First Take SA

Electricity tariffs are set to increase after Eskom won a court battle against the National Energy Regulator of South Africa over a 69-billion rand equity injection. In the scathing judgment YESTERDAY*, the high court declared that Nersa's decision to deduct the equity injection into Eskom from its allowable revenue for the period 2019/2020 to 2021/2022 was illegal. The court has instructed that t...

Government's "special official" funeral for the last Rivonia trialist to pass away, Andrew Mlangeni, will be held at the University of Johannesburg in Soweto THIS MORNING (Wednesday 29/07/2020) at about nine o'clock. Ninety-five-year-old Mlangeni died at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria last Wednesday (22/07/2020). He was one of the ANC's first MK members to be trained in China and to meet "Chairma...

Residents of Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas in KwaZulu Natal run the risk of suffering from further respiratory diseases as toxic smoke continues to blanket the City, forcing many residents to flee their homes. The smoke emissions, which environmentalists have warned could potentially carry cancer-causing chemicals, emanates from a local landfill site that has been continuously burning for...

President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokesperson, Khusela Diko, has temporarily left office. This comes amid a probe into the awarding of two contracts for the supply of PPEs to Royal Bhaca Projects in which her husband is a director. There are concerns that Diko might have used her position to get the tender for Royal Bhaca Projects. This comes as the ANC in Gauteng announced that it had summoned Khusela...

At least 25 people were arrested yesterday across the Cape Penisula on charges of public violence and contravening sections of the Disaster Management Act. This followed various shutdown protests called by the Cape Coloured People's Congress demanding among others houses and job opportunities.

Cape Town Mayoral member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says the City will act against protests, should they turn violent, including the obstruction of access to public roads and the vandalism of infrastructure. This as a group called the Gatvol Capetonian Movement plans a shutdown of the City this morning. They are protesting against poor service delivery in coloured communities

The Gauteng Health Department says it's waiting for the City of Tshwane to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to enable them to turn the Tshwane Events Centre -- formerly known as Tshwane Show Grounds -- into a Covid-19 field hospital. The city took control of the facility after a protracted legal battle with TSHWABAC -- who owned and managed it. The property was transferred free of charge to Tshw...

ANC veterans have criticised the governing party for having former president Jacob Zuma lead a memorial service paying tribute to the late struggle veteran Andrew Mlangeni. In a letter directed to the party's general manager, Febe Potgieter-Gqubule, the veterans bemoaned what they called the "unsuitability" of choosing Zuma to fulfil such an important role. Zuma was a keynote speaker at a virtual...

News and Current Affairs show between 5 & 6 am on SAfm 104 to 107 anchored by Tsepiso Makwetla

With grade 3 and 10 learners expected back in class this morning, the ANC says the re-opening of schools should follow the guidelines set out by the World Health Organisation. Basic education minister Angie Motshekga met with her cabinet colleagues yesterday following renewed calls to close schools amid the spike in Covid-19 infections in the country. Last week Motshekga met with teacher unions an...

Business owners in the hospitality and leisure sector have warned insurance companies of sustained legal action over the failure to pay out valid COVID-19 related claims. These businesses include fast-food franchises, game lodges, restaurants and hotel groups that have had to shed thousands of jobs over the national lockdown period. Spokesperson for the Hospitality, Entertainment and Leisure Indus...

Three-hundred Chefs in 10 cities across the country are embarking on a Mandela Day initiative that seeks to make 67-thousand litres of healthy nutritious soup using surplus rescued produce. The initiative is a joint-venture between SA Harvest and non-profit organisation, Chefs with Compassion. SA Harvest says it is shocking that 18-Million women and children go to bed hungry in South Africa althou...

According to the UIF more than 2,000 SA's performing artists have received relief funds from the department of arts & culture for gigs cancelled during the lockdown, others complain of being left out in the cold. Musicians such as Arthur Mafokate, Kelly Khumalo, Caiphus Semenya poet laureate Wally Serote - are listed as having received once-off payments of between R10,000 and R20,000 to help them...

The Congress of the South African Students (COSAS) in Mpumalanga has resolved to embark on a process of shutting down all public schools in the province TODAY. This as calls for schools to close down in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus are increasing countrywide. The call for the shutdown of schools is being supported by among others SADTU, SASCO, the YCL and the One South Africa Moveme...

The coronavirus pandemic has plunged South Africans and many others across the world into a lot of uncertainty. This as daily reports of Covid-19 infections and deaths surge both locally and globally. Millions of people have also lost their incomes, livelihoods and many more are going hungry. The reimposition of the alcohol ban and night curfew has made an already bad situation worse. All this is...

A Russian vaccine against COVID-19 could be ready for its final stage of testing as early as August, according to the head of the centre carrying out the trials. Russia's Sechenov University says the first trials are over and the vaccine has been shown to be safe. But more tests are needed before it can be put to use. Retired epidemiologist, Dr Jo Barnes weighs in on these tests...

Despite being the epicentre of the Coronavirus pandemic in South Africa, Gauteng is the National Soccer League's preferred province for the completion of the ABSA Premiership and the GladAfrica Championship. This was announced by Premier Soccer League chaiarman, Irvin Khoza, at a media briefing in Johannesburg. He provided clarity on the process and progress made towards the completion of the 2019...

In a further blow to the hospitality and tourism sector, the sale, dispensing and distribution of alcohol has been suspended with immediate effect. Addressing the nation President Ramaphosa said the nationwide curfew coupled with the ban on the sale of alcohol will free up much-needed trauma and ICU care facilities across the country. The tourism industry had also been hoping for the re-opening of...

Western Cape Disaster Management has warned that the upcoming cold front could be the biggest storm that the province has been hit within recent times. This follows a warning by the South African Weather Services of an intense cold front that is expected to make landfall TODAY, bringing with it gale force winds of up to a 100 kilometres per hour. Storm surges and wave heights of up to 13-metres al...

News and Current Affairs show between 5 & 6 am on SAfm 104 to 107 anchored by Tsepiso Makwetla

News and Current Affairs show between 5 & 6 am on SAfm 104 to 107 anchored by Tsepiso Makwetla

News and Current Affairs show between 5 & 6 am on SAfm 104 to 107 anchored by Tsepiso Makwetla

The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) says more than 800 evictions have taken place since the country entered into the national coronavirus lockdown. The most recent of these cases involves Bulelani Qholani from Khayelitsha township in Cape Town. He was violently dragged out of his shack naked as the Cape Town Anti-Land Invasion unit demolished his shack. This resulted in a hu...

The Zondo Commission of Inquiry investigating allegations of state capture has spent about 700 million rand since its inception in 2018. This was revealed by the Department of Justice during its briefing to the oversight committee yesterday (Wednesday) when it was presenting its budget. Acting Director-General, Adv JB Skosana says about 18 million rand per month is spent on investigations. Is this...

Gauteng has officially overtaken the Western Cape as the epicentre in the country of the coronavirus pandemic with 75,015 cases compared with the Western Cape's 73,292. The cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in SA is 224,665 with 8,810 new infections. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the COVID-19 storm that he's been warning South Africans about had arrived. Professor Wolfgang Preiser,...