First Take SA

ANC Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa says public sector corruption threatens the sovereignty and the economy of the country. Ramaphosa was addressing delegates at the SACP 14th National Congress currently underway in Boksburg, on the east Rand. The ANC is embroiled in a fiercely-contested leadership race ahead of its national elective congress in December. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Professor Mcebi...

Anglo Gold Ashanti chairperson Sipho Pityana says the mining sector will continue to lose jobs, as the country's macroeconomic policies make it impossible for the sector to sustain jobs. Pityana was speaking at the Gordon Institute of Business Science seminar last night. He's comments come after Anglo Gold Ashanti announced that it plans to shed over 8000 jobs. In 2015, government, mining companie...

Religious leaders and institutions must be registered and pay tax like any other business in South Africa. And that foreign nationals wishing to open churches in South Africa should undergo a strict vetting process. These are some of the recommendations contained in the final report of the CRL Rights Commission following its investigation into the commercialisation of churches in South Africa. The...

One of the first black women in South Africa to disclose her HIV status; Prudence Nobantu Mabele has died. Mabele was a leading advocate for people living with HIV & AIDS, a respected gender activist. She was the founder and Executive Director of the Positive Women's Network and Deputy Chair of the South African National AIDS Council. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Yvette Raphael, friend and colleague...

The budget for Mogale City Local Municipality has been approved. This after councilors failed to form a quorum to adopt the 2017/2018 budget last week. Only 38 of the 77 councilors attended that meeting. Members of opposition EFF and the DA did not attend the meeting. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the mayor of the Mogale City Local Municipality Patrick Lipudi

Today is World Population Day. The United Nations declared this day in 1990 to highlight issues regarding the global population. The theme this year is Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations. It coincides with the Family Planning Summit underway in London where policymakers are discussing efforts to reach the Family Planning 2020 goals. Tsepiso makwetla spoke to Ramatu Daroda Famil...

Rangers from the Kruger National Park and the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency are searching for four lions that escaped from the Kruger National Park last night. This is the second time that lions have escaped from the park. Two months ago, five lions escaped. Four were captured and returned to the park while one was not captured. Tsepiso Makwetla spokesperson for the South African National Pa...

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange has announced the restructuring of its operations that will see it shed 60 jobs by the end of the year. The company says it is restructuring against the backdrop of South Africa's low economic rate, ratings downgrades and low business confidence and as exchanges were adapting to fast paced technological changes. Tsepiso makwetla spoke to JSE chief executive officer,...

Chairperson of the subcommittee on Health and Education, Naledi Pandor says the ANC has resolved that basic education must undergo comprehensive review in order to respond to radical social economic transformation. She was speaking at Luthuli House in Johannesburg, where the ANC is reporting back on their health and education policy discussions from its National Policy Conference last week. Tsepis...

Our Friday feature TRENDSWATCH. Molebogeng Sebidi looks at news that dominated social media this week.

Stats SA has continually warned that access to healthcare in South Africa is still very different for black and white South Africans. Now a Black-owned RH Bophelo is set to list on the JSE next Wednesday with the aim of providing competitive rates for lower to middle-income earners "who cannot afford private healthcare. RH Bophelo will list initially as a special purpose acquisition company vehicl...

The ANC has proposed that government communications be centralised to form part of the Presidency and that the provincial government communications should be allocated in the premier's office. The Chairperson of the Communication and Battle of Ideas Commission, Jackson Mthembu says this is to ensure that the presidency gets to tell and instruct in terms of the messaging that we are driving as gove...

ANC President Jacob Zuma says factionalism continues to cost the party its voter support. His Deputy Cyril Ramaphosa and former African Union Commission Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma are vying for the contest to lead the ruling party ahead of its December conference. The party top brass and its leagues are divided as to whom should succeed Zuma. Delivering his closing address to the ANC five-day nati...

ANC delegates at the party's policy conference say they are not happy with the black shareholder percentage in the mining charter. The current charter contains a new clause that states that all mining companies must have 30 percent black empowerment shareholding within 12 months. The Minister of Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane says ANC delegates want the mining charter to increase its black own...

ANC NEC Member Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says the National Health Insurance (NHI), is not about closing down all private hospitals and practices but making healthcare universally accessible to all South Africans. Dr Motsoaledi was presenting the NHI white paper to ANC delegates in the Education and Health Commission, at the party's national policy conference, currently underway at Nasrec, South of Jobur...

The African National Congress has termed the Radical Economic Transformation policy as a tool to change the face of poverty. The party says the second phase of RET will go a long way in creating an inclusive economy. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the ANC Treasury General, Dr Zweli Mkhize...

As the land debate rages on at the ANC national Policy Conference it seems a number of structures within the party are on opposing ends on the matter . With the Women's league calling for a referendum on the land issues while the Youth league calls for expropriation of land without compensation. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to ANCYL President Collen Maine

The ANC says it needs to be careful, when trying to address issues around white monopoly capital, not to replace it with black monopoly capital. This is what the ruling party has been discussing over the past couple of days, regarding the ANC's documents on strategy and tactics in Nasrec south of Johannesburg. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Chairperson of the party's Strategy and Tactics portfolio, Nat...

The Board of Passenger Rail Agency, PRASA says to today's court ruling on the controversial locomotives tender to replace the country's ageing fleet, effectively renders the contract illegal. The High Court in Johannesburg has set aside the contract worth billions of rand awarded to Swifambo Rail Leasing by PRASA in 2013. PRASA had asked the court to review and cancel the contract after both the A...

President Jacob Zuma has urged delegates attending the ANC 5th National Policy Conference to find ways to implement all policies that will be adopted at the end of the week-long gathering. He was speaking at the governing party's fund raising gala dinner last night. The ANC begins its National Policy Conference in Nasrec outside Soweto later this morning. The first two days of the gathering will b...

SABC senior producer of RSG Current Affairs Suna Venter has died. Venter's body was discovered on Thursday morning at her flat in Fairlands. Venter made headlines last year when she was suspended from the public broadcaster, along with a number of colleagues who would later be known as the SABC 8. Elvis Presslin spoke to Angie Kapelianis, National Radio Current Affairs Editor at SABC News...

The Johannesburg High Court has ordered that public schools should cater for the needs of learners from all religious backgrounds. The Organisation for Religious Education and Democracy (OGOD) challenged the Christian focused culture of six public schools, saying they violate the National Policy on Religion. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Basic Education Department Spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga...

AngloGold Ashanti is planning to retrench over 8 000 mine workers as part of its restructuring process. In a statement the mining company says operational costs and mines that have reached the end of their economic lives are the reasons for this process. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Senior Vice President for Investor Relations at AngloGold Ashanti, Stewart Bailey...

The 2017 tax season will open for individuals on 1 July. The deadline for non-provisional and provisional taxpayers submitting their tax returns manually through the post or at a SARS branch drop box is 27 September 2017. Meanwhile, the deadline for non-provisional taxpayers submitting their returns via eFiling or electronic filing at a SARS branch is 24 November 2017. The deadline for provisional...

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) says it has put together a "compelling" document detailing the extent of South Africa's alleged state capture. The organisations says it plans to present this to Parliament. The document is based on Outa's own investigation and reports by the Public Protector, the Council of Churches & the Public Affairs Research Institute. Outa says the move aims to ensur...