First Take SA

The KwaZulu Natal Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs has dissolved the embattled Nquthu Municipality in the north of the province. MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube made the announcement at a media briefing in Durban. The decision emanates from the multiple failures of the Nquthu Municipality to elect office bearers. Dube-Ncube says the ongoing political infighting between political...

The City of Cape Town says it will consider limiting its law enforcement contingent for next year's State of the Nation Address. The City says the recent increased security around the SONA means that other areas, with pressing safety needs, have to be sidelined to accommodate government's requirements. Parliament doubled the number of road closures last Thursday and 441 SANDF members were deployed...

US President Donald Trump has held talks with the leaders of Africa's two biggest economies. President Jacob Zuma spoke in a telephonic conversation with the US leader. Zuma's call came just after a call between Trump and Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari. Earlier on we spoke to Political Analyst, Dr Dale McKinely..

The ANC wants Parliament to lay criminal charges against the EFF for damaging parliamentary property. Chief whip, Jackson Mthembu says the party is shocked by what he called the reprehensible and embarrassing conduct of EFF members. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi ANC wants Parliament tot

The ANC has reacted to the incident in parliament yesterday which saw guards exchanged punches with opposition Mp's during the state of the nation address. The governing party has slammed the DA and EFF for the chaotic scenes, even accusing them of using the Life Esidimeni victims as political fodder. The guards in white shirts forcibly ejected about 25 members from the EFF who prevented Zuma from...

The Minister of Defence, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, says over 400 members of the SANDF will only be on standby during the State-of-Nation Address, on Thursday evening. Mapisa-Nqakula was reacting to the outcry by some opposition parties, which have accused government of militarising the address. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says the military has no place in the maintenance of law and order as...

An all-new family comedy set in Chatsworth, Kwazulu-Natal, will be released in cinemas on the 3rd of March. Titled "Keeping up with the Kandasamys", the film's producers say it opens a window into the lifestyle and subculture of modern-day Indian South Africans. The producers say the film promises its audience some amusing takes on families, relationships and neighbourhood-envy. We are now joined...

Journalists from the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) and the Press Gallery Association (PGA) walked out of a meeting with parliamentary officials held on Wednesday. The urgent meeting was intended to clarify issues related to the covering of the State of The Nation Address. Journalists have accused parliament of introducing rules to restrict their movement during the address, somethin...

Human rights group Amnesty International says it has found evidence that as many as 13,000 people, most of them civilian opposition supporters, have been secretly hanged at a Syrian Government prison. In a new report, the human rights group alleges that no trials were held, and some prisoners were condemned to death in hearings lasting just one or two minutes. Research and Advocacy Director for th...

Civil action organisation, OUTA, says it has requested from Eskom the Denton report. This after Eskom held a media briefing earlier today, announcing that it will publish the contents of the 'sanitised' report into the state of the power utility. Outa and the DA are among the organisations which will be given access to the report, which was commissioned by Eskom over two years ago, but not made pu...

The signing ceremony for the minimum wage and labour law changes has been postponed until further notice after trade union Cosatu requested more time more time to consult its executive committee. A signing ceremony was to be held in Cape Town this afternoon. Earlier reports suggested that the National Economic Development and Labour Council yesterday agreed to a minimum wage of R20 per hour. Tsepi...

Eskom has cancelled coal transportation contracts with six companies in a bid to ensure clean governance. The power utility moves about 40-million tonnes of coal using two road transport channels through 58 trucking companies. The cancellation comes as investigations revealed the implicated trucking companies had introduced additional trucks into the coal road transportation system, therefore disa...

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) Minster, Senzeni Zokwana has confirmed the pest infestation to crops across Limpopo and North West provinces. Zokwana says the army worms as they are commonly called are affecting sweet corn and maize and that the department doesn't know the extent of the damage as yet. Tsepiso Makwetala speaks to the Head of Research team for Insect Ecology at Agricultur...

