First Take SA

As the world marks World Mental Health Day tomorrow, focus is shifting to the emotional wellbeing of children and families. Experts say mental health challenges among young people are rising globally. Parents and schools are grappling with anxiety, behavioural difficulties and learning challenges. We spoke to Educational Psychologist and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Educational Psychology...

Examination quality assurance body, UMALUSI says it's all systems go for the 2026 National Senior Certificate exams which will start on the 13th of October, UMALUSI says strict quality controls and security measures are in place to secure the exams. The body says they are satisfied with measures put in place to conduct, administer and manage the 2026 matric exams. The exams will end on the 26th of...

Tensions were high in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape when a handful of protesters approached hundreds of asylum seekers queueing outside the Home Affairs Refuge Offices, demanding that they leave. This as the asylum seekers were waiting outside these offices for the processes of obtaining permits following the Constitutional court ruling that they can proceed with applications. They claim that they...

A protest aimed at halting the processing of asylum applications at the Department of Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre on Che Guevara Road in Durban turned violent for a second consecutive day. A scrapyard reportedly operated by a foreign national, located near the centre, was set alight amid heightened tensions. The Refugee Reception Centre has since been closed, with a heavy police presence...

Despite calls from government and politicians to keep our towns and cities clean, some townships continue to resemble dumpsites. Residents in the affected areas blame infrastructure failures and lack of by-law enforcement. They also point to waste management entities that struggles with an aging fleet and failure to pay maintenance contracts including Pikit-up in Johannesburg. Our Politics Reporte...

Violence broke out in Soweto, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape over the Constitutional Court's July ruling on asylum seekers. The judgment forced Home Affairs to assess applications on merit instead of irregular entry. Residents blockaded roads, torched vehicles, looted businesses and forced spaza shops to close. Government said unfounded claims can still be rejected while genuine refugees fleei...

A look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoeswana, author of Africa Is Open For Business and Africa Bounces Back.

For nearly six decades, Babsy Mlangeni's distinctive voice became part of the soundtrack of South African life, carrying stories of love, resilience and the everyday experiences of ordinary people. Now, following his death at the age of 83, the music icon - who lost his sight during childhood - is being remembered not only for the songs he gave the nation, but for a legacy that transcended generat...

South Africa is moving to strengthen its pharmaceutical independence, with the CSIR's FuturePharma facility launch in Pretoria. The facility aims to reduce the country's reliance on imported pharmaceutical ingredients by bridging the gap between scientific research and local medicine production, helping to turn South African innovations into products that can be manufactured locally. Nonhlanhla Nt...

The SACP in Limpopo is unhappy with the Independent Electoral Commission over the registration of one of its ward councillor candidates. The party says its ward 35 candidate in the Fetakgomo-Tubatse municipality was moved and registered in a ward in the City of Tshwane, before the IEC's registration deadline. The SACP opened a case of fraud and wants Motlepe Nchabeleng to be reinstated as its ward...

The SACP in Limpopo is unhappy with the Independent Electoral Commission over the registration of one of its ward councillor candidates. The party says its ward 35 candidate in the Fetakgomo-Tubatse municipality was moved and registered in a ward in the City of Tshwane, before the IEC's registration deadline. The SACP opened a case of fraud and wants Motlepe Nchabeleng to be reinstated as its ward...

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has condemned the kidnapping and death of a four-month-old baby and alleged rape of the mother in Atteridgeville. Preliminary reports say a pastor and his wife lured the woman to the Hennops River near the R511 under the pretext of performing a ritual. The woman was allegedly tied up and assaulted while the wife stayed with the baby. Police have arrested the pastor's...

The Department of Employment and Labour says proposed amendments to the Employment Services Act do not create new employment rights for refugees or asylum seekers. Minister Nomakhosazana Meth says social media claims that refugees will no longer be regarded as foreign nationals are incorrect. Ministry Spokesperson, Thobeka Magcai elaborates...

As the country marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a new memoir titled I Choose Life has been launched. The book explores resilience, faith, motherhood and survival following a breast cancer journey. Author Tebele Makhetha reflects on major life transitions, her corporate career and lessons on courage and purpose. She spoke to Tracey Boomgaard about what the title means to her personally.

The Border Management Authority has dismissed claims that US deportees are slipping into South Africa through informal crossings from Eswatini. The BMA maintains that all land ports with Eswatini are secured and under surveillance. Meanwhile, Eswatini's government says three nationals from Yemen, Belize and Laos have voluntarily left the kingdom for their home countries in recent weeks. Eswatini m...

The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration says it is aware of panic and confusion following the recent Constitutional Court judgment on asylum seekers and the Refugees Act. Chairperson Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi says government is treating the matter with utmost urgency. The IMC hosted an urgent meeting with departments, legal experts and stakeholders to consider the implications. Government say...

The Democratic Alliance will hold a major march against gender-based violence in Pretoria today. Party leaders, including Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink, Helen Zille and Solly Msimanga, will march from Burgers Park to the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre. The party says women cannot continue to be told to be vigilant while violent criminals terrorise communities. For the latest we spoke...

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has welcomed progress on the National Dialogue Steering Committee following a meeting yesterday. The Presidency says different sectors including youth, people with disabilities, civil society and faith-based organisations have been hosting dialogues. Mashatile says the pilot dialogues show citizens are ready to engage honestly about the country's challenges and offe...

The SA First Forum has written to Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber demanding urgent action on undocumented South Africans. The forum says an estimated four point four million citizens remain without identity documents, blocking access to education, jobs and banking. It cites cases of learners unable to write Matric and young people unable to access tertiary education. The group has given t...

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for the Gaza ceasefire to become permanent, warning that three years after the October 7th Hamas attacks, Israelis and Palestinians continued to live with the consequences of the conflict. In a statement issued a day before the sombre anniversary, Guterres reiterated his abhorrence of the killing of more than 1,200 people in Israel and the ta...

The Democratic Alliance, DA in Gauteng is calling for an urgent probe into chronic medicine shortages at public health facilities. Patients at hospitals including Steve Biko and Charlotte Maxeke and clinics including Nigel and Northmead, have reportedly struggled to get medication for hypertension, epilepsy and other chronic conditions. The DA says the shortages are putting patients at risk and ra...

Political commentator and civil society leader Lukhona Mnguni is vying to become the Mayor of Johannesburg. Mnguni will contest the upcoming local government elections under Rise Mzansi. Mnguni says he will focus on tackling corruption, restoring public trust and improving service delivery. Johannesburg faces persistent challenges, including failing infrastructure and governance instability. 

Workers are taking to the streets today as COSATU leads nationwide marches to mark World Day for Decent Work. The federation says workers face mass retrenchments, non-compliance with the minimum wage and growing casualisation. Marches will target Sun International over planned job cuts and Massmart over the dismissal of hundreds of Makro workers. COSATU is also demanding stronger enforcement of la...

Speaker of the National Assembly Thoko Didiza has challenged global leaders at the 153rd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly to shift focus from drafting laws to strictly enforcing them. Addressing delegates in Tanzania, Didiza warned that public trust in democratic institutions is eroding because citizens see a massive gap between paper promises and their daily struggles with poverty. For more, we...

Parliament is pressing the Department of International Relations to account for money owed to South Africa by foreign countries. During a briefing to the Standing Committee on Appropriations, MPs raised concern over the lack of detail on outstanding debts, including funds reportedly owed to SAA by Zimbabwe. Committee members want clarity on how much is owed, how long it has been outstanding and pl...