First Take SA

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union, NEHAWU has welcomed the Special Investigating Unit's interim report on Tembisa Hospital. The report reveals that R2 billion in state resources were looted through corruption, fraud, maladministration, procurement fraud, money laundering, collusion and bid rigging. NEHAWU condemned the theft, stating that these funds could have supported hea...

South Africa is in the grip of powerful criminal networks, according to top cop Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo. Testifying before the Madlanga Commission yesterday Khumalo named the "Big 5" as the country's most influential cartels. The syndicates reportedly operate from Cape Town to the nation's borders and beyond. The syndicates are involved in drug smuggling, extortion and rigging lucrativ...

South Africa will today launch Africa's first National Action Plan, NAP to tackle substandard and falsified medical products. The initiative aims to curb the spread of fake and poor-quality medicines, which the World Health Organisation says claims numerous lives globally each year, often undetected. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, alongside the National Department of Healt...

Climate justice activists, community leaders, students and Capetonians will today protest outside the Cape Town International Convention Centre, where the Africa Energy Week 2025 is underway. The Green Connection say fossil fuels worsen climate change, fuel pollution, deepen poverty and inequality, especially in marginalised communities. This comes months after the International Court of Justice r...

Gauteng traffic police have raised concerns over a surge in road crashes this weekend, which coincide with payday. Authorities reported over 20 incidents since Friday, ranging from minor to fatal. Traffic police spokesperson Obed Sibasa says drunk driving, speeding, unsafe overtaking and reckless driving are the main causes. For more on this we are joined by Spokesperson for Gauteng Traffic Police...

Judgment is expected in the drawn-out firearm case against EFF leader Julius Malema and his former bodyguard, Adriaan Snyman in the East London Magistrate's Court today. The pair stand accused of illegally firing a weapon during the EFF's fifth anniversary rally back in July 2018 at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges including unlawful discharg...

ActionSA in Gauteng is calling on residents to boycott the Patriotic Alliance in next year's elections if Kenny Kunene is reinstated as Johannesburg's MMC of Transport. Kunene stepped down as MMC and councillor in July after being found at the home of murder accused Katiso Molefe during a police raid. He was also suspended from PA activities. Last week, PA leader Gayton McKenzie announced that a l...

Lobby group AfriForum and the Orania Movement have strongly condemned the vandalism of Afrikaner monuments in Pretoria. The damage targeted a gun barrel and a boot on two Boer warrior statues flanking the Paul Kruger statue in Church Square. This follows the EFF's recent push to remove colonial and apartheid-era statues nationwide. The party has also proposed renaming Kruger National Park in a mot...

The Special Investigating Unit has wrapped up its investigation into corruption at Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng. An interim report, set for release today, reveals billions of rands siphoned off through fraudulent supply chain deals. The probe implicates 111 officials tied to four syndicates, with contracts now canceled and efforts in progress to recover the stolen funds. Joining us to discuss the D...

Police in Gauteng will today gather at Zoe Bible Church for a National Prayer Day to pray for the safety of officers. 27 police officers lost their lives in the line of duty. Between April 2024 and March 2025, Police unions say these tragic losses highlight the dangerous and challenging conditions faced by SAPS members on a daily basis. Elvis Presslin spoke to South African Police Union Gaute...

Elvis Presslin takes a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of  "Africa Is Open For Business" and "Africa Bounces Back". Victor is also the Executive Director for Marketing and Communication at the University of Limpopo

The Hawks are investigating a R67 million purchase order for transformers at Johannesburg's City Power, amid allegations of undelivered goods. This follows recent reports of corruption and financial mismanagement at City Power, including a separate R500 million tender fraud probe focusing on CEO Tshifularo Mashava's tenure. Elvis Presslin spoke to Tyrell Meyers, DA Johannesburg Shadow MMC for Envi...

