First Take SA

Labour union NEHAWU is to meet striking SASSA workers to decide on the way forward following the suspension of the Biometric Enrolment for grant beneficiaries. This follows a meeting between Social Development Minister Susan Shabangu, NEHAWU representatives and senior SASSA officials in Johannesburg yesterday. SASSA workers have been on strike countrywide since yesterday, Wednesday. Tsepiso Makwet...

Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) says while former Finance Minister, Nhlanhla Nene's timing to resign is regrettable, the appointment of Tito Mboweni as his replacement does not spell an introduction of a new fiscal direction but rather a move to entrench stability at National Treasury. BUSA's CEO, Tanya Cohen has urged Mboweni to maintain commitments made in the February Budget as the country h...

Political pressure is building on Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene to step down. So far, several opposition parties including the EFF, DA, Cope and the UDM have called for Nene's head following his admission to the State Capture Inquiry that he had several meetings with the Gupta family during his first term as finance minister and before that while he was deputy finance minister. Tsepiso Makwetla s...

Trade union NEHAWU has warned it will shut down all SASSA offices on Wednesday. Social Security Agency workers affiliated to Nehawu are set to strike over the transfer of social grant payments from Cash Paymaster Services to the South African Post Office. Nehawu general secretary, Zola Saphetha, has accused SASSA of refusing to resolve challenges brought about by this move

President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the Framework Agreement of the Jobs Summit as revolutionary decisions. This came out at the two-day Jobs Summit, underway in Midrand in Gauteng, earlier this afternoon. Government, business, labour and civil society have agreed on a number of measures to stimulate the economy and create jobs. These include among others; avoiding retrenchments and helping strugg...

TALKING POINTS: *** Ethiopia turning off the internet as violence flares up *** Zimbabwean court ordereding illegal occupiers of a white farmer's property to vacate the land immediately *** Mining firms saying Zambia's tax hike plan would ruin the economy

A group calling themselves The Gauteng Shut-Down Co-ordinating Committee (GSCC) says more than 10 coloured communities across Gauteng will embark on total shutdowns today. Residents from various coloured communities such as Eldorado Park, Westbury and Ennerdale in the Johannesburg are said to be taking to the streets from as early as 4 AM this morning. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to demonstrations Co-o...

Today is the second and final day of the job summit in Midrand east of Johannesburg- over the years entrepreneurship has been seen as one of the drivers to help create employment in South Africa. However, how easy is it for one to become an entrepreneur in this country. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Nwabisa Mayema who is an entrepreneur and motivational speaker

In Westbury, west of Johannesburg, another total shutdown is planned this morning. The community in the area went on the rampage burning tyres protesting against gang violence. Police minister, Bheki Cele and National commissioner, General Khehla Sitole will again be in the area today, following their visit on Tuesday where Cele announced a number of measures that will be implemented to help deal...

Advocacy group, #Unite Behind, will be protesting at the Cape Town Train Station this afternoon against service issues facing Metrorail. Train services have been negatively impacted by ongoing arson attacks on trains, as well as the vandalising or theft of rail infrastructure. Last month several commuters were aslo stabbed and thrown off a moving train in Stellenbosch. Metrorail says it's lost at...

The husband of a woman who's death sparked the violent protests in Westbury, west of Johannesburg, says the arrest of the perpetrators will not bring his wife back. Reuben Peterson was reacting to Police Minister Bheki Cele's undertaking that police will apprehend the remaining two suspects sought in connection with the fatal shooting of his wife within the next 48 to 72 hours. Two suspects are al...

South Africans must brace themselves for extrememly cold conditions starting later TODAY. The South African Weather Service has warned of a cold front which is expected to affect Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape . Snowfall is also expected in southern and northern parts of the Drakensberg. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to SABC Meteorologist, Sihle Kunene

Increases in taxi commuter fares are on the cards following fuel price hike. Petrol has rocketed by a record R1 a litre and diesel by R1.24 per litre. Fuel prices have increased every month for the past four months and motorists and commuters fear that there will be yet another substantial fuel price increase before the festive season. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the Spokesperson for the National Ta...

