First Take SA

Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink is facing a potential axe as ActionSA reviews its coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA). ActionSA has announced it is reconsidering its partnership with the DA in the Tshwane municipality, citing concerns over governance and leadership. The DA is currently challenging two motions against Brink in court, brought by the ANC. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to...

The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) is cautioning against misuse of the new two-pot retirement savings system, set to launch in September. The party urges individuals to only access their savings in genuine emergency situations. The National Treasury designed the reform to provide limited access to funds in cases of financial hardship, without requiring individuals to leave their jobs. E...

Defend Our Democracy, is holding a solidarity picket outside the South African Revenue Service (SARS) offices in Pretoria today. The protest is demanding greater protection for whistleblowers, following a recent assassination attempt on Advocate Coreth Naude in KwaZulu-Natal. Naude was investigating a R37 million tax case involving businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize at the time of the attack. This incide...

Homeowners from the Lotus Gardens, Atteridgeville, and Saulsville Civic Association (LASCA) are staging a protest march to Tshwane House today. The demonstrators are demanding action on several key issues, including; service delivery failures, the scrapping of historic arrear bills and the enforcement of by-laws regarding undocumented foreign nationals among other issues. Elvis Presslin spoke to T...

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is urging the City of Johannesburg to develop a plan for emergency housing for victims of building fires. This call comes after a devastating fire in Jeppestown, Johannesburg, which claimed four lives and left over 200 residents displaced. The Commission says the latest incident highlights the need for the City to prioritize safe emergency housing,...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has demanded a full report and briefing from Justice Minister Thembi Simelane, amid allegations of corruption. In a statement, the President expressed concern over media reports linking Minister Simelane to improper payments from VBS Mutual Bank during her tenure as Mayor of Polokwane Municipality. The reports allege that the municipality unlawfully invested 349 million r...

The South African Weather Service is urging the Disaster Risk Reduction community to step up its efforts in providing vital Early Warning Systems to enhance community resilience against weather disasters. CEO Ishaam Abader made the call at a National Consultative Workshop on Early Warnings for All, which concludes today in Pretoria. The three-day event aims to assess the current state of Early War...

The City of Tshwane's multiparty coalition is holding a briefing today on its political affairs, as Mayor Cilliers Brink faces renewed attempts to remove him from office. Last month, the ANC withdrew a motion of no confidence against Mayor Brink, who they accused of allowing the city to deteriorate. However, sources suggest that a new motion is being prepared, putting the mayor's position under th...

A shocking survey conducted by the University of Pretoria and Statistics South Africa has revealed that over 4 million people in South Africa are living with type 2 diabetes, with many not receiving adequate treatment. The University of Pretoria's Diabetes Research Centre warns that the alarming rise in type 2 diabetes, driven by poor diets and lack of physical activity, is exacerbating this crisi...

The ANC Women's League in Limpopo has reiterated its dedication to combating gender-based violence and femicide, following a horrific incident in which two women were shot dead and discarded in a pigsty enclosure. The women were killed while collecting expired food at a farm in Limpopo. The league has pledged to work closely with civil society organizations and community groups to raise awareness...

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has fired 27 officials for various offenses. In a statement, the department revealed that these dismissals are part of 81 appeals recorded, involving cases of fraud, theft, sexual harassment, and abuse of state resources. Elvis Presslin spoke to Kgalalelo Masibi, Chief Director for Communications at the Department of Justice and Constitution...

Only 34 of South Africa's 257 municipalities received clean audits for the 2022/2023 financial year. This according to Auditor General Tsakani Maluleke's report to Parliament. Maluleke is urging all stakeholders to work together to promote a culture of accountability, transparency, and integrity, to improve the lives of South Africans. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Dr. Harlan Cloete, Go...

The Democratic Alliance is demanding Justice Minister Thembi Simelane's accountability following allegations of her involvement in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal. The Minister reportedly took a R500,000 loan from a company involved in unlawful VBS investments during her tenure as Polokwane Mayor in 2016. DA MP and Spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional Development, Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach ha...

A new retirement savings system, known as the Two-Pot system, comes into effect in South Africa from the first of September. The system, designed to encourage responsible withdrawals from retirement funds, divides savings into two portions. The South African government says this system will hopefully promote financial sustainability and reduce reliance on state pensions. Sanlam Glacier, a leading...

The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has submitted a draft resolution to the Speaker of Parliament, calling for a parliamentary inquiry into allegations of rand manipulation by domestic and international banks. This move comes after the Competition Commission dismissed a case against several banks accused of manipulating South Africa's currency. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to ATM sp...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a significant shake-up in the management of State-Owned Enterprises, or SOEs. Ramaphosa has assigned shareholder responsibility for each SOE to the respective line-function Ministries. This reform aims to improve governance, oversight, and efficiency within SOEs. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Political analyst, Dr. Dale McKinley

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has uncovered widespread fraud by unscrupulous lawyers who have siphoned billions from the state through bogus medico-legal claims. In a recent media briefing Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi highlighted shocking cases, including duplicate claims for the same incident, inflated damages for non-existent procedures, and fraudulent claims on behalf of deceased ind...

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 Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the North West province has expressed its support for the resignation of Tshepo Khoza, the former deputy speaker of the provincial legislature. Khoza stepped down amidst allegations of falsifying his matriculation certificate just shy of three months into his tenure. COSATU is now calling on the ANC to pursue criminal charges against Khoza sho...

Newly-appointed Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has sparked controversy with a proposal to recruit documented foreign nationals into the city's metropolitan police department, JMPD. Speaking at the ANC's regional Lekgotla, Mayor Morero proposed employing foreign nationals who speak various languages to help combat crime in the city. His comments have been met with backlash, with many questioning th...

The National Education, Health, and Allied Workers' Union, NEHAWU, is suing the ANC and its KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Secretary, Bheki Mtolo, for R2 million. The lawsuit follows public accusations made by Mtolo in Kokstad, where he blamed NEHAWU for poor service delivery in government departments such as Home Affairs and SASSA. The union has filed the lawsuit at the Pietermaritzburg High Court. Elv...

Municipal workers affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers Union, SAMWU have vowed to continue striking until their demands are met. A large-scale protest took place in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, as thousands of City of Johannesburg employees, including Pikitup workers and city administrators, gathered in the streets, blocking several roads. The demonstrators are seeking payment of outst...

Mthatha West Traditional Leader, Dalinzolo Mareke, has denied involvement in the extortion of businesses in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. He was implicated by Abathembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, who accused Mareke of masterminding the extortion scheme. The king's statement came during a meeting convened after schools in the area were closed due to alleged demands for protection fees. For more on this,...

Former EFF Deputy President Floyd Shivambu has been named as the new national organiser of the Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK) party. The appointment comes after Shivambu's resignation from the EFF last week. MK has also announced its National High Command, which will be responsible for making key decisions for the party. The High Command consists of eight senior officials and 45 additional members. For mo...

Acting President Paul Mashatile, giving an address at the Union Buildings during the signing of the Second Presidential Health Compact, says the government's responsibility is to ensure that the compact effectively addresses the challenges facing the health system. Mashatile says that the nation's health is vital to development and cannot be compromised by issues like mismanagement and funding cri...