First Take SA

Opposition parties in the Free State say they are disappointed with provincial cabinet reshuffle. Premier Sisi Ntombela made one change but retained previous MECs. Some have been moved to other portfolios. The newcomer Montsheng Tsiu, previously with labour union Nehawu is occupying the troubled health department previously held by Butana Khomphela who has been moved to Social Development. Former...

The Democratic Alliance has terminated the membership of Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille. The party's Federal Executive Committee made the announcement at a media briefing in Cape Town. The DA says she's consequently lost her mayoral position. The Ousted Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille says the termination of her membership is another shortcut by the DA to get rid of her. Tsepiso Makwetla spok...

Bus commuters will still have to find alternative transport on Wednesday. This as SATAWU and the other four transport unions involved in the ongoing bus strike have put forward a counter offer, which now brings them closer to the offer earlier tabled by employers. The unions resolved to demand 9% increases for bus drivers in the first year and 8% in the second year, backdated to April 1. Employers...

The North-West Premier Supra Mahumapelo has told us, he intends resigning his post as Premier of the province this morning. This comes just hours after ANC's Top Six, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa met at Luthuli House here in Johannesburg this past weekend, where they were to decide the premier's fate. Tsepiso Makwetla to leader of civil society group, the Revolutionary Council in the Northwest...

The team of investigators, lawyers and human rights advocates behind last year's re-opening of the 46-year-old inquest into the murder in police custody of Ahmed Timol is appealing to South Africans for information relating to eight more atrocities allegedly perpetrated by apartheid-era police. Elvis Preslin spoke to Imtiaz Cajee, Ahmed Timol's nephew....

Indigenous First Nation Advocacy South Africa (IFNASA), who organized the recent Khoi and San Land Summit has called on the ANC to meet with them and discuss the Land issue. Among the resolutions of their summit is a call to Government to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to deal with all related issues of Identity Theft and Land Dispossession. Elvis Preslin spoke to Indigenous First...

The ANC's Top Six, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, met into the late hours of yesterday, deciding the fate of embattled North-West Premier Supra Mahumapelo. The meeting followed a decision by the party's national working committee, which recommended that Mahumapelo be recalled. Elvis Preslin spoke to SABC reporter Tshepo Ikaneng and Political Analyst, Professor Goodfriday Mhlongo

Another protest against the illegal occupation of vacant land has erupted in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg. Residents there are also opposed to land grabbers illegally occupying a piece of land in the area. Yesterday, a similar protest took place in Protea Glen in Soweto where the situation is reportedly calm this morning. In both cases, residents believe the illegal invasions will devalue their...

Kenya to Launch Its First Locally Made Satellite Into Space, South African products are still banned in Rwanda after listeriosis and The African Development Bank (AfDB) has said Africa needs about $170 billion annually to meet its infrastructure requirement. Victor Kgomoesoana, author of "Africa Is Open For Business" looks at this week's top African economic stories with Elvis Preslin

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union, NEHAWU, is planning a national day of action followed by a two day stay-away by public servants in the North West province, starting next week. This is in solidarity with provincial health and social development departments workers in the province. This follows industrial action at both provincial departments. Two weeks ago, the national gov...

Eight people of the same family, including five children, have been killed in a shack fire in Site C in Khayelitsha, on the Cape Flats. The Bangani family are distraught, and shocked community members saddened by the incident. Twenty-two people have been displaced after the fire destroyed four shacks. The police are investigating the incident. Berenice Moss reports

The Speaker of the North West Legislature Suzan Dantjie, has postponed the motion of no confidence in premier Supra Mahumapelo. The motion which was brought by the EFF, it was supposed to have been debated in the provincial legislature in Mahikeng this morning. EFF NW Chairperson, Betty Diale explains why they requested the postponement...

The Right to Know campaign has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire State Security Agency boss Arthur Fraser. The organisation says Fraser has retained his position despite mounting allegations against him. Meanwhile the Democratic Alliaence has written to President Ramaphosa urging him to suspend Fraser with immediate effect. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Spokesperson for the Right to Know Cam...

The Speaker of the North West Legislature, Suzan Dantjie has announced that the motion of no confidence in Premier Supra Mahumapelo next week on Tuesday, will proceed through an open ballot system. The Legislature will hold a special house sitting to debate the motion, which the EFF tabled last month. Patrick Dintwa reports ...

Victor Kgomoesoana, author of "Africa Is Open For Business" speaks to Tsepiso Makwetla for a look at this week's top African economic stories

Police have made a major breakthrough in their fight against drugs. They raided a multi-million rand drug manufacturing lab in Orlando West, in Soweto on Thursday. No one has been arrested but a search is underway for the owners of the house, as Angela Bolowana reports...

The family of five people who were burnt to death at Willowton in Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal is trying to come terms with their death. Five family members were burnt to death when when a fire broke out in the dining room of their home. Amongst the deceased are three adults and two children aged ten and sixteen. Fanele Mhlongo reports...

Rand Water says it will start reducing its bulk water supply to the Emfuleni Local Municipality. The municipality has failed to reach a settlement on the payment of its 419 million rand debt. Earlier this year, residents were left without water for days after the municipality failed to honour its debt, leading to protests in some communities. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Rand Water media relations ma...

14 of the 16 prisoners who escaped from the Johannesburg Correctional Centre, Medium A, are still on the run. Two were shot dead on the R33 road in KZN, between Pietermaritzburg and Geytown on Wednesday. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Captain Siphiwe Mhlongo who is the KZN Spokesperson for the Hawks for an update...

The Algerian Defence Ministry says most of the people who died in Wednesday's plane crash were army personnel and their families. At least 257 people were killed when a military plane crashed shortly after it took off from Boo-fa-rik military airport near the capital Algiers. It is not yet clear what caused the crash. The army's chief of staff has ordered an investigation following the incident. T...

We've all heard the saying " Breakfast is the most important meal of the day". However, for some who start their day earlier, just like the First Take SA team, most people hardly have time to have one. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to FutureLife Dietician, Ntsako Mathye on how best to plan for that meal that kick starts our day.

Deputy President David Mabuza says South Africans and the ANC in particular should learn a lot from the late anti-apartheid struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. He was speaking at Mam Winnie's official memorial service held at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Wednesday. The service was attended by several Cabinet ministers and leaders of different political parties including the Azapo, the PAC...

Tributes continue to pour in for struggle veteran, former cabinet minister and Ambassador to the UK , Zola Skweyiya. Skweyiya died in a Pretoria hospital yesterday morning, at the age of 75. He served as Minister of Public Service and Administration in the Mandela administration. Skweyiya then served as Minister of Social Development during Thabo Mbeki's presidency. Skweyiya retired as a parliamen...

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on State Funerals led by the Minister in the Presidency, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma says it's all systems go for today's memorial service of the late struggle icon, Winnie Madikizela Mandela. It is scheduled to take place at Orlando Stadium at 11 o'clock this morning. Dlamini Zuma says there are a number of "Heads of States" and deputies expected to attend the servic...

Families living in a partially-collapsed building where three children died when a wall collapsed on them this week, are refusing to be relocated to a safer area. This, is despite the building being declared unsafe for habitation. Some of the families say they are forced to live in such conditions because they cannot afford rentals, pleading poverty and unemployment. Sashin Naidoo re-visited the s...