TALKING POINTS *** MTN's Chief Financial Officer Ralph Mupita has indicated that it has become quite challenging for them to list their IPO in Nigeria- the company is even considering to scrap the IPO entirely. *** The Nigerian, President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration is making progress in the fight against corruption as shady oil deals and the brazen theft of billions of Naira is now a...

Consumers will have to fork out even more at the pumps this month. The price of petrol increases by 99 cents for 93 octane, and by one rand for 95. The hike brings the overall retail price of both diesel and petrol in the interior to around 17-rand per liter. Prices will officially go up on Wednesday, the 3rd of October. Meanwhile, the organisation- People against Petrol and Parrafin Price Increas...

Residents of Westbury, Johannesburg have threatened another shutdown this morning. On Friday they brought traffic to a standstill in the area by barricading roads with objects and burning tyres. This in protest against gansterism and crime in general. They marched to the Sophiatown Police Station, demading action against crime. Three people were injured when police used teargas and fired rubber bu...

Nine babies have died at the Rahima Moosa hospital in Johannesburg following a bacteria outbreak earlier this year. Acting CEO of the hospital, Dr. Frew Benson says they have now increased control measures at the facility. Elivs Presslin spoke to Acting CEO of the Rahima Moosa hospital, Dr Frew Benson

At least 832 people have now been confirmed dead in the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Many people were reported still trapped in the rubble of buildings that collapsed in Friday's 7.5-magnitude earthquake. The Indonesian Red Cross has deployed experts in search and rescue and has dispatched emergency relief items With road and air transport compromi...

ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule has urged senior party members to respect their congress resolutions and decisions of their National Executive Committee. He was reacting to former President Thabo Mbeki Mbeki's take on the party's resolution on land. In a leaked document, Mbeki criticised the ANC resolution on the expropriation of land without compensation saying it is not in line with the part...

The largest ever National KHOI-SAN / COLOURED Consultative Conference (NCC 2018) which ended on Monday 24 September at the Melkbos Cultural Centre in Cape Town, concluded with firm resolutions to end centuries of injustice perpetrated against the descendants of the Khoi-San/Coloured people in South Africa. One of the objectives of the NCC 2018 was Unity, in order to overcome whatever blocks there...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says his drive to drum up support for South Africa's ailing economy has warmly received by big business. He was speaking following several meeting with business leaders and would be investors in New York, accompanied by a high level delegation from PRetoria. He also attended the United Nations General Assembly where he called for fair trade and economic practises. Senior...

South Africa and United Arab Emirates have signed mutual legal assistance and extradition treaties. Negotiations between the countries began in 2010. The department of justice and correctional services says the treaties will enable the two countries to assist each other in the investigation and prosecution of crimes through mutual legal assistance and the extradition of fugitives. Elvis Preslin sp...

The Greater Orange Farm Representative Council of Learners (RCL) Co-ordinating Team and the #NationalizePrivateSchools has called on young people in South Africa, to reject last week's Constitutional Court decision to legalize the private use of marijuana. The RCL co-ordinating team also calls on Parliament to draft strict legislation that will protect young people of school-going age, from using...

As global leaders are set to meet for the first-ever United Nations tuberculosis summit in New York on Wednesday, medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has called on governments to urgently scale up TB diagnosis and treatment, and commit more resources. The organization says while TB is the world's deadliest infectious disease, killing 1.6 million in 2017, it is still dr...

Ratings agency Fitch says the Stimulus Package announced by the president is unlikely to deliver a significant boost to economic growth. The agency which has South Africa's foreign and local currency debt at sub investment grade says the rand's recent plunge would also hinder the plan. Fitch says the plan does include measures that could support growth, but many relate to long-standing policy idea...