First Take SA

The Pretoria High Court has dismissed Justice Minister Michael Masutha's application for leave to appeal the release of Chris Hani's killer, Janusz Walus. Walus is serving a life sentence for killing the SACP leader in 1993. Masutha approached the court, arguing that it erred in law in it's judgement when it ruled that Walus should be released on parole. Earlier this year, Masutha set aside a deci...

The ANC's SEFAKO Makgatho branch in Johannesburg's inner city is the first ANC branch to call on the ruling party to remove Jacob Zuma as its president and as head of state. The branch has written a letter to ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe raising its unhappiness about the Constitutional Court findings against President Zuma on the Nkandla upgrades issue. The branch wants Zuma replaced by hi...

Liziwe Ntshengulana is a public speaker and charismatic teacher, who touches many with her powerful message of empowerment, service, excellence and gratitude. A powerful life coach who comes with an inspiring story highlighting her own transformation from years as an educator in the schooling system, first as a high school teacher and subsequently as a Head of Department then principal. Ntshengula...

Passenger Rail Services of South Africa says it will deal effectively with members of SATAWU embarking on a strike action on Thursday in Cape town. PRASA Regional Manager, Richard Walker says the strike is a diversion from internal disciplinary processes against a small group of union members implicated on serious allegations. He says the union is being misused for selfish gain. The union has call...

The ANC in Parliament has once again thrown its weight behind president Jacob Zuma. This follows a failed bid by opposition parties to have the president impeached. This is light of the Constitutional court ruling that found that the president violated the constitution by failing to implement the remedial action contained in the Public Protector's report on the controversial Nkandla project.

The ANC National Working Committee meeting is still underway in Cape Town. The meeting comes amid growing calls from within and outside the ANC for President Jacob Zuma to resign. The meeting which is also open to the ruling party's National Executive Comittee members, is expected to reflect on the latest developments and challenges that the ANC is facing ahead of the local government elections. T...

Preliminary statistics show road fatalities decreased by 46% during the Easter period this year. Transport Ministers, Dipou Peters, says the huge decrease is due to rigorous public education campaigns to raise awareness about road safety, visible policing, the school holiday that fell over the two long weekends and the involvement of church and community leaders as well as celebrities.

President Jacob Zuma's son has described allegations of state capture by the Gupta family as part of an ongoing campaign to tarnish his father's image. Edward Zuma has questioned the timing of the allegations by ANC members that they were offered cabinet positions by the family on condition that they implemented government policies that benefitted their businesses. He has also defended his brother...

The ANC has denied reports that President Jacob Zuma offered to resign following mounting claims of political interference by the the Gupta family. The Mail & Guardian and Sowetan newspapers are reporting that Zuma offered to stand down at a meeting of the ANC's national executive committee last weekend. The NEC endorsed Zuma's leadership, but said it would meet the Guptas to discuss alleged state...

A victory for democracy. This is how the two largest opposition parties, the DA and EFF have lauded today's Constitutional Court ruling. The Court has struck down as unconstitutional section 11 of the Powers and Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act (Act). The ruling means the Speaker of Parliament will no longer be able to direct the arrest or use of the police t...

The Public Protector has been approached to investigate the alleged influence of the Gupta family in the state. The Dominican Order, a group of Catholic priests and brothers in Southern Africa have requested the Public Protector to investigate allegations that the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mcebisi Jonas, and a former Member of Parliament, Vytjie Mentor, were offered cabinet positions by members...

The issue of the Guptas' alleged influence on government, especially cabinet appointments, is set to dominate the ANC's National Executive Committee meeting starting in Irene outside Pretoria today. The business family's influence is reported to be causing divisions within the ruling party. There've been allegations that the Guptasy offered senior ANC members cabinet posts and pressured ministers...

Deputy finance minister, Mcebisi Jonas has confirmed to the SABC that he was offered finance minister post by the Gupta family. The family had previously denied that they made the offer to Jonas on condition that he clears the way for the much mooted nuclear deal. It was first reported that the job was offered to Jonas just weeks before finance minister Nhlanhla Nene was fired. Jonas says he rejec...

Deputy finance minsiter Mcebisi Jonas has confirmed to the SABC that he was offered finance minister post. And he rejected it out hand.

Government says it may take the Supreme Court of Appeals ruling on Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to the Constitutional court. It was reacting to the SCA's dismissal of government's appeal against the Pretoria High Court ruling that al-Bashir should have been arrested when he attended the African Union (AU) Summit in Johannesburg in June last year. The SCA ruled that government as a signatory t...

he executive director of the International Bar Association Mark Ellis supports the decision by South Africa's supreme court helps to uphold the principal of universal jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. The supreme court said the South African government should have handed over ICC indicted Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir when he attended an African Union summit in Johannesburg las...

The South African filmic scene will add another classic to its repertoire of great cinematic productions with the nationwide release of Safe Bet on 11 March. The film which stars Wandile Molebatsi, Luthuli Dlamini, Godfrey Thobejane and features surprise guest appearances from the likes of David Kau and Metro FM's top DJ, T-Bo Touch.

Criminologist Zain Halle says it's highly improbable that Sindisiwe Manqele had planned to murder her rapper boyfriend, Nkululeko Flabba Habedi. He's submitting an assessment report in mitigation of sentence in the High Court sitting in Palm Ridge in Ekurhuleni. Manqele was found guilty of intentionally killing Habedi in March last year in his Alexandra home.

Top officials in the ANC were forced to leave the eMakhempini sportsfield in Mandeni on the KwaZulu Natal North Coast after being met by protesting residents. The community demanded that those arrested during violent protests on Monday be released. Residents took to the streets earlier this week after a former mayor was apparently re-nominated. At least six factories were torched as well as vehicl...

ANC Chief Whip Stone Sizani has confirmed his resignation as member of parliament with immediate effect. Sizani says he will replace Makhenkesi Stofile as South Africa's ambassador to Germany. He says his redeployment is not a sign of lack of confidence in him. The ANC held a special caucus meeting today where the news was broken to party MPs.

The Independent Electoral Commission says it has undertaken a range of initiatives to ensure that all new voting registrations include the addresses of voters. This follows an Electoral Court judgement, in November last year, that ruled in favour of independent candidates in the by-elections at the Tlokwe Municipality, in North West, that the voters' roll should bear the addresses of voters. Chair...

The events of 2015 and this year have raised some fundamental questions about transformation at South Africa's universities. Rhodes University vice chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, has said this while addressing student bodies and academics attending the official opening of the 5thUnisa Research and Innovation Week in Pretoria. Mabizela calls for a speedy transformation process in all areas o...

Student unrest at universities has reached untenable levels. The tensions have led to violence as well as a number of assaults. We are at a crisis point and we have to act now before lives are lost. As a result, a group of likeminded active citizens have joined forces to provide independent mediation, conflict resolution and facilitation services to the universities and the student movements who r...

Protesting students on the main campus of the University of the Free State have slightly damaged the statue of former state president C.R. Swart after attempting to set it alight. However, university security personnel managed to put out the blaze. The protesting students are members of the EEF and students organisation SASCO. They are supporting workers who are demanding an end to outsourcing. Me...

A bomb threat has led to the adjournment of sentencing proceedings against Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir in the high court in Johannesburg. Krejcir and five co-accused were quickly ushered to holding cells while the gallery was evacuated. Tactical response officers are combing the building. The court earlier rejected a request by Krejcir to postpone proceedings. The Hawks believe Krejcir is tryin...