First Take SA

The SABC has learnt that Acting National Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane will approach a court to stop police watchdog IPID's investigation into the building of his house and acquisition of luxury cars. The investigation into Phahlane is centred around allegations that he received a stereo system, worth 80-thousand rand, from the same chemical company that supplied the SAPS during Phahlane's...

The Grace Bible Church has defended itself against those calling the church homophobic saying they do not discriminate against anyone. The Soweto based church has been responding after Ghanaian pastor - Bishop Dag Heward-Mills - a guest speaker from Lighthouse chapel international- said animals do not have same sex relationships and therefore its regarded as "unnatural" for humans to do so.

The family of a 33-year-old Ford Kuga driver who died when his car caught fire say they will go ahead with a class action lawsuit against Ford. Speaking to the media in Pretoria, Kaveen Jimmy, the brother of the late Reshall Jimmy says Ford should take responsibility and stop making a mockery of his brother's death in the name of saving their brand. About 30 drivers whose Ford Kugas caught fire ar...

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU)say it's still negotiating with workers who have staged a sit-in underground at Harmony Gold's Kusasalethu mine in Carletonville on the west rand. About one thousand seven hundred workers have been refusing to come out since yesterday morning.

MOTORISTS are in for a few surprises. Transport Minister Dipuo Peters is working on some drastic measures aimed at reducing road fatalities, particularly over the festive season. Over one-thousand-700 people died on the roads during the recent festive season. Among other things the minister is planning to confiscate drivers licences.

There is 'smear campaign' engineered 'to eliminate the business of the Gupta family and gain obvious political achievement', this according to Gupta family lawyer, Gert van der Merwe. The Gupta family intend to prove their conspiracy claims in court documents due to be filed on the 20th of January, next week. This is in relation to the explosive affidavit submitted by Minister of Finance Pravin Go...

More than 40-thousand pupils are yet to be placed in Gauteng schools for the 2017 academic year, two days before schools re-open for the new academic year. This has been attributed to late applications, among other factors. The Gauteng Department of Education had implemented an online application process for grade 1 and grade 8 pupils in the past year.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will today announce the 2016 matric results here in Midrand, Johannesburg at 6 pm. The matric class of 2016 was the third Grade 12 batch to write examinations under the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements- CAPS. Earlier on Producer Ronald Phiri spoke to Nomaan Mulla from Rob Ferreira High School and Hannah Clayton of Rustenburg Girls' High, two top Matr...

The Department of Basic Education has welcomed the approval of the 2016 matric results. The Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training, UMALUSI has approved the results despite some concerns in the performance of learners regarding mathematics. This is the last matric exams written under Curriculum Assesment Policy Statement (CAPS).

Umalusi has also given the thumbs up to the Independent Examinations Board National Senior Certificate 2016. The board which oversees exams written by pupils from private schools had a 98.3 percent pass rate. It will release the 2016 matric results at midnight.

As yr draws to a close , we reflect on one of the biggest events on the South African literary calendar, the inaugural Abantu Book Festival. It took place earlier this month and saw hundreds of book lovers flock toea Soweto. The event was the first of its kind in South Africa at its magnitude, with an exclusive focus on black writers. It featured authors, storytellers and poets. To reflect on this...

The Eastern Cape government has condemned the violent clashes that have claimed the lives of three inmates during in a brawl between prisoners and warders in St Albans Correctional Centre in Port Elizabeth yesterday. Over twenty others including five officials were injured. For more on this Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Deputy Justice Minister Thabang Makwetla and Golden Miles Bhudu, president of the...

The Eastern Cape government has condemned the violent clashes that have claimed the lives of three inmates during in a brawl between prisoners and warders in St Albans Correctional Centre in Port Elizabeth yesterday. Over twenty others including five officials were injured. For more on this Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Deputy Justice Minister Thabang Makwetla and Golden Miles Bhudu, president of the...

The Road Safety Action Campaign in Cape town has come out guns blazing against Transport Minister Dipuo Peters saying she should resign. This after the minister confirmed yesterday that nearly 850 people have died in car accidents since the beginning of December. This is a 17 precent increase from last year's figure of 725 recorded around the same time. The minister says eighty two percent of all...

Regarded as Russia's most-famous calling card, the Great Moscow Circus is coming to South Africa. With the funniest clowns, most-daring acrobats, death-defying daredevils, aerial artists, balancers, jugglers and much much more all under the mighty Great Moscow Circus Big Top tent.

Limpopo health officials are in the process of enrolling Vuwani teens who were recently found to be pregnant and HIV-positive on the Prevention of Mother-to- Child Transmission programme. The teen girls will also be put on anti-retro viral treatment. Health officials earlier said they had noted an increase in new HIV infections after the resumption of services in Vuwani.

The Road Safety Action Campaign in Cape town has come out guns blazing against Transport Minister Dipuo Peters saying she should resign. This after the minister confirmed yesterday that nearly 850 people have died in car accidents since the beginning of December. This is a 17 precent increase from last year's figure of 725 recorded around the same time. The minister says eighty two percent of all...

Congolese around the world have been mobilizing large-scale demonstrations against the country's long serving President Joseph Kabila whose mandate as a president expired yesterday. It seems Kabila is adamant to stay in power despite the expiration. For more on this SAfm presenter Ike Phaala spoke to Francois Tshimpuki, Director of The Voice of Congo In London.

Political parties across the board have welcomed the resignation of the Chairperson of the SABC Board Mbulaeni Maghuve. He was the only remaining member of the beleaguered SABC Board. President Jacob Zuma has accepted Maghuve's resignation and wished him well in his future endeavours.

Political parties across the board have welcomed the resignation of the Chairperson of the SABC Board Mbulaeni Maghuve. He was the only remaining member of the beleaguered SABC Board. President Jacob Zuma has accepted Maghuve's resignation and wished him well in his future endeavours.

African Union Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma says the continent has to prioritise education. She was speaking during a State of the Continent media briefing in Durban earlier today. Dlamini-Zuma, whose tenure comes to end next month says five universities of excellence have been established to create diversity in the courses that African students study. She has also emphasized that attempts ar...

A round up of all the stories that made headlines not only in the news, but also on social media.

The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation says South Africans should not take the National Day of Reconciliation as lightly as they do. The organisation which is involved in reaserching matters around reconciliation says an atmosphere needs to be created that will allow people to contribute as equals in society.

President Jacob Zuma's reconciliation speech has been left blowing in the wind after the marquee tent he was speaking from at Zeerust in North West was blown over by a freak storm. The incident happened on the spot where Zuma was arrested by apartheid security forces in 1963. Zuma was whisked off by his bodyguards when the tent was ripped to pieces as the president was midway through his key-note...

The National Credit Regulator has warned consumers to be weary of “buy-now-pay-later” deals. The organisation says consumers need to be careful when entering into contracts especially now over the festive season and should not let excitement cloud their judgement. We spoke to Legal Advisor at the NCR Nosipho Zikishe and started by asking her what consumers should lookout for before signing contrac...