First Take SA

Western Cape Community Safety Minister, Dan Plato, has been nominated by the DA to be Cape Town's next mayor. Plato is set to take over from the current Mayor Patricia de Lille, who resigned in August following long standing differences with the party. Elvis Presslin spoke to Political Analyst, Sanusha Naidu

The country is still reeling from shock after nine-year old Miguel Louw, whose decomposed body was found two weeks ago, was laid to rest in Sydenham, Durban, at the weekend. The focus has now shifted to the safety of the most vulnerable in society. While reaction from social media users about his disapperance has been one of concern and panic -- what are you doing as parents to equip your children...

Communications minister, Nomvula Mokonyane has expressed strong opposition to possible retrenchments at the SABC. The public broadcaster's board has confirmed that it's looking into laying off hundreds of staff. Elvis Presslin spoke to Communications minister, Nomvula Mokonyane and Media Monitoring Africa director, William Bird

*** In Kenya the Members of the National Assembly will this week debate President Uhuru Kenyatta's proposal for 8% VAT on Fuel, instead of issuing a moratorium to suspend a 16 per cent levy. *** Staying in Kenya, Nairobi has been ranked Sixth Wealthiest Africa City after Durban, Cape Town, Cairo, Lagos and Johannesburg. *** De Beers has shifted its consumer strategy as latest Diamond Insight Repor...

The impasse between Malamulele Residents Association and the Collins Chabane municipality in Limpopo, seems to be far from over, with both parties opening cases against each other. Now, the concerned residents' association have embarked on a shutdown of services in the area, accusing municipal authorities of nepotism and corruption in the appointment of workers. Elivs Presslin spoke to reporter, J...

Colleagues of the three firefighters who died in last week's fire at the Bank of Lisbon building in the Johannesburg CBD have described how their efforts were compromised because there was no water to fight the blaze at the building. Simphiwe Moropana, Khathutshelo Muedi and Mduduzi Ndlovu were remembered at a memorial service at the Ellis Park Arena in Doornfontein, Johannesburg. They died while...

ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule has rubbished reports that there are plans by some party officials to remove President Cyril Ramaphosa from office. The Sunday Times newspaper reported at the weekend that Magashule attended a secret meeting at a hotel in Durban, with former President Jacob Zuma, former North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo, ANC Women's League Secretary General Meokgo Matuba and K...

The Department of Military Veterans has run out of money for the provision of education support for military veterans and their dependents. The department has attributed the shortage of funds to a crippling budget and the high demand for the education benefit. This situation is now putting the education of thousands of beneficiaries at risk. Elvis Preslin spoke Derrick Mgwebi, Acting Director Gene...

Six professional bodies have embarked on what they call a ground breaking initiative to foster a culture of accountability within South Africa's private and public sectors. The organisations say this follows complaints they have received relating to state capture and corruption fallout. Preslin Preslin spoke Dr. Claudelle von Eck, who is the CEO of the Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa a...

September is Deaf awareness month . The month long campaign seeks to educate the public on this important issue. Meanwhile, the Wits Centre for Deaf Studies will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. The centre has been raising awareness around deafness, hearing loss and educating families of deaf and hard of hearing babies on how to communicate with their children. Elvis Preslin to Profesor Claudi...

The DA has unveiled its seven point plan to help resuscitate the local economy. This follows last week's news that the country had slipped into a technical recession. The official opposition says its plan entails -- among others, privatising SAA and Eskom, reducing the number of cabinet ministers and exempting small businesses employing less than 250 people from complying with restrictive labour l...

Health sector unions will seek legal recourse following the fire that has left the Bank of Lisbon building in downtown Johannesburg gutted. The fire broke out on the 23rd floor on Wednesday and left three firefighters dead. The building, which housed three Gauteng departments, is one of seven government buildings in the city centre that don't comply with health and safety standards. Unions say the...

Health sector unions will seek legal recourse following the fire that has left the Bank of Lisbon building in downtown Johannesburg gutted. The fire broke out on the 23rd floor on Wednesday and left three firefighters dead. The building, which housed three Gauteng departments, is one of seven government buildings in the city centre that don't comply with health and safety standards. Unions say the...

ANC MP Vincent Smith will only know by Wednesday whether his request to step aside as chairperson of various committee has been granted or not. This is according to the ANC Chief Whip's Office in Parliament. Smith has requested to step aside until the Ethics Committee has concluded its investigation into his conduct. The Council for the Advance of the South African Constitution believes that Smith...

September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. It's a day meant to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented. In South Africa, according to the available data, approximately 11 out of every 100 000 people across all age groups commit suicide. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), estimates that suicide accounts for up to 9% of all deaths among the youth..Elvis...

The secretary of the ANC Youth League in KwaZulu-Natal, Thanduxolo Sabelo, has lodged a complaint with the Press Ombudsman following a weekend report that he was involved in plans to oust President Cyril Ramaphosa. The Sunday Times newspaper reported YESTERDAY that former president Jacob Zuma allegedly held a secret meeting in Durban last week with key ANC officials including the party's Secretary...

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says the public should not panic after the country slipped into recession. Ramaphosa has given the assurance that government will soon respond to South Africa's plunge into a technical recession. Ramaphosa was in KwaZulu-Natal to engage business and party leaders where he also addressed the community of Chatsworth as part of the Thuma Mina Campaign. Elvis Preslin spok...

Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has heard submissions from various implicated persons to cross- examine some of the witnesses. He has since granted businessman Fana Hlongwane permission to cross-examine former deputy Finance minister Mcebisi Jonas. Former president Jacob Zuma's chief-of-staff Lakela Kaunda and Hawks official Mandla Mtholo willl cross-examine former ANC member of Parliament Vytj...

The new Nelson Mandela Bay coalition administration is on Friday expected to continue with the council meeting that ousted the former Executive Mayor Athol Trollip, Speaker Jonathan Lawack and Chief Whip Werner Senekal after DA's councilllor Mbulelo Manyathi abstained during voting. The meeting was adjourned after the election of the mayor and chief whip and some agenda points were not discussed....

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...