First Take SA

Gauteng Infrastructure Development MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, has promised to take full responsibility for the deadly Bank of Lisbon building fire in the Johannesburg CBD should investigations find he was at fault. Three firefighters were killed and several others injured fighting the blaze. It has since emerged that the building is among several that did not comply with safety standards. Firefighters s...

Victor Kgomoesoana, Director at "Africa Is Open For Business" looks at Rwanda's opposition ( Democratic Green party) has won parliamentary seats for first time, MTN Nigeria has been directed to pay two-billion-dollars accumulated import duties Value Added Tax (VAT) and in Kenya, the High Court in Bungoma has suspended the decision by Treasury to levy a 16 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleu...

Afriforum Deputy CEO Ersnt Roets rattled the Constitutional Review Committee during his oral presentation on whether section 25 of the constitution should be amended to expropriate land without compensation. This came as Roets used his presentation to slam the ANC and the EFF. The National House of Traditional Leaders, the Southern African Catholics Conference and the Foundation for Human Rights a...

The United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reported that two South African peacekeepers were wounded, in a rebel ambush near the epicentre of an Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country. MONUSCO peacekeepers are providing near-daily escorts to Health officials there, where some stretches of road are considered a 'red zone' because of recurrent rebel at...

Consumers are often the ones who are left licking their wounds when a country battles a recession. On Tuesday Stats SA released it's economic data which revealed that South Africa has hit a technical recession. This means the country's economy has experienced two consecutive quarters of negative growth. A comsumer advisor has called on South African consumers to go back to basics . Carmel Loggenbe...

Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba says four firefighters who are still receiving treatment at the Milpark Hospital following yesterday's deadly blaze in the CBD are out of danger. Mashaba together with his team from the mayoral committee visited them in hospital this morning. Four others have been discharged. Three firefighters died after the Bank of Lisbon building, which house two Gauteng depart...

Safety of government buildings in the Johannesburg CBD remains in question. Gauteng Premier David Makhura says a report released last week reveals that seven other buildings, beside the site of yesterday's fire, have been identified as being non-compliant with safety regulations. Makhura was speaking at the government building where the blaze led to the deaths of three firefighters. SABC reporter,...

The majority of opposition parties in Parliament say they're not shocked that the country slipped into technical recession. Some are attributing the recession to uncertainty in policies -- while others say it's due to over-reliance in foreign direct investment. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) CEO Tanya Cohen

Government has given the South African Broadcasting Corporation a financial rescue to the tune of R1.2 billion in the form of a guarantee. The public broadcast will now be able to borrow monies to stay afloat. Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane told the media in Cape Town that the National Treasury and the SABC Board have concluded their discussions on the viable financial rescue of the bro...

Investigations are underway into the exact cause of YESTERDAY's train collision that left over 100 people injured in Selby south of Johannesburg. Metrorail says a train travelling from Faraday towards New Canada collided head on with another train bound for Naledi in Soweto. All the injured were taken to various nearby hospitals. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Zanele Sabela, SATAWU spokesperson...

Thirty organisations and individuals will be making oral representations to Constitutional Review Committee at Parliament. This follows country wide public hearings. The committee is tasked with establishing whether Section 25 of the Constitution should be changed to allow for land expropriation without compensation. Zalene Merrington reports...

Stellenbosch University political analyst, Zwelinzima Ndevu says failure to deal with perceptions of racial conflict within any political party is dangerous. Ndevu was reacting to claims of discrimination against Khoisan activsts, during a recent ANC West Coast regional congress. ANC councillor Sammy Claassen says he has lodged a complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission. Chris Mabuya reports....

Economists say South Africa might avoid a recession in the second quarter of the year. This as Statistics South Africa gears up to release the second quarter growth number in for 2018. Gross Domestic Product growth dropped by 2-point-2 per cent in the first quarter of the year. Naledi Ngcobo reports….

For our Women's Month Feature, the final one today, we speak to Kurisani Maswanganyi. She is Managing Director and Founderl of Kulani Engineering. Maswaganyi founded the company in a bid to do work that significantly contriubutes to the development of the country and its economy through home-grown engineering projects. She was this week recognised by the University of Johannesburg for her work in...

For our Women's Month Feature we speak to Lebo Motswenyane, an entrepreneur and owner of the company Lucky No 8, which is credited with organising Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture featuring Barack Obama as keynote speaker. She tells us how she quit her job with only a month's salary in the kitty, to a journey that has seen her as management of international acts at the Delicious Festival, SAMA Red Ca...

The restructuring project introduced by consulting agency Bain during suspended SARS Commissioner Tom Moyane's tenure at the revenue collector is said to have dismantled strategic departments which were responsible for collecting hundreds of billions in tax revenue. This is according to tax professionals appearing before the SARS commission of inquiry in Pretoria. Naledi Ngcobo reports....

National Treasury says it is a war they are fighting to make sure there is no abuse of the system - especially when it comes to procurement. Acting Treasury Chief Procurement Officer, Ndleleni Mathebula, revealed this during the State Capture inquiry in Parktown, Johannesburg. Mathebula was the first witness and gave evidence on procurement processes, and whether they were flouted in the departmen...

The SABC Board has avoided answering the question on who authorised the airing of a video by President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking in his capacity as ANC leader, on the expropriation of land without compensation. The DA laid a compliant against the SABC, following the airing of the video footage more than two weeks ago. The Public Broadcaster also told Parliament's Communication's Committee that it...

Convicted KZN FeesMustFall activist and student leader, Bonginkosi Khanyile, has vowed to camp on the lawns of the Union Buildings in Pretoria until President Cyril Ramaphosa receives his memorandum of demands. Khanyile will be sentenced on the 16 of October. Khanyile and a group of supporters from various student bodies want the presidency to pardon all students and activists who have been arrest...

The Land Bank's CEO, Tshokolo Nchocho, has asked Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene to ensure that the right of the bank as a creditor is protected when land is expropriated without compensation. About 60 percent of the bank's funding uses land as collateral which can be sold in the event of a default. Nene asked the Land Bank Board to prepare for land expropriation without compensation. Tshepo Mongoa...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reassured South Africa and the Agricultural Sector that Land Expropriation without Compensation will be done in a just manner - and so there shouldn't be fears. He says there is an urgent need for a clear and explicit policy around land reform in the country. He was addressing the African Farmers Association of South Africa, AFASA Presidential Gala Dinner in Kempton P...

The first witness in the Commission of Inquiry Into State Capture is expected to give testimony on Tuesday. National Treasury Chief Procurement officer Ndleleni Mathebula has been named as the first witness. Mathebula is expected to give evidence on procurement processes and if these were flouted in the department. The commission officially started proceedings on Monday The hearings and investigat...

Victor Kgomoesoana, Director at "Africa Is Open For Business" looks at this week's top African economic stories

High-profile witnesses will finally be able to state their cases in the state of capture inquiry which will start in Parktown, Johannesburg today. The highly-anticipated inquiry will bring various key witnesses including former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas and former ANC member of Parliament Vytjie Mentor. Various people from a wide section of the society have largely welcomed the start o...

Police Minister , Bheki Cele , says security agencies are working ceaselessly to combat cross-border crime at the country's border posts. Cele has visited eManguzi, in far northern KwaZulu-Natal, to give residents feedback on efforts to fight cross border crime. The area has been ravaged by syndicates, who smuggle vehicles across the border to Mozambique. Nhlanhla Nxele reports.