First Take SA

The Solidarity Movement, including AfriForum and Solidarity, has announced its withdrawal from this weekend's first session of the national dialogue. The organisations claim the ANC has "hijacked" the dialogue to advance its own agenda. To elaborate further on the Movement's sentiments, Elvis Presslin spoke to Werner Human, Head of Operations at the Solidarity Movement

Tensions are high in Germiston, where evictions at council flats have sparked protests and accusations of municipal negligence. The Forum of South Africans (FOSA) has condemned the torching of Home Affairs offices and illegal occupations but points the finger at Ekurhuleni Municipality for allowing the crisis to escalate. FOSA claims corrupt municipal officials enabled illegal occupants to reside...

Gauteng's unemployment rate has surged to 33.8%, according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Over 2.6 million residents are without jobs and nearly 600,000 have given up searching. Alarmingly, 10.3 million young people across the province are neither working nor in education or training. Premier Panyaza Lesufi is pushing to revive the Nasi Ispani programme to boost youth employment. But...

Political analyst Professor Susan Booysen warns that South Africa could see more provincial coalition governments after the 2029 general election. Speaking at the launch of the Coalition Barometer for 2023 to early 2025 by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, Booysen highlighted that coalitions have become a permanent feature of South African politics. Elvis Presslin spoke to Mapungu...

Over 4,000 learners have reportedly dropped out of school in the first quarter of 2025. The Public Servants Association (PSA) is outraged, calling the situation a betrayal of constitutional duty due to neglect, poor planning, and weak leadership by the Northern Cape Department of Education. The PSA is demanding accountability and a full forensic investigation into the dropouts. Elvis Presslin spok...

Several parties in the Government of National Unity have rejected the ANC's proposal to broaden the 10-party coalition. The ANC's move follows tensions with its largest partner, the Democratic Alliance, over budget disputes and policy differences. Critics, including the Freedom Front Plus, call it a tactic to shore up power rather than strengthen unity. For more, Elvis Presslin spoke to United Dem...

The National Union of Mineworkers, NUM has dismissed claims that it has abandoned the ANC ahead of the 2026 municipal elections. The union labelled reports suggesting a split as misleading and reaffirmed its commitment to the tripartite alliance. However, it emphasized that members are free to vote for any party of their choice. For more details, Elvis Presslin spoke to NUM National Spokesperson,...

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen has criticized the upcoming National Dialogue, calling it an "insider stitch-up" aimed at boosting the ANC's electoral prospects. