First Take SA

The confessed child rapist, Nicholas Ninow, has recited a poem to his victim in the High Court in Pretoria as a way of apologising for raping her. Twenty-one-year-old Ninow cried as he read the poem as well as a letter to the family of the seven-year old victim. Ninow testified in mitigation of sentence. He was found guilty of raping the girl who was six at the time, at a Dros Restaurant in Pretor...

Some of our listeners say Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is 60 himself and should start the early retirement process by leading by example.

Former South African editor and journalist, Nic Dawes (doors), is now the Media Deputy-Executive Director at Human Rights Watch in New York. Dawes says a lot of things they reported on while he was in SA have come to pass and rebuilding the country will take a while.

There continues to be widespread concerns over shortages of critical psychiatric drugs for mental health patients in Gautend and across the country. The drugs in short supply are (include Fluoxetine and Citalopram) both critical inhibitors that ease symptoms of moderate to severe depression. Mental health patients are being told that essential drugs are in short supply or inadequate in supply and...

The United Nations is sounding alarm bells over the high number of children that are suffering the consequences of poor diets and a food system that is failing them. In a report released by UNICEF today (tuesday) called 'The State of the Worlds Children 2019: Children, food and nutrition' extensive reasearch has uncovered that at least 1 in 3 children under five is either undernourished or overwei...

Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, says his department will seek to assist convicted Fees Must fall activist Khanya Cekeshe with an urgent application for a presidential pardon. This comes after the Johannesburg Magistrates Court dismissed Cekeshe's application to appeal his conviction. The court also dismissed his application for bail. The student activist was sentenced...

The Mozambican National Electoral Commission says police will be deployed to all voting stations to ensure a smooth electoral process. Mozambique holds its general elections tomorrow (Tuesday). There have been reports of sporadic attacks on citizens by unknown armed gunmen. A local election observer Anastacio Matavele, was shot and killed last week in Xai Xai in Gaza province.

OPE has called on the South African government to blacklist Bosasa from doing business with government departments. The party says Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Ronald Lamola must disclose whether the controversial company - now known as African Global Operations - continues to get financial government contracts. COPE spokesperson, Dennis Bloem says the South African government shoul...

Social media has been abuzz this past weekend over a video which seemingly shows Springboks winger, Makazole Mapimpi being snubbed by a group of players during celebrations which followed the clash between South Africa and Italy at the Rugby World Cup in Japan on Friday. The debate raged on even after Mapimpi recorded a video of himself explaining the rugby culture within the team that may haVE le...

Mmusi Maimane's future as leader of the Democratic Alliance remains uncertain, days after the party cleared him of financial wrongdoing. An investigation was conducted following allegations that Maimane's Toyota fortuner was a donation from controversial Steinhoff former CEO Markus Jooste. Weekly newspaper, Sunday Times YESTERDAY ( Sunday) reported that a delegation of senior party figures, includ...

Traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape have expressed disappointment in the delay by President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce on the release of jailed King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo. Ramaphosa had visited the Abathembu nation ahead of the May national elections to garner votes and it was hoped that King Dalindyebo would receive a presidential pardon from the new administration after the elections. Some...

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is in South Africa on a State Visit amidst strained relations between the two nations following the recent spate of attacks on foreign nationals including Nigerians. Buhari will co-chair the 9th SA-Nigeria Bi-national Commission -BNC- with President Cyril Ramaphosa later this morning. Today's BNC seeks to strengthen political and economic relations between the t...

DA chief whip, John Steenhuisen has invited the Institute for Race Relations to join its party membership or form its own political party instead of meddling in the leadership of the official opposition. This follows an opinion piece which argued that current Western Cape premier, Alan Winde should replace Mmusi Maimane as party leader. The IRR endorsed the article claiming that it promotes robust...

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) says it will seek a minimum wage of 17-thousand Rand per month for its workers, up from 12-thousand-500 Rand. The union lashed out against what they call greedy CEOs within the platinum sector, who benefit at the expense of poor miners. AMCU has taken Sibanye-Gold and Anglo American Platinum to the CCMA over wage negotiations and planned...

The Eastern Cape government has sent its condolences to the families of five victims who died when a storm hit Manzimdaka village at Cala on Sunday night. Three children including a two year-old toddler and two elderly men died after walls fell on them. Scores of other houses have been flattened,

The Competition Commisson's Health Market Inquiry has found that the private health market has failed consumers by overcharging them with no clear outcomes. The commission also found among other things, that healthcare practitioners are subjected to little regulation. The inquiry, which was initiated in 2013, released its findings with recommendations, yesterday. .

HAWKS' captain Lloyd Ramovha says fifty thousand rands per child was the ransom demanded by the kidnappers of three teenagers of Ethiopian origin over the weekend. The five suspects were arrested by the HAWKS around Brixton and Mayfair areas in Johannesburg YESTERDAY (thursday). The parents of the teenagers had reportedly been contacted with ransom demands.

COSATU and its affiliate the South African Society of Banking Officials has encouraged workers in the banking sector to report for work today. This follows yesterday's decision by the Labour Court's to interdict their protest that was planned for this morning. COSATU's deputy secretary-general Solly Phetoe says they are now seeking leave to appeal the ruling. He says the union will also resubmit a...

The Department of Basic Education is working on formalising Grade 9 as one of the exit points of schooling. That means learners will be able to finish school at Grade 9 and attain The General Education Certificate. This has been revealed by the minster of Basic Education, Angie Motshega at SADTU's elective conference held in Nazrec, Johannesburg. Ditaba Tsotetsi reports

Banking union; The South African Society of Bank Officials says they are redy to embark on a nationwide strike this Friday by banking employees. Around 40-thousand members are expected to take part in the strike - which is against the retrenchment of workers and digitalisation of banking systems. SASBO says the union will ensure that ATM's and banking operations are not functional. In Gauteng.

The presidency has welcomed a Constitutional Court judgment that dismissed its application for leave to appeal a High Court ruling regarding the hiring and firing of cabinet ministers. Ramaphosa took the matter to the ConCourt seeking clarity on the powers of the President on the matter. In 2017, the High Court ruled that then President Jacob Zuma must give reasons for his controversial cabinet re...

Social media has been abuzz since YESTERDAY when Limpopo-based Ndlovu Youth Choir had been preparing for its final performance at the finals of America's Got Talent. The group took to its facebook page moments before their performance to thank all South Africans and the world for the support they have received in the competition. Veteran television talk show host, Felicia Mabuza-Suttle had also pa...

Labour union DEMAWUSA says it will forge ahead with the strike action until Johannesburg's Metrobus management meets its demands. Metrobus workers belonging to DEMAWUSA embarked on an indefinite strike yesterday over salary progression issues. The union also wants to be given office space and resources at all three Metrobus depots in Johannesburg. Meanwhile Metrobus says their bus that was reporte...

Suspended Secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana says he has already started consulting his lawyers to challenge his dismissal. National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise recently announced that they have accepted recommendations that Mgidlana be summarily dismissed. He was found guilty on seven of the 13 charges laid against him - of which four were very serious. It follows the outcome of an inves...

The 2 month deployment of the army in some crime hotspots in Cape Town comes to an end today. In July Police Minister Bheki Cele announced that soldiers would be deployed to the streets of townships in the mother city following a series of gang related murders. It still remains unclear if an extension will be granted to allow the SANDF to stay longer.