First Take SA

HAWKS' captain Lloyd Ramovha says fifty thousand rands per child was the ransom demanded by the kidnappers of three teenagers of Ethiopian origin over the weekend. The five suspects were arrested by the HAWKS around Brixton and Mayfair areas in Johannesburg YESTERDAY (thursday). The parents of the teenagers had reportedly been contacted with ransom demands.

COSATU and its affiliate the South African Society of Banking Officials has encouraged workers in the banking sector to report for work today. This follows yesterday's decision by the Labour Court's to interdict their protest that was planned for this morning. COSATU's deputy secretary-general Solly Phetoe says they are now seeking leave to appeal the ruling. He says the union will also resubmit a...

The Department of Basic Education is working on formalising Grade 9 as one of the exit points of schooling. That means learners will be able to finish school at Grade 9 and attain The General Education Certificate. This has been revealed by the minster of Basic Education, Angie Motshega at SADTU's elective conference held in Nazrec, Johannesburg. Ditaba Tsotetsi reports

Banking union; The South African Society of Bank Officials says they are redy to embark on a nationwide strike this Friday by banking employees. Around 40-thousand members are expected to take part in the strike - which is against the retrenchment of workers and digitalisation of banking systems. SASBO says the union will ensure that ATM's and banking operations are not functional. In Gauteng.

The presidency has welcomed a Constitutional Court judgment that dismissed its application for leave to appeal a High Court ruling regarding the hiring and firing of cabinet ministers. Ramaphosa took the matter to the ConCourt seeking clarity on the powers of the President on the matter. In 2017, the High Court ruled that then President Jacob Zuma must give reasons for his controversial cabinet re...

Social media has been abuzz since YESTERDAY when Limpopo-based Ndlovu Youth Choir had been preparing for its final performance at the finals of America's Got Talent. The group took to its facebook page moments before their performance to thank all South Africans and the world for the support they have received in the competition. Veteran television talk show host, Felicia Mabuza-Suttle had also pa...

Labour union DEMAWUSA says it will forge ahead with the strike action until Johannesburg's Metrobus management meets its demands. Metrobus workers belonging to DEMAWUSA embarked on an indefinite strike yesterday over salary progression issues. The union also wants to be given office space and resources at all three Metrobus depots in Johannesburg. Meanwhile Metrobus says their bus that was reporte...

Suspended Secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana says he has already started consulting his lawyers to challenge his dismissal. National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise recently announced that they have accepted recommendations that Mgidlana be summarily dismissed. He was found guilty on seven of the 13 charges laid against him - of which four were very serious. It follows the outcome of an inves...

The 2 month deployment of the army in some crime hotspots in Cape Town comes to an end today. In July Police Minister Bheki Cele announced that soldiers would be deployed to the streets of townships in the mother city following a series of gang related murders. It still remains unclear if an extension will be granted to allow the SANDF to stay longer.

Nigeria's consul general, Adama Godwin, has confirmed that his government will soon start the process of repatriating more than six hundred of it's citizens back to Nigeria. This follows the announcement by the African Diaspora Forum's that it too had received over 400 requests from foreign nationals who hail from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi who wish to be assisted with returning to their home...

Today) is International Gynaecological Awareness Day and health NGO, Right to Care, has called on communities to continue sharing knowledge and raising awareness about cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccinations. The organisation says only half of South African women are screened for cervical cancer at the recommended intervals, with Pap Smear screening lower amongst the poor and those living w...

Some foreign nationals in Katlehong, east of Johannesburg, say they are ready to abandon their pursuit of a better life in South Africa and go back to their countries of origin. About 800 foreign nationals have been displaced by last week's xenophobic attacks in Katlehong, and are being sheltered at community halls in the township. They were uprooted from their homes at the Mandela informal settle...

Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) says it hopes to meet with Minister of Police Bheki Cele to discuss a coordinated response to the wave of attacks on businesses in Gauteng. Busa has condemned the violent protests across the province where foreign-owned businesses were vandalised and looted.

South Africa has avoided a recession. The country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 3.1 percent in the second quarter of 2019. The first quarter GDP numbers recorded a decline of 3.2 percent. GDP data released by Stats SA showed that mining, manufacturing, finance and real estate showed positive growth, while agriculture, forestry and fishing continued to shrink

Police continue to monitor hot spots across Johannesburg and Pretoria. This follows the widespread looting of foreign-owned shops in Tembisa, Pretoria, Germiston, Malvern, Turfontein and the Johannesburg CBD. Police fired teargas, rubber bullets and stun grenades and arrested more than 90 people. Meanwhile, the ANC has condemned the violence and classified it as mere 'acts of criminality'. ANC Sec...

The 42 year old man arrested following the disappearance of a University of Cape Town student has been charged with murder rape and defeating the ends of justice. 19 year old Uyinene Mrwetyana disappeared more than a week ago. Meanwhile, boxing champion Leighandre "Baby Lee" Jegels was gunned down by her ex-boyfriend in the Eastern Cape. This as a six-year-old Amy-Lee de Jager is still missing aft...

Members belonging to the National Truck Drivers' Foundation have called for a nationwide strike today in response to trucking companies taking them to court for allegedly burning trucks. The foundation is also lobbying against the alleged employment of foreign nationals.

Business owners whose shops were looted in Malvern east of Johannesburg this morning are counting their loses. An estimated 50 shops have been looted and over 50 vehicles burnt after a group of people went on the rampage. Some of the shops were also burned. Over 30 people have now been arrested. The motive for the looting is not yet known. The looting incidents started in nearby Jeppestown yesterd...

Fear and anxiety are mounting in the student community as investigations into the disappearance of a 19-year-old University of Cape Town student continue. Police say Uyinene Mrwetyana was last seen last Saturday afternoon when she left her Roscommon House residence in Claremont. Mrwetyana family has enlisted the services of private investigator Noel Pratten to help with the search. Two more privat...

A report released by corruption watchdog Corruption Watch has revealed that South African police are the most corrupt public servants. The report also shows that for the first time, corruption in the police has overtaken other sectors such as schools, health and local government. It identifies abuse of power and bribery as the leading forms of corruption in the police.

The KhoiSan6 protest at the UNION BUILDING which was initiated by the KhoeSan Walkers from Port Elizabeth, has lost all moral direction and is now effectively leaderless and should be closed down immidiately. This is according to a leading KhoiSan Activist who says that the protest has sadly now become a cause for negative divisions, that it is no longer educating South Africa about the plight of...

African Global Operations, formerly known as Bosasa, has urged the public and the media to give Gavin Watson's family space and time to grieve after the politically-connected businessman's death. In a brief statement to the media, AGO confirmed the death of their Chief Executive, Gavin Watson. He died yesterday morning when his car hit a concrete barrier on the R21 at the entrance to OR Tambo Airp...

Four people have been killed in a cooking oil tank explosion in Roodekop, Germiston, on Gauteng's East Rand. Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesperson, William Ntladi says they responded to the incident, which happened afternoon, after reports of a blaze at the factory.

The leaked CR17 bank statements will once again come under the spotlight when President Cyril Ramaphosa appears before the National Assembly later today. This is the first time Ramaphosa will have to face oral questions in parliament since the details of the campaign funding became public. EFF leader Julius Malema is set to ask the president about details of people in the Office of the President a...

Johannesburg Mayor, Herman Mashaba has hit back at ANC chairperson in the region, Geoff Makhubo, labelling him as one of the most corrupt public servants in the region. Mashaba will today face a motion of no confidence brought by the ANC but he maintains that this is a smoke-screen to prevent him from revealing evidence of alleged corruption that amounts to almost 34 Billion rands within the City...