First Take SA

Results of Botswana's general elections are expected later today after counting and verification of ballots continued overnight.. Scores of people flocked to voting stations across the country to cast their ballots yesterday (Wednesday). The Independent Electoral Commission says voting began without any major incidents. Some political analysts say the elections are expected to be the first genuine...

Tensions are rising between e-hailing taxi operators in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, after taxi owners entered the market with the launch of a new operation called YoTaxi. There have been reports that the new kid on the block has warned Uber and Bolt drivers to stop their operations in the province and be incorporated into their service. In a video that has since gone viral on social media, a man believ...

Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula has urged passengers to not panic over yesterday's grounding, promising that operations will return to normal by no later than the end of this week.

Commitment to a pro-poor agenda and patriotism, are some of the reasons outgoing Joburg Mayor, Herman Mashaba has given for his resignation as both Mayor and DA member. Mashaba made the announcement at a media briefing at the Johannesburg council chambers on Monday. This follows the election of Helen Zille to the party's powerful Federal Council Charperson position on Sunday. Two weeks ago, Mashab...

Helen Zille has once again beaten Athol Trollip in a leadership contest becoming the Democratic Alliance's Federal Council Chairperson. Zille, who came ahead of two other senior DA members, takes over from James Selfe who served for 19 years. Zille's new position, is said, comes with an incredible amount of power and influence within the party. Speaking to the media shortly after the results annou...

The residents of Makhanda Eastern Cape, formerly known as Grahamstown, are taking government to court over the raw sewage that continues to flood the town. The residents say the municipality has failed to respond to reported incidents. The town has also been facing a water shortage crisis.

The Democratic Alliance is expected to have a new Federal Council chairperson occupying the seat of its highest decision making body between congress by Sunday. The party will hold its highly contested council election at the weekend, with former party leader, Helen Zille as one of the front runners to replace James Selfe

Negotiators from the UK reached an agreement with officials in Brussels on Thursday that could pave the way for Britain to finally break 46 years of ties with the EU. For both sides, the agreement is a chance to move their political agendas on and to start focusing on their future trading relationship. The European Union said that they believe the deal can be ratified by the end of October and cal...

Drugs seem to be highly accessible in prisons across South Africa. In August a search of the Pollsmoor prison found drugs, cellphones and dangerous weapons in prisoner cells. The light is also on prison wardens following the arrest of a warden at the prison who was in possession of mandrax pills. In the latest incident, the issue of illicit substances in prisons also came to the fore when the now...

The confessed child rapist, Nicholas Ninow, has recited a poem to his victim in the High Court in Pretoria as a way of apologising for raping her. Twenty-one-year-old Ninow cried as he read the poem as well as a letter to the family of the seven-year old victim. Ninow testified in mitigation of sentence. He was found guilty of raping the girl who was six at the time, at a Dros Restaurant in Pretor...

Some of our listeners say Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is 60 himself and should start the early retirement process by leading by example.

Former South African editor and journalist, Nic Dawes (doors), is now the Media Deputy-Executive Director at Human Rights Watch in New York. Dawes says a lot of things they reported on while he was in SA have come to pass and rebuilding the country will take a while.

There continues to be widespread concerns over shortages of critical psychiatric drugs for mental health patients in Gautend and across the country. The drugs in short supply are (include Fluoxetine and Citalopram) both critical inhibitors that ease symptoms of moderate to severe depression. Mental health patients are being told that essential drugs are in short supply or inadequate in supply and...

The United Nations is sounding alarm bells over the high number of children that are suffering the consequences of poor diets and a food system that is failing them. In a report released by UNICEF today (tuesday) called 'The State of the Worlds Children 2019: Children, food and nutrition' extensive reasearch has uncovered that at least 1 in 3 children under five is either undernourished or overwei...

Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, says his department will seek to assist convicted Fees Must fall activist Khanya Cekeshe with an urgent application for a presidential pardon. This comes after the Johannesburg Magistrates Court dismissed Cekeshe's application to appeal his conviction. The court also dismissed his application for bail. The student activist was sentenced...

The Mozambican National Electoral Commission says police will be deployed to all voting stations to ensure a smooth electoral process. Mozambique holds its general elections tomorrow (Tuesday). There have been reports of sporadic attacks on citizens by unknown armed gunmen. A local election observer Anastacio Matavele, was shot and killed last week in Xai Xai in Gaza province.

OPE has called on the South African government to blacklist Bosasa from doing business with government departments. The party says Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Ronald Lamola must disclose whether the controversial company - now known as African Global Operations - continues to get financial government contracts. COPE spokesperson, Dennis Bloem says the South African government shoul...

Social media has been abuzz this past weekend over a video which seemingly shows Springboks winger, Makazole Mapimpi being snubbed by a group of players during celebrations which followed the clash between South Africa and Italy at the Rugby World Cup in Japan on Friday. The debate raged on even after Mapimpi recorded a video of himself explaining the rugby culture within the team that may haVE le...

Mmusi Maimane's future as leader of the Democratic Alliance remains uncertain, days after the party cleared him of financial wrongdoing. An investigation was conducted following allegations that Maimane's Toyota fortuner was a donation from controversial Steinhoff former CEO Markus Jooste. Weekly newspaper, Sunday Times YESTERDAY ( Sunday) reported that a delegation of senior party figures, includ...

Traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape have expressed disappointment in the delay by President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce on the release of jailed King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo. Ramaphosa had visited the Abathembu nation ahead of the May national elections to garner votes and it was hoped that King Dalindyebo would receive a presidential pardon from the new administration after the elections. Some...

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is in South Africa on a State Visit amidst strained relations between the two nations following the recent spate of attacks on foreign nationals including Nigerians. Buhari will co-chair the 9th SA-Nigeria Bi-national Commission -BNC- with President Cyril Ramaphosa later this morning. Today's BNC seeks to strengthen political and economic relations between the t...

DA chief whip, John Steenhuisen has invited the Institute for Race Relations to join its party membership or form its own political party instead of meddling in the leadership of the official opposition. This follows an opinion piece which argued that current Western Cape premier, Alan Winde should replace Mmusi Maimane as party leader. The IRR endorsed the article claiming that it promotes robust...

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) says it will seek a minimum wage of 17-thousand Rand per month for its workers, up from 12-thousand-500 Rand. The union lashed out against what they call greedy CEOs within the platinum sector, who benefit at the expense of poor miners. AMCU has taken Sibanye-Gold and Anglo American Platinum to the CCMA over wage negotiations and planned...

The Eastern Cape government has sent its condolences to the families of five victims who died when a storm hit Manzimdaka village at Cala on Sunday night. Three children including a two year-old toddler and two elderly men died after walls fell on them. Scores of other houses have been flattened,

The Competition Commisson's Health Market Inquiry has found that the private health market has failed consumers by overcharging them with no clear outcomes. The commission also found among other things, that healthcare practitioners are subjected to little regulation. The inquiry, which was initiated in 2013, released its findings with recommendations, yesterday. .