First Take SA

South Africa's unemployment challenge continues to worsen amid the economic disruption brought by covid-19. Some South Africans who have lost their jobs are finding hard to survive outside the labour market. Economists expect the unemployment rate to have risen to 37.9% in the second quarter from 30.1% in first quarter.

Former Finance Minister Des Van Rooyen has confirmed that he appointed his then special advisor Mohamed Bobat without verifying his qualifications. Van Rooyen was testifying at the State Capture Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday. Bobat was one of the advisors Van Rooyen came with after his brief appointment as Finance Minister in 2015. During his testimony last year, former Treasury DG Lungile Fuzi...

Government has sought to clarify the role of the Ministerial Committee appointed to deal with corruption in the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment. It says the committee chaired by Justice and Correctional Services Minister - Ronald Lamola - will not upstage or under-mine the powers of the law enforcement agencies. President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed a committee comprising six ministries...

Tributes are pouring in for veteran broadcaster, Bob Mabena who died of suspected cardiac arrest yesterday after a short stay in a Johannebsurg Hospital at the weekend. Mabena had been discharged earlier yesterday before his condition deteriorated after which he was rushed back to hospital before his passing. He was 51. Mabena celebrated over 30 years in the industry this year after hosting his fi...

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola says cabinet is concerned about allegations of corruption related to the procurement of personal protective equipment. Lamula is to lead a Ministerial committee appointed yesterday by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate the alleged corruption pertaining to the Covid 19 PPE tender processes. Other Cabinet Ministers in the committee include the Finance Minister, M...

Some political parties in Parliament have shot down a proposal by UDM's leader - Bantu Holomisa -for the national executive to be dissolved and replaced by unelected members of civil society and the judiciary to run the country until the 2024 national and provincial elections. They say such a proposal would not pass Constitutional muster.

The ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule says a legislation prohibiting family members of politicians from doing business with government must be formulated. Magashule was speaking during an interview with the SABC following the party's NEC meeting last weekend. Recent reports revealed that family members of several ANC leaders have been awarded covid-19 related tenders. These include President Cyr...

The Limpopo government has sought to provide further details on the 40 shacks it has handed to the Talana Hostel dwellers in Tzaneen, amid public outrage. The shacks are worth four-million-rand. Premier Stan Mathabata and National Department of Human Settlement Acting Director General, Joseph Leshabe reiterated that the shacks were a temporary measure aimed at relieving over-crowding at the hostel...

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni says there's a prima facie case to be made for probing the awarding of some tenders for Covid-19 personal protective equipment and law enforcement agencies must take action. Mboweni was addressing the joint meeting of committees of Finance of Parliament on the procurement of the equipment.

The National Consumer Commission has warned consumers against participating in pyramid schemes. The Commission briefed the media regarding its investigation into a pyramid scheme called Up Money. Acting Commissioner Thezi Mabuza says Up Money unlawfully exploited desperate South Africans during Covid-19. The scheme lured citizens by offering huge financial rewards and grocery packages if they part...

The State Capture Commission yesterday heard claims of corruption that took place during a 2014 Free State Human Settlements project. The department appointed a joint-venture between Gauteng-based Blackhead Consulting and the late Igo Mpambani's Diamond Hill Trading to identify and remove asbestos roofs from houses in the province. It has emerged that massive profiteering and price escalation took...

The ANC in North West has suspended membership of its 15 councillors at the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality in Zeerust. The party accuses them of defying the caucus' instructions by removing their mayor and the speaker and electing their preferred candidates.

Some parties in Parliament have expressed reservations about a call by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni for elected public representatives to consider a salary cut due to the prevailing economic situation. Mboweni made the call during the debate on the adjustment's appropriation bill in the National Council of Provinces last week.

The ANC in Mangaung region in the Free State has come out in defence of party secretary general, Ace Magashule. This follows reports that Magashule`s sons clinched COVID-19-related contracts in the province worth two-point-seven million Rand. Magashule`s sons are listed as directors of two companies, Motheko Projects and Marvel Deeds, which are among the companies that secured contracts with Free...

Eskom and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have issued summonses to recover close to 4-billion rand from former Eskom executives, board members, the Gupta brothers and their business associates. The matter relates to the acquisition of Optimum Coal Holdings - a mine which supplied coal to Eskom through the Guptas.

The General Secretary of the SACP, Blade Nzimande, has called for an end to what he calls the 'tenderisation of the state', in order to fight the continuing corruption in South Africa. He says following the reports of alleged corruption by ANC and government officials involving funds meant to be used in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 - the state must review the process of doing business....

Opposition parties have called for an investigation into the COVID-19 contracts awarded in the Free State. This comes after revelations that the sons of ANC secretary general, Ace Magashule, received COVID-19 contracts worth more than two-point-seven million rand. Both Motheko Projects and Marvel Deeds appear on the list of companies that secured contracts, and Magashule`s sons are listed as direc...

Tourism Minister, Mamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has announced that restaurants will be allowed to operate until 10 pm -- extending the lockdown curfew by an hour. This -- to enable restaurants to maximise their peak customer serving time. Kubayi-Ngubane was briefing the media on tourism-related activities and regulations under COVID-19 Risk Adjusted Level 3. Intra-provincial travel for leisure will also...

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has appointed Roads and Transport MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, as acting Health MEC. The Premier has placed Health MEC Bandile Masuku on a leave of absence over his alleged involvement in a controversial tender to supply personal protective equipment to the department during the coronavirus pandemic. Masuku has been accused of influencing the processes that led to the 125-mil...

Efforts to end violence against women and gender inequality are expected to be the focus of this year's women's month programme. Under the theme - "Generation Equality: Realising Women's Rights for an Equal Future" - the 2020 Women's Month - which takes place amid the COVID-19 global pandemic - was launched in Pretoria on yesterday.

South Africa has been grappling with the deadly coronavirus, Covid-19, since it made its untimely appearance on the world stage earlier this year. Covid-19 has highlighted and indeed reinforced the existing serious fault lines in South African society - from record levels of unemployment and a depleted fiscus to ever-deepening poverty and inequality. But what should South Africa be doing to prepar...

The controversial anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine is back in the headlines after a Cameroonian-born Houston-Texas-based doctor promoted unproven claims about the drug as an effective cure for COVID-19. In the video, Dr Stella Immanuel appears on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington to push the drug despite mounting scientific evidence from multiple clinical trials showing the drug as...

There has been a marked increase in the demand for training material on how to manufacture coffins and caskets since the lockdown. That's according to Peter Louw, of the SA Coffin Training School, based in Boksburg on Gauteng's East Rand. Louw says the increased number of deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic has also led to a high demand for funeral services, as well as burial space.

Political parties have given mixed reactions to the International Monetary Fund - IMF's - multi-billion rand loan to South Africa. The Executive Board of the IMF has approved the country's request for a 70-billion rand loan to help bolster its response to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. But with rampant corruption in the country, some parties are sceptical the money will reach its in...

Trade union Nehawu has questioned the accuracy of Covid 19 stats that are released by the Health Department, particularly on health workers. The union was briefing members of the media in Johannesburg. This as the country's confirmed cases continue to reach record highs. The union has also threatened to go on a nationwide strike in the health care sector over the lack of protective gear in some ho...