Former South African rugby legend, Joost van der Westhuizen, has passed away.... He was 45. Van der Westhuizen was rushed to hospital in a critical condition on Saturday, and despite showing signs of improvement yesterday, he passed away this afternoon (monday 6 January). Van der Westhuizen, who fought motor neuron disease since 2011, played 89 Tests for the Springboks between 1993 and 2003 and wa...

Advocate Busiswe Mkhwebane says since she started working, she has been called a Gupta puppet and Zuma puppet and a spy. She speaks to PMlive anchor Tsepiso Makwetla.

Section 27 says it will institute legal action for recourse against the Gauteng provincial government following the deaths of 94 psychiatric patients between March and December last year. Health Ombudsman Malegapuru Makgoba released the report of the investigations into circumstances surrounding deaths of mentally-ill patients. Section 27's Sasha Stevens says the organisation will ensure that the...

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says he's distressed and angered following the findings of a report into the deaths of psychiatric patients in Gauteng. Health Ombudsman, Malegapuru Makgoba, has revealed that 94 mentally ill patients died between 23 March and 19 December 2016. They died under the care of NGOs, where they had been transferred from Life Healthcare Esidimeni, after the department can...

Former Tshwane executive mayor Gwen Ramokgopa has been appointed Gauteng Health MEC following the resignation of Qedani Mahlangu. The resignation of Mahlangu follows a damning report on investigations into circumstances surrouding the deaths of 94 patients with mental disabilities. Health Ombudsman, Professor Male-ga-puru Makgoba, released the report earlier today. In it, he recommends that discip...

Former Tshwane executive mayor Gwen Ramokgopa has been appointed Gauteng Health MEC following the resignation of Qedani Mahlangu. The resignation of Mahlangu follows a damning report on investigations into circumstances surrouding the deaths of 94 patients with mental disabilities. Health Ombudsman, Professor Male-ga-puru Makgoba, released the report earlier today. In it, he recommends that discip...

Top prosecutor Gerrie Nel says his position at Civil Rights Organisation, Afriforum will be a new challenge. Afriforum's CEO, Kalie Kriel and Nel were briefing the media in Pretoria. Nell will join its newly established prosecuting unit as from tomorrow after he announced his resignation at the National Prosecuting Authority earlier today. Afriforum CEO Kallie Kriel says the unit's job will prosec...

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has visited Ha-Masia near Vuwani in Limpopo to congratulate schools that performed well in last year's matric results, despite the demarcation protests. She was accompanied by Education MEC Ishmael Kgetjepe. They have also gone to a school that performed poorly and encouraged the learners. Thousands of learners in Vuwani and surrounding areas missed three m...

The department of Labour and Home Affairs have set up seperate investigations into the alleged import of over two hundred workers from China. Sephaku has reportedly imported hundreds of Chinese labourers to work at its plant in Lichtenburg . PPC cement company in Slurry near Mahikeng also recently imported over two hundred workrs from China on a project worth R1,7 billion rands. The company says t...

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has accused the Gupta family and its associates of launching an organised campaign against National Treasury and himself, according to court papers filed today. Gordhan filed his counter affidavit in the North Gauteng High Court in Tshwane this morning, after Oakbay Investments filed court papers on January 20. The papers revolve around a bid by Gordhan, in October...

ANC Secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe says Former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe is not yet on the ANC's list for Parliament. Mantashe's statement comes as the party's secretary in North West, Dakota Legoete implied that Brian Molefe is heading to Parliament. During a press briefing at Luthuli House on the outcome of the ANC NEC and Legkotla meeting, Mantashe outlined the party's nomination process...

The DA says it is in possession of a forensic report that supports allegations by the Police and Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) of corruption in the forensic services, which at that time was headed up by the now Acting National Police Commissioner, General Khomotso Phahlane. The report allegedly contains evidence of procurement irregularities and irregular appointments, among other findings. The DA w...