The Ekurhuleni City Council met yesterday to decide on the suspension of EMPD Deputy Chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi. The motion follows allegations that Mkhwanazi supplied police blue lights to alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, which were installed on Matlala's personal vehicles in 2023. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate recommended disciplinary action against Mkhw...

The ANC will today commemorate the legacy of struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who would have turned 89 today. Born on the 26th of September 1936 in Bizana, Eastern Cape, she passed away on the second of April in 2018 at the age of 81. ANC first Deputy Secretary General, Nomvula Mokonyane will deliver a keynote address at the Mama Winnie Mandela Birthday Programme at Phola Park Hall in Thok...

Head of Police Legal Services, General Petronella van Rooyen has called on the Madlanga Commission in Pretoria to prioritize the legal implications of political interference in the South African Police Service. Speaking as the third witness yesterday, Van Rooyen emphasized that addressing these legal aspects could reduce future political meddling. Her testimony follows allegations against Police M...

Hundreds of National Union of Mineworkers, NUM members will today embark on strike the ARM Andalusite mine in Thabazimbi, Limpopo. The workers, frustrated by two years without salary increases since 2023, are demanding better pay. The mine, a key producer of andalusite from the Maroeloesfontein deposit, was acquired by African Rainbow Minerals in 2022 after its previous owner, Andalusite Resources...

The Treatment Action Campaign and SECTION27 have strongly condemned plans to shutdown UNAIDS, a UN body coordinating the global fight against HIV/AIDS. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the possible closure, which critics say will devastate millions of lives and reverse years of progress in combating HIV. The agency has already faced severe staff cuts and global HIV funding plummeted...

Acting President Paul Mashatile has raised concern over the rising tide of drug and alcohol abuse among South Africa's youth. Speaking at Heritage Day celebrations in Oudtshoorn, Little Karoo, Mashatile called for united action from families, communities, civil society and government to address the crisis. He warned that substance abuse is not only damaging young lives but also driving unemploymen...

The electoral commission of Malawi has officially declared Peter Mutharika the country's president elect. Incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera conceded defeat in the presidential election, just hours before the final results were set to be announced. Official tallies indicate former president Peter Mutharika, Chakwera's predecessor, has won the elections. Elvis Presslin spoke to SABC Malawi Corres...

The Constitutional Court will today hear a pivotal case challenging the Sexual Offences Act's consent provisions in rape cases. Under the current Sexual Offences Act, a person charged with rape can avoid conviction by showing they reasonably believed the complainant consented, even if consent was not given. The court will decide whether to uphold a Pretoria High Court ruling that declared parts of...

The Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature has unanimously adopted a motion to rename Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in honour of the late former Deputy President David Dabede Mabuza. The decision, proposed by the Economic Freedom Fighters, EFF recognises Mabuza's significant contributions to the province and nation through his lifelong dedication to liberation, community upliftment and provin...

The Afrika Mayibuye Movement is calling for immediate action on the worsening water crisis in Matsulu, Mpumalanga. The group has slammed what it calls ongoing shortages that have left residents without reliable access for weeks, hitting poor families hardest. Elvis Presslin spoke to Provincial Spokesperson for Afrika Mayibuye Movement in Mpumalanga, Zandile Zungu

Elvis Presslin takes a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of  "Africa Is Open For Business" and "Africa Bounces Back". Victor is also the Executive Director for Marketing and Communication at the University of Limpopo

In a landmark clash over land rights, the City of Ekurhuleni's 2019 expropriation of a 34-hectare plot in Driefontein, Boksburg, will head to court as South Africa's first major test of expropriation without compensation. The municipality reportedly seized portion 406 of Driefontein Farm, valued between R30 million and R64 million, to build social housing for landless residents. The municipality a...

The Gauteng Education Department has reaffirmed its commitment to provide schooling for every child in the province, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Spokesperson Steve Mabona says admissions are governed strictly by Gauteng School Admission Regulations, prioritising feeder zones and capacity, not nationality. This follows Operation Dudula's campaign, urging schools to bar foreign...