First Take SA

The DA in Gauteng has expressed concern over Alra Park Primary School in Nigel, Ekurhuleni, where learners have missed three weeks of school due to protests over unsafe conditions. The Gauteng Department of Education has been criticized for its slow response. The DA says the 130-year-old school which was declared unsafe in 2023, still has asbestos structures and hazardous mobile classrooms. Elvis...

Former Limpopo Premier Stanley Mathabatha has stepped aside as ANC provincial chairperson, citing unethical behaviour, misconduct and a decline in ANC values as reasons for his decision. The move comes amid ongoing disputes over procedural issues in the Vhembe and Waterberg regional conferences. Elvis Presslin spoke to SABC Politics Reporter, Samkele Maseko

NotInMyName International has condemned the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old female learner by a male teacher at Prinshof School in Pretoria. The incident came to light after the victim's father raised concerns about her declining academic performance, leading her to disclose the assault. The organisation has criticized the school's leadership for failing to ensure a safe environment for st...

The South African Communist Party, SACP has removed ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe from its Central Committee, escalating tensions within the Tripartite Alliance. The decision follows the SACP's plan to contest the 2026 local elections independently, a move that has sparked sharp debate with the ANC. Mantashe, a long-time SACP member and current Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources...

ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe has criticised incoherent and populist messaging within the party, saying it confuses supporters. Speaking at the OR Tambo Region's Special Regional General Council in the Eastern Cape, Mantashe urged the ANC to strengthen its ideological and intellectual capacity to remain a leading voice for progressive change. This follows the ANC's decision to take action against...

Operation Watershed is calling for the inclusion of South Africans living abroad in the National Dialogue's Steering Committee. The civil society initiative for South Africans abroad says over one million South Africans form the Diaspora, yet remain unrecognised as a key sector. The National Dialogue, launched earlier this month under the theme "Uniting Voices, Shaping the Nation," includes 22 sec...

The South African Federation of Trade Unions, SAFTU has expressed alarm over a new settlement between the National Energy Regulator and Eskom. The agreement grants Eskom an extra R54 billion in revenue over the Sixth Multi-Year Price Determination period. SAFTU says, while the deal corrects technical errors, it places a heavy burden on workers and poor households already struggling with austerity,...

The Western Cape Mobility Department has approached the High Court for an urgent interdict to stop ongoing violence between rival taxi associations, CATA and CODETA

SAPS has confirmed that 121 case files, previously removed from the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team, will be returned

a look at the current top African economic stories.....We are joined on the line by Victor Kgomoesoana, 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

 Nyanga residents and community activists in Cape Town will today march to Parliament to demand justice for 25-year-old Zenande Tshazibane, who was brutally raped and murdered in her Nyanga home in June 

The journalism community is mourning the loss of Tshidi Madia, a respected political journalist at Primedia Broadcasting. Madia passed away in hospital yesterday after a short illness. She was 42. Known for her fearless reporting and sharp political insight, Madia served as Associate Editor at Eyewitness News and was a familiar voice on 702, Cape Talk and KFM. Colleagues describe her as a powerhou...

Afriforum has welcomed a Cape Town Equality Court ruling that found EFF leader Julius Malema guilty of hate speech. The decision relates to a 2022 speech tied to a 2020 incident at Brackenfell High School. Judge Mark Sher ruled Malema's remarks, calling for violence against white men were meant to incite hatred. The EFF was also held co-responsible for endorsing Malema's statements. Elvis Presslin...

The civil rights group ActionSociety has launched its Decade of Decline campaign, spotlighting South Africa's soaring murder rate. Official crime stats reveal 26,232 murders in 2024, surpassing global terrorism deaths. The group says the government saying it condemns violence abroad but ignores the crisis at home is not good enough. ActionSocirty says the loss of thousands of lives annually is a t...

Five men have been summoned to appear in the Jagersfontein Magistrates Court in September following the 2022 Jagersfontein dam wall collapse. The disaster claimed three lives and caused significant property damage. After an extensive investigation, the National Prosecuting Authority has charged the suspects; employees of an engineering firm, a compliance officer and an operations manager with murd...

The 27th INTERPOL African Regional Conference enters its second day in South Africa today. Law enforcement says the summit highlights the country's dedication to tackling transnational organised crime, terrorism and emerging security threats through regional and international cooperation. The conference, running until Friday, is set to produce agreements to bolster regional responses and foster th...

Businessman Collen Mashawana will today face off in court against the Daily Maverick and journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh. Mashawana is seeking an urgent gag order to halt the outlet's reports on alleged corruption tied to him and his foundation. He claims the Daily Maverick's articles are defamatory and aimed at publicly shaming him. The hearing is set to take place in the Gauteng High Court this...

The Democratic Alliance, DA will today picket outside Premier Panyaza Lesufi's Johannesburg office over the escalating crime crisis in Gauteng. The DA claims South African Police Service stations are severely under-resourced and understaffed, despite Lesufi's pledge to prioritize crime-fighting. For the latest on today's demonstrations Elvis Presslin spoke to DA Gauteng Leader & Leader of the...

The Public Servants Association, PSA has slammed the ongoing service disruptions at the Mbombela and White River Driving Licence Testing Centres. The PSA says endless refurbishments, financial year-end closures and persistent system failures are causing chaos, leaving residents unable to renew licences or secure vehicle permits. Elvis Presslin spoke to Labour Relations Officer of the Public Servan...

The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mamoloko Kubayi, has suspended Director General Advocate Doctor Mashabane and Deputy Director General Jabu Hlatshwayo of the ICT division. The suspensions follow their failure to ensure the Madlanga Commission could start as scheduled on 1 September 2025. The commission has been postponed indefinitely due to delays in procuring essential infr...

The South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights, SAPOHR, has expressed strong support for the Department of Correctional Services' decision to reintroduce electronic tagging for parolees. The initiative aims to monitor the movements and whereabouts of ex-offenders serving the remainder of their sentences outside prison. Elvis Presslin spoke to Golden Miles Bhudu, President of the South A...

The Cape Forum has strongly condemned a video circulating on social media showing a young coloured girl using a racist slur against black learners at Knysna High School in the Southern Cape. Chairperson Heindrich Wyngaard says we cannot excuse or justify any act of disrespect or racism, regardless of who commits it. Elvis Presslin spoke to Heindrich Wyngaard, Cape Forum Executive Chairperson

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 National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has slammed Macsteel management for sparking an indefinite strike that began on Friday. The union claims Macsteel forcibly retrenched workers and pressured them into accepting voluntary severance packages of just 40,000 rand, based on one week's pay per year of service. NUMSA calls this far below industry standards, which typically offer three to...

Five men have been shot and killed at an open-cast chrome mine in Tlhatlaganyane, near Sun City in the North West. The area is known for small-scale mining, with several licenses issued for chrome extraction. For more details, Elvis Presslin spoke to North West Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone