First Take SA

Minister Thembi Simelane has been moved from the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development to the Ministry of Human Settlements, while Mmamoloko Kubayi takes over as the new Justice Minister. The move comes as Simelane continues to face scrutiny over her alleged involvement in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal, which has left many questioning whether her new role will provide redemption or simp...

Eskom, has applied to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to approve a 36.1% electricity price hike from April 2025, a 11.8% price increase in 2026 and an 9.1% increase in 2027. BOSA Leader Mmusi Maimane is set to lead a picket today against NERSA's proposed electricity tariff increase, which is expected to exacerbate the economic hardship faced by many South Africans. The picket will ta...

The Gauteng High Court has ruled that the South African Police Service breached a court order by restricting essential supplies to miners trapped underground in Stilfontein, North West. The judgment comes after an urgent contempt application by the Mining Affected Communities United in Action. For insight, Elvis Presslin spoke to Koketso Phasha, Spokesperson for the General Industries Workers Unio...

The Office of Deputy President Paul Mashatile has announced that arrangements are underway to return a precious stone gifted to his wife, Humile Mashatile. The gift was from controversial diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg, who is currently facing multiple charges, including fraud, racketeering, and theft. To shed more light on this development, Elvis Presslin spoke to Keith Khoza, Acting Spokesperso...

The Western Cape has made significant strides in securing equal access to schools for all learners. Following litigation by Equal Education (EE) and parent applicants, the Western Cape High Court ruled that out-of-school learners must be placed in schools for the remainder of 2024. A significant move that has been welcomed by Equal Education. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Ntsikie Dlulan...

Former MK Party convener Mary Phadi is set to challenge her expulsion from the party at the Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela today. Phadi's dismissal was sparked by allegations of mismanagement of party funds and her purported involvement in an assassination plot. Party leader Jacob Zuma terminated Phadi's membership following the allegations. For more on today's court hearing, Ms. Phadi spoke to...

The ANC-led coalition in Tshwane has decided not to pay historical salary increases to city officials. This decision comes after the coalition had initially promised to pay the increases. The city is contesting rulings that denied its requests for exemptions from the 3.5% and 5.4% salary hikes. Their argument is that these increases could exacerbate financial instability and compromise essential s...

ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula says the fate of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial structure will be decided within the next two weeks. This comes after a meeting between the ANC National Working Committee and the KZN PEC in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg. The meeting aimed to address the challenges facing the ANC in KZN, following its poor performance in the May 29 elections, where it secured onl...

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 Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, has highlighted road safety as a critical issue as South Africa marks 30 years of democracy a milestone celebrated alongside pressing challenges. Speaking at the launch of the festive season road safety campaign, Creecy echoed President Cyril Ramaphosa's call to address the alarming statistics outlined in the 2023 Road Traffic Management Corporation repor...

The head of Public Diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, has clarified that there is no plan within BRICS to establish a common currency. Instead, discussions are focused on member states trading in their own currencies. This comes in the wake of the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatening 100 percent tariffs against BRICS countries, including South Africa, unless they abandon any notion of creating a...

KZN Transport MEC Siboniso Duma is set to meet with representatives of the taxi industry this week to address their grievances. This comes after the Durban Long Distance Taxi Association launched a strike on Friday, leaving commuters stranded. The strike stems from ongoing tensions with the government over operating permits and the release of impounded taxis. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke...

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has announced its intention to independently contest the 2026 Local Government Elections, breaking away from its longstanding alliance with the African National Congress (ANC). The party plans to finalize its strategy at its 5th Special National Conference in two weeks. This move follows its previous independent participation in the Metsimaholo Municipality...

The ANC's National Working Committee is set to convene with KwaZulu-Natal's Provincial Executive Committee today. The meeting will focus on addressing key organizational challenges identified during recent provincial visits. Speculation is rife that the PEC may be dissolved and replaced with a provincial task team, a move linked to the province's disappointing performance in the May 29 elections....

ActionSA's motion for Inner-City Rejuvenation has been approved by the City of Johannesburg Council. The plan revives a 2018 resolution to transfer 154 properties, including 37 abandoned factories, to private developers. The party says these properties, once valued at R32 billion, are set to generate 22,000 construction jobs and 14,000 social housing units. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to...

Today marks the final deadline for Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders to apply for a waiver or transition to a General Work visa, valid until November 2025. Those who fail to secure a one-year exemption permit by the end of the day are at a risk of deportation. However, asylum seeker, refugee, and migrant advocacy groups argue that Home Affairs backlogs have made meeting this deadline nearl...

South African shoppers are bracing for the excitement of Black Friday today, though many stores have already been offering deals in the lead-up to this highly anticipated event. According to fintech company Capital Connect, drawing on insights from the Bureau of Market Research, the Black Friday sales frenzy is projected to inject over R88 billion in additional economic value into November 2024. F...

The Electoral Commission of Namibia has sent a recommendation to the president to allow voting at specific polling stations today and tomorrow from 7 am to 9 pm. The commission says this will allow registered voters the chance to vote. Opposition political representatives have criticized the commission for its failure to address concerns promptly. The Namibia Media Professionals' Union (NAMPU) has...

The Democratic Alliance says it has submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act application for Minister of Justice Thembi Simelane's VBS loan report to President Ramaphosa. The DA says It cannot be that a Minister of Justice, accused of corruption, can continue to oversee the Justice system, and more importantly the National Prosecuting Authority, the body tasked with investigating her. El...

The Solidarity Movement which includes Solidarity and AfriForum among its members says it has reached an agreement with the government around the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act dispute. According to the Solidarity Movement's statement, the contested sectors of the BELA Act will no longer be implemented from the 13th of December 2024. To further discuss this Elvis Presslin spoke to Afriforum CE...

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 Road Accident Fund (RAF) is intensifying its fight against fraud, rejecting over R1 billion in bogus claims to protect funds meant for road crash survivors. The insurance funds says Over the past three years, 2,031 claims were blocked, with R65 million already prevented from being paid out. This includes a high-profile conviction of Siyabulela Kima, who falsely claimed R8.3 million, only for i...

As the holiday season approaches, South Africans are urged to remain vigilant against rabies, a deadly viral disease affecting both animals and humans. Authorities have identified high-risk areas, with cases reported in dogs, Cape fur seals, and other animals. Disturbingly, rabies has now been detected in Cape fur seals along the coastline, marking its first presence in a marine mammal population....

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently authorize a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into alleged fraud within SASSA's Social Relief of Distress (SRD) R370 grant system. This follows revelations from an independent investigation by Masegare & Associates, confirming vulnerabilities such as weak identity verification, OTP-based fraud, and security f...

The South African National Civic Organisation in KwaZulu-Natal has overturned its decision to not supporting the ANC in the province. SANCO announced in June this year that it had parted ways with the ANC. It cited various reasons including the failure of the ANC to be accountable. SANCO says it will support the ANC in the 2026 local government elections. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to t...