarated its stance in defending and strengthening law enforcement agencies as well cracking the whip on corruption.

Members of Parliament's Public Enterprises committee are deeply unhappy about a fruitless and wasteful accommodation project at Eskom, to the tune of 840-million. Eskom executives appeared before Parliament's Public Enterprise committee to brief MPs on various issues. MPs heard that the cost of a project to provide accommodation for artisans working at the nearby Kusile Power plant in Mpumalanga h...

The South African Human Rights Commission inquiry into the Vaal river system has concluded that the river system is polluted beyond acceptable standards due to untreated sewage flowing into the Vaal river. The commission released findings of its investigation into the sewage problem in the vaal river this morning. In 2018, the South African National Defence Force experts were brought in to assist...

Opposition political parties that debated the State of the Nation Address accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of not doing enough to fight corruption, as well as the way government has handled Covid-19 vaccine acquisition. Meanwhile the ANC committed itself in leaving no stone unturned in holding accountable those accused of corruption.

As members of the uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans' Association continue to camp outside former president Jacob Zuma's Nkandla homestead, his family says it's unlikely that the former President will change his views around Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. On Monday, the Zondo Commission said its secretary would approach the Constitutional Court to apply for a contempt order issued against Zu...