First Take SA

Political parties have reacted with shock to the news that self-proclaimed prophet Shepard Bushiri has absconded from South Africa to his homeland Malawi. On Saturday, the country woke up to news that Bushiri and his wife Mary had left the country thereby contravening their bail conditions. The couple was recently granted bail of R200 000 by the Pretoria Magistrate court and stand accused with thr...

The country's official unemployment rate - which is a measure of active job seekers - has risen to a record high of 30.8 percent. The expanded definition of unemployment - which includes discouraged job seekers - has increased by 1 percent to 43 percent. This is one the highest unemployment rates in the world. Stats SA released the jobs numbers yesterday.

Tensions are simmering ahead of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule's court appearance this morning. Opposition parties and some concerned ANC members have welcomed Magashule's arrest. But Magashule's staunch supporters say his court case is politically-motivated. Magashule is to appear before the n the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court.

The issue of corruption featured strongly during the virtual oral questions to President Cyril Ramaphosa in the National Assembly yesterday. Some of the political parties accused him of not doing enough to deal with members of his own party implicated in corruption or wrong doing, while others felt that he's diverting from the commitments he made of rooting out corruption.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that the Coronavirus pandemic is far from over and government is implementing a resurgence plan to combat the spread of the virus - particularly in the Eastern Cape. Ramaphosa was delivering a national address on the government's response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Ramaphosa says 20 thousand and 11 people have died from COVID 19 and more than 742 thousand cas...

Former Denel Group CEO, Zwelakhe Ntshepe has conceded that he failed to act in the best interest of Denel when he approved the awarding of a multimillion-rand 10-year contract to Gupta-owned VR Laser in breach of Denel's own procurement processes. The State Capture Commission of Inquiry in Johannesburg also heard that Denel bought 51% into a company called LMT holdings with an advanced payment of...

Public money watchdog SCOPA in Parliament wants alleged fraud and corruption by International retail giant Steinhoff to be followed to the end. SCOPA Chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa made this plea when the Anti Corruption Task Team led by NPA Head Shamila Batohi briefed SCOPA on various priority cases of fraud and corruption pursued by the task team. There are 243 cases prioritised by the task team.

The multimillion rand asbestos corruption case will resume in the Bloemfontein Regional Court TODAY. Seven people and five companies face more than 60 charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering. They stand accused of alleged involvement in the irregular awarding of the 255 million rand tender

Over 422 million people worldwide have diabetes, and this number is growing every year. Most people with diabetes Type 1 will eventually need to be treated with insulin, currently only available as an injection. This is a painful experience as in some cases, it requires multiple finger pricks and insulin injections per day to monitor and keep blood glucose levels within the desired range. But ther...

ANC secretary general, Ace Magashule, says he is not aware of his imminent arrest. This relates to his alleged involvement in the controversial 250 million rand asbestos contract in the Free State, while he was premier. Earlier reports suggested that he would appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate Court TODAY.

THE CRL Commission has heard harrowing allegations against the leader of the Rivers of Living Waters Church, Archbishop Stephen Zondo. A number of former members of his Evaton-based congregation in Gauteng have approached the CRL with numerous grievances. The CRL is currently holding hearings on the accusations that include rape and murder. The witnesses have painted Zondo as a Satanist who's para...

One person has been arrested for discharging an air gun, following yesterday's violent clashes between EFF supporters and parents outside Brackenfell High School in Cape Town. Clashes erupted at the school over a private celebration, organised by some parents at the school

President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to address the nation later this week on government's response to Covid-19 pandemic. In his weekly letter on Monday, Ramaphosa warned that a resurgence of the Coronavirus pandemic will dramatically reverse the country's health gains and hamper its economic recovery plan. His address will be preceded by the meetings of the National Coronavirus Command Council and Ca...

Arms manufacturer DENEL's former chief financial officer Pieter Knoetze has told the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in Johannesburg that the company's money was used to bailout one of its suppliers LMT Holdings. He says this was despite warnings from auditors. According to evidence before the commission LMT Holdings was paid before it delivered on its contract to DENEL.

This week we focus on Diabetes. World Diabetes day, will be observed on Saturday the 14th of November. While an increased number of people are diagnosed with diabetes, or know someone close to them who is living with diabetes, many people are not sure what it is, what to do or how to act when they meet someone who is diabetic. To explain the diabetes and how a person living with diabetes feels, we...

Back to the United States politics... Neither United States President nor the senior members of the Republican Party have officially conceded the Presidential race as Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris made history on Saturday by winning both the popular vote and the Electoral College. The 77-year old Biden becomes the oldest person to win the Presidency while Harris becomes the first woman, bl...

A meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council is planned for next week as the Covid-19 infection rate continues to surge. Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu says Cabinet has endorsed the NCCC meeting which will then be followed by a Cabinet meeting. Mthembu said this will then culminate into President Cyril Ramaphosa's address to the nation on the way forward in battling the Covid-...

The Minister on Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan has told Parliament that a restructured SAA will not be dependent on the national fiscus as it will take the Telkom model. Gordhan was taking part on the National Assembly's debate about the financial burden of sustaining non-profitable State Owned Entities.

There are fears of a resurgence of attacks on foreign nationals after shops were looted, some forced to close while others were stoned allegedly by a group led by members of uMkhontowesizwe Military Veterans Association in Berea, Durban. The group of MKMVA members has been waging a campaign of driving foreign nationals back to their countries of origin accusing them of taking jobs and economic opp...

Government says the country's multi-billion rand infrastructure investment plan will be under-pinned by an anti-corruption strategy. President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday opened the Infrastructure South Africa Project Preparation Roundtable and Market Place under-way in Midrand north of Johannesburg. He said the Infrastructure Project Preparation will help government to complete its infrastructure p...

As Election Day dawns in the United States, both Presidential campaigns have embraced a frenzied last push in key battleground states that will tip this election in either camp's favour. In a frenzied dash to the finish line, President Donald Trump hosted five rallies in four swing states including Michigan and Wisconsin while his opponent Joe Biden held two rallies in the must-win state of Pennsy...

The Gauteng Provincial Government says it won't appeal a court ruling against its decision to place the City of Tshwane Metro Council under administration. The Supreme Court of Appeal ruling last week affirmed the High Court ruling that the decision to dissolve the city council was unlawful. Briefing the media in Johannesburg YESTERDAY , Gauteng Co-operative Governance MEC, Lebogang Maile, said th...

John Steenhuisen is the Democratic Alliance's new leader. He emerged victorious at the party's virtual elective congress attended by over 2000 of the party's members this weekend. Steenhuisen was competing for the party's top position against KwaZulu-Natal legislature member, Mbali Ntuli

With just one day to Election Day in the United States, critical swing states in the Midwest will be the focus for both campaigns as they try to drive their supporters to the polls. With just 24 hours to go in terms of campaign events, President Donald Trump spent Saturday criss-crossing the must-win State of Pennsylvania with Democratic Nominee Joe Biden close by in the State of Michigan. Their s...

As expected, former DA leader Helen Zille beat sole rival Mike Moriarty to be re-elected as the chair of the party's federal council. By retaining this role Zille will continue to have significant influence over the day-to-day running of South Africa's official opposition party. Zille clinched 69% of the votes cast, making this the tightest race of the congress.