First Take SA

This week we introduce a new feature on the show called Trends watch. Our Producer Aphiwe Honono will take us through the social media commentary on some of the stories that made headlines during the week.

The Supreme Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by Aurora directors, upholding a high court ruling that they be held personally responsible for the destruction of Pamodzi mine assets. The directors, including President Jacob Zuma's nephew, Khulubuze and former president Nelson Mandela's grandson, Zondwa will in terms of the judgement be sequestated if they do not pay for damage and the outstan...

A group of local NGO’s have joined the global Break Free campaign aimed to disrupt the fossil-fuel industry by targeting the world’s most dangerous and unnecessary fossil fuel projects. In South Africa corruption is said to be aggravating the coal sector. Local communities are speaking out against the so called dirty sector. Blocking the increased use of coal isn’t just about safeguarding the envi...

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has proposed to Justice Minister Michael Masutha that Judge Mabel Jansen be placed on special leave, following the outcry over alleged racial comments she made on social media. In a Facebook conversation with social justice activist Gillian Schutte, Judge Jansen posted messages with racial undertones, seemingly suggesting that rape is an ingrained part of blac...

Rioting residents of Grabouw in the Western Cape have now set alight an open field surrounding an informal settlement in the area. The protestors earlier set a traffic licencing centre alight in dispute over housing issues. Community members are allegedly in dispute over a local housing project and who the beneficiaries should be.

Government says it will set up camps and provide mobile classrooms to cater for over two thousand grade 12 learners in Vuwani and its surrounding villages. Co-operative Governance minister, Des Van Rooyen briefed the media outside Polokwane after a meeting between the inter-ministerial team and Vuwani traditional leaders

355 thousand people lost their jobs in the first quarter of 2016. This is the highest rate since 2008. Statistics South Africa says there were already 521 thousand unemployment people before these new figures were released in Pretoria today. This means unemployment currently stands at 26.7 percent, a figure higher than last year's 24.5 percent. For more on this we are joined on the line by Statist...

The Basic Education department says it will cost more than half a billion rand to rebuild 24 schools that were burnt down or vandalised by residents at Vuwani* in Limpopo. Minister Angie Motshekga says valuable school records that cannot be easily replaced have also been destroyed. Motshekga says a full assessment on the extent of the damage is still to be completed. A meeting between senior gover...

Multichoice lawyers have told the Competition Appeal Court in Cape Town that there's nothing unusual about its deal with the SABC. Media Monitoring Africa and Caxton Publishers are challenging a ruling by a tribunal in February giving the go-ahead for the deal. They say the five-year contract is problematic as it gives one competitor exclusive control of a portion of entertainment archive material...

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says valuable school records that cannot be easily replaced have been destroyed by protesters setting fire to at least 24 schools at Vuwani in Limpopo. She says it will cost more than half a billion rand to rebuild the schools that were burned down or vandalised by rampaging mobs at Vuwani in Limpopo. Motshekga says a full assessment on the extent of the da...

A month ago we reported on Frans Motupa’s story who said that the retail store Edgars had failed to update his information on the credit bureau after he fully paid his account. This, after he had made an arrangement with a debt collecting firm. He told us that even though it has been a while since he paid he has been unable to secure credit because of this. There are developments but let’s first r...

President Jacob Zuma says the behaviour of opposition MPs in parliament is embarrassing. He has called on the Speaker to bring order to the house in order to restore its dignity and for people to continue respecting it. Zuma was replying to the debate on the Presidency debate that took place in the National Assembly on Wednesday. He says some leaders are worried about what their people see in the...

The meeting between Limpopo MEC's and community structures in the Vhembe district, has agreed to create an environment for further engagements with the concerned traditional leaders and community representatives in Vuwani. 23 schools have been torched by protesting residents who don't want their area to be incorporated into the new municipality.

The probe into suspended national police commissioner Riah Phiyega's fitness to hold office has been adjourned to tomorrow morning. Legal teams at the board of inquiry are in dispute over the terms of reference. Evidence leaders have asked the board to widen the terms to call witnesses who didn't testify before the Marikana commission into the deaths of 44 people at Marikana. Phiyega's legal couns...

A six-month-old girl has been rescued from the debris of a building that collapsed four days ago in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The Kenyan Red Cross has since reunited the baby with her father. She has no physical injuries. The six-storey residence came down in heavy rain on Friday, killing at least 23 people. Dozens of others are still thought to be buried under the rubble, but hopes of finding...

Learning and teaching have been disrupted at about 50 schools in the volatile Vuwani area in Limpopo. Four schools, a post office and a tribal office have been set alight by the protesting residents. Commuters have been left stranded as a shutdown of services is continuing in the area. Residents are protesting against the Municipal Demarcation Board's decision to include Vuwani in the new municipa...

Wits University says that flags are flying at half-mast after nine students died in an accident in Limpopo. The students were killed after a minibus taxi crashed on the N1 near the Nyl Plaza toll. University management has conveyed its condolences to the families of the deceased. The students were travelling back to Johannesburg from a church summit in Limpopo. Wits Vice Chancellor, Adam Habib…

There is a vibrant mood in the small town of Giyani in Limpopo where the national Freedom Day will be celebrated. President Jacob Zuma will deliver the key note address. Mass mobilisation campaigns to get thousands of people to come and be part of the main celebrations are under way in the area. Some residents who spoke to the SABC in Giyani, say they are happy that the national event is being cel...

Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Sizwe Mabizela says the institution cannot summarily suspend or expel students whose names were posted on Facebook as alleged sex crime suspects without giving them a fair hearing. Mabizela has urged victims of sex crimes to report them. He has been briefing the media at the university in Grahamstown following a week of protest over rape allegations.

Mineral Resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane has assured the mining industry that he is willing to extend the 30-day over the Draft Mining Charter if it becomes necessary. This in an attempt to quell a stand-off that has been brewing after mining companies opposed a proposal by government that companies need to have at least 26 percent black ownership. The organisation has now taken to court in orde...

Activists who raised the alarm on the so-called arms deal have described as deeply disappointing a report by the Seriti Commission. President Jacob Zuma released a summary of the report earlier today which states that the Commission found no evidence of corruption or bribery during the multi billion rand acquisition process. The commission was appointed in 2011 and concluded its work by handing th...

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has defended his government's support of a deal between the European Union and Turkey to tackle the migrant crisis saying migrant flows to Greece have decreased markedly in recent months. Turkey and the EU last month sealed an accord which aims to end the chaotic arrival of migrants and refugees, most fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia,...

Protesting students have brought the academic programmes to a standstill at Rhodes University in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. They are protesting over the alleged failure of management to act against sex crime suspects. It's alleged some students sustained injuries after police allegedly fired rubber bullets while students were setting up barricades and disrupting classes. The students are dem...

Angry students have disrupted classes at Rhodes University in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. They are protesting over management's alleged failure to deal decisively with suspected rapists. This follows the publishing of a list of eleven names of former and current students on Facebook. They are accused of having raped fellow students and no action was taken against them.

Constitutional experts say Parliament has a duty and responsibility to take disciplinary action against the President. This follows demands from opposition parties in Parliament that disciplinary action should be taken against President Jacob Zuma for allegedly misleading the National Assembly. A meeting was held between Parliament's presiding officers and members of political parties, to discuss...