First Take SA

Nigeria is through to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after a tense 2-1 victory over South Africa in Cairo last night. Bafana Bafana couch Stuart Baxter stuck with the same side that shocked hosts Egypt in the last round, as match-winner Thembinkosi Lorch retained his place, but this did not assist the team following a late winner by the Super Eagles

The Commission of Inquiry into State Capture has heard how the former chief of State Protocol Bruce Koloane has continued to assist the Gupta family in its businesses in his capacity as South Africa's ambassador to the Netherlands. During his testimony yesterday Koloane admitted to name dropping to influence officials to approve the controversial Waterkloof Gupta Plane landing, describing his acti...

Some councillors in the Joburg Metro say they are living in fear, as residents in their respective areas are frustrated about challenges of erratic electricity supply. Yesterday councillors from the ANC Caucus staged a march outside the Eskom headquarters in Sunninghilll, north of Johannesburg. They are demanding that the power utility improve its supply of electricity to their areas. Residents ha...

The United Democratic Movement leader, Bantu Holomisa who was instrumental in revealing the corruption at the Public Investment Corportion (PIC) says the Corporation's former CEO, Dan Matjila should also be investigated over allegations that he unduly benefited from a 2-point-45 million rand loan extended by the troubled VBS mutual bank. Matjila who is already facing numerous allegations of corrup...

Cape Town police have initiated a 72 hour lockdown action plan in Philippi East, following eleven murders in the township over the weekend. Two men were shot and killed at a tavern on Saturday night, while three bodies were discovered in a nearby house. Another three men were also shot in a separate incident i the same area. On Friday night, six young women were shot and killed in the Marcus Garve...

African heads of state and governments have met in Niamey, Niger to officially launch the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area. The agreement will pave the way for free movement of goods, services, investments and people around the continent. The AfCFTA comes after 17 years of tough negotiations. African countries currently trade only about 16 percent of their goods and ser...

In a historic win that has changed their profile, Bafana Bafana knocked hosts Egypt out of the Africa Cup of Nations and booked their place in the quarter-finals with a late winner in Cairo. Thembinkosi Lorch scored on 85 minutes to give South Africa a stunning 1-0 victory. Stuart Baxter's men will now take on Nigeria in the quarter-finals on Wednesday

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says the department will present its report about the status of E-tolls in the Gauteng province in August this year following the directive from the President that the issue must be thoroughly discussed. Mbalula was speaking in Durban at the N3 Marrianhill Toll Plaza where law enforcement agencies and the department held a post-Durban July road block

The first 4th Industrial Revolution SA - Digital Economy Summit opens in Midrand, north of JHB later today. The summit will be hosted by the 4th Industrial Revolution South Africa partnership, an alliance between partners from the public and private sectors, academia and civil society. Today's summit will assist government to explore opportunities presented by the digital revolution and to identif...

The government of Lesotho and the opposition have signed an agreement to open Parliament to legislative reforms. The agreement was signed yesterday during President Cyril Ramaphosa's visit to the mountain kingdom. While the agreement is being hailed a bold step to stabilise the political tensions in Lesotho, the opposition is not making guarantees about the motion of no confidence in Prime Ministe...

The Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers Union (BEMAWU) says it will request an urgent meeting with the SABC and the Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams to discuss the current empasse around the financial crisis at the public broadcaster. Yesterday, Ndabeni-Abrahams told the Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Communications that National Treasury had rejected the SABC's...

Professor Ivor Sarakinsky of the Wits school of governance says there are fears that some people that the ANC has sent to chair Parliament's portfolio committees might attempt to manipulate agendas. They include former ministers Faith Muthambi, Mosebenzi Zwane, Bongani Bongo, Tina Joemat-Pettersson and former North West premier, Supra Mahumapelo. The five were elected to chair Co-operative Governa...

EFF leader Julius Malema has dropped a bomb-shell saying his party will no longer be voting with the DA or even the ANC across all municipalities. The EFF had given the DA in Tshwane Metro an ultimatum to make sure that they make way for an EFF person to be the mayor in the Metro by June

Equal Education says it welcomes the withdrawal of Zukisa Faku's nomination by the ANC Parliamentary caucus to be chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on basic education. The organisation had made a public demand for the withdrawal of Faku's nomination, citing her previous sentence to three years' house arrest on nine counts of fraud

The minister of police Bheki Cele is today expected to meet with various Community Policing Forums affected by gang violence in Cape Town, Western Cape. The CPF members have called on the minister to take immediate and proper action to address the violence that has terrorised their communities. This as police in the province search for suspects after two men were killed in a shootout believed to b...

The South African Communist Party says no threat against it will reverse its call for parliament to institute an inquiry into the fitness of the Public protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane. This after Mkhwebane's office released a statement demanding that the SACP's Deputy General Secretary Solly Mapaila, retracts and apologise for alleging that Mkhwebane, is a "hired gun of the fight back agenda that is...

Director of Media Monitoring Africa William Bird, says they hope Lebashe has a plan to make the acquisition of Tiso Blackstar a success and create a sustainable media house.

Information Communication and Technology Union Thabang Mothelo, says the Tiso Blackstar Group was growing steadily and they don't understand why it was sold. The union has also lambasted the manner in which the sale was handled by the companies.

Cape Town's Mayco Member JP Smith, says yesterday's meeting in the Cape Flats gave them a clear picture that they have an extremely dire situation where almost ten people are killed a day.

The South African Municipal Workers' Union says it intends to take the Auditor General's reports to the Public Protector for investigation - after it was revealed that 239 out of 257 municipalities have not received clean audits. Auditor-General, Kimi Makwetu, addressed the media yesterday on the local government audits for the 2017/18 financial year - saying that pervasive control and monitoring...

The high usage of consultants and lack of Chartered Accountants has been pointed as some of the issues that contributed to Limpopo province being one of the worst three financially run municipalities in the AG's report.

EFF Leader Julius Malema has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to come clean about the allegations of money laundering which Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane is reportedly investigating. Malema was taking part in a debate on the state of the nation address which President Ramaphosa delivered last week. Meanwhile, political analyst Ralph Mathekga says Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane's deci...

Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan says Denel employees will receive their full salaries. He was speaking in the National Assembly during the debate on the State of the Nation Address. Earlier reports indicated that the arms manufacturer notified its employees that they would receive 85 percent of their salaries yesterday ( Tuesday) and the balance will be paid in a week's time. Gordhan...

COSATU says it expects President Cyril Ramaphosa to show bold leadership and take decisive actions to deal with the challenges that South Africa is facing. Ramaphosa delivers his State of the Nation Address today. The labour federation says the president needs to act speedily to execute policies to save the ailing economy. Cosatu's Parliamentary coordinator, Matthew Parks speaks to us about what t...

Today (Thursday) is World Refugee Day. Aid organisation Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says there are now over 70 million people forced out of their homes around the world-more than at any time in modern history. The organisation says these are people who have fled extreme danger including relentless bombing, gang violence and other life-threatening circumstances. Liesbeth Schockaert, Southern Afri...