First Take SA

The Afrikaner-only community of Kleinfontein has accused the City of Tshwane of political bias after receiving an ultimatum to reapply for township status or face demolition. The community, which first applied for formalisation in 2013, was told their application is outdated due to new legislation. The City of Tshwane served court papers, threatening demolition if the community does not comply. Kl...

RISE Mzansi says it is deeply concerned about a surge in violent crimes across South Africa. Multiple shootings and a stabbing have led to the loss of young lives in several parts of the country. Three people were shot, one fatally, outside the Mithcells Plain SAPS in Cape Town. This occurred while the Western Cape Provincial Commissioner was speaking at an imbizo nearby. In the same province, At...

In Mpumalanga, women in the construction industry have revealed a dark side to their work, telling Premier Mandla Ndlovu about construction mafias demanding sexual favours to avoid project disruptions. The revelations came during a women in construction dialogue at the Ehlanzeni Disaster Management Centre in Mbombela. What was meant to celebrate women's progress in the male-dominated sector turned...

A R65 million lawsuit has been filed in the High Court nearly two years after the devastating Boksburg tanker explosion that killed 41 people. LHL Attorneys, representing 67 victims, is seeking compensation for losses, injuries and trauma caused by the December 2022 tragedy. The suit targets Infinite Fleet Transport, Innovative Staffing Solutions and the City of Ekurhuleni accusing the trio of neg...

The Independent Financial Advisors Forum, IFAF, is demanding the immediate withdrawal of a medical aid brokerage tender by the City of Tshwane, calling it irregular and unlawful. IFAF, a non-profit representing mostly black-owned small and medium-sized brokerages says the tender which grants medical aid members the right to choose their own brokers violates regulation of the Medical Schemes Act. E...

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) is warning young South African women not to fall for unverified foreign job offers. This after suspicious employment opportunities were advertised by social media influencers on Tik Tok, Instagram and other social media platforms. DIRCO says human trafficking syndicates are luring people into all sorts of illegal activities under sl...

ActionSA has condemned what it says is the intimidation of Ms. Luyanda, a South African spaza shop owner in Dobsonville, Soweto. The party says during a routine bread delivery, Ms. Luyanda was threatened by a neighboring Pakistani shop owner, who demanded she shut down her business or face consequences. ActionSA calls this unacceptable, highlighting a pattern of such incidents with no action taken...

The South African Democratic Teachers Union, SADTU has welcomed the Education Labour Relations Council's appointment to investigate claims of ghost workers in public schools. The nationwide inquiry, backed by five teacher unions, the Department of Basic Education and all nine provincial education departments, aims to tackle corruption and rebuild trust in the education payroll system. Elvis Pressl...

Patriotic Alliance leader and Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has accused the South African Human Rights Commission of defamation. The Commission found prima facie evidence of hate speech in McKenzie's past social media posts, which were flagged as offensive. McKenzie called the findings premature and politically motivated, saying they harm his reputation. Elvis Presslin sp...

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 Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, OUTA, has welcomed the government's decision to place three Sector Education and Training Authorities, CETA, Services SETA, and LGSETA under administration. However, the watchdog warns this step alone won't address years of corruption, wasteful spending, and leadership failures. OUTA is questioning why INSETA was excluded from the intervention despite its own go...

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation, DIRCO has dismissed allegations of racially motivated attacks in rural and farming communities, as stated in the 2024 US Human Rights Report. DIRCO calls the claims inaccurate, citing South African police data from January to March 2025, which recorded six murders in farming areas, involving farm workers, dwellers and farmers, with no evid...

The Portfolio Committee on Tourism has raised concerns over the recent dissolution of the South African Tourism Board by Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille. Reports indicate the Minister acted after the Board overstepped its authority by appointing a member to perform duties of the former Chairperson, Professor Gregory Davids, who resigned in July. The Board also reportedly violated its own ch...

The Federation of Unions of South Africa, FEDUSA has welcomed the Department of Employment and Labour's move to reinstate powers for labour inspectors to enforce pension fund payments. FEDUSA says this tackles widespread theft of workers' retirement savings by dishonest employers in industries like cleaning, security and local government, where unpaid contributions have ballooned into billions, le...

Trade unions, civic groups and pro-Palestine activists are protesting across South Africa today, opposing the government's coal exports to Israel amid the ongoing Hamas and Israel conflict. Demonstrations are expected outside the Department of Trade and Industry in several provinces. Protesters claim South Africa's coal supplies fuel Israel's energy needs, powering systems used to profile Palestin...

ActionSA has slammed the Department of Health for approving radio ads claiming vaping is as harmful as smoking cigarettes. The party calls the statement false and misleading, citing scientific evidence that vaping poses fewer risks than combustible cigarettes. ActionSA accuses the Department of spreading propaganda and undermining Parliament by presenting unpassed provisions of the Tobacco Product...

Civil society group My Vote Counts has criticized President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to raise the annual political donation limit to R30 million from R15 million and the disclosure threshold to R200,000 from R100,000. Senior Researcher Joel Bregman told our senior producer, Ronald Phiri, that the changes will reduce transparency in political funding, potentially allowing private interests to exe...

A suspect is in custody following a violent attack on three Democratic Alliance MPs in Philippi, Cape Town. The incident occurred shortly after an oversight visit to the SAPS Training College. Chairperson of Parliament's Police Portfolio Committee, Ian Cameron, along with DA MPs Lisa-Maré Schickerling and Nicholas Gotsell, were ambushed by men armed with bricks who smashed their vehicle's w...

Today marks the anniversary of the United Democratic Front's launch In 1983, In Cape Town's Rocklands Community Centre, Mitchell's Plain. The UDF, a major anti-apartheid coalition, united groups to oppose the Apartheid Government's Tricameral Constitution, which offered limited rights to Indians and Coloureds while excluding Blacks entirely. The launch was strategically timed to coincide with the...

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, NUMSA has reached a settlement with Goodyear Tyres, bringing relief to over 900 workers affected by the closure of the Kariega plant in the Eastern Cape after 78 years of operation. Each employee will receive a lump sum severance package starting at approximately R100,000, along with additional non-financial benefits. Although Goodyear declined t...

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

Limpopo Premier Dr. Phophi Ramathuba has dismissed allegations of irregular payments and nepotism at Mogalakwena Local Municipality. The claims surfaced on a social media account allegedly run by Mogalakwena Municipal Manager Morris Montengo Maluleka. According to the post, Premier Ramathuba and Cooperative Governance MEC Basikopo Makamu supposedly directed Maluleka to process suspicious transacti...

The e-Hailing Partners Council is marching today to the Gauteng Legislature and provincial Roads and Transport Department to protest ongoing issues. The group accuses the departments of failing to issue operating permits, conducting unfair vehicle impoundments and neglecting to integrate efficient transport systems. They also claim the Taxi Violence Police unit has not been deployed to key areas l...

The ANC has sharply criticized two of its National Executive Committee members, Malusi Gigaba and Senzo Mchunu, for recent public remarks. This after Gigaba claimed the ANC has "lost its way" and failed to achieve its goals, while also calling for the postponement of the National Dialogue held this past weekend. Mchunu warned that the party is on the verge of collapse. The ANC labelled their state...

The DA in Johannesburg has slammed City Power's plan to cut electricity to entire neighbourhoods unless 80% of households prove legitimate vending compliance. The DA calls the policy unconstitutional, unlawful and unfair, arguing it punishes paying customers and harms vulnerable residents. The party is demanding the City to scrap the blanket disconnection plan immediately. Elvis Presslin spoke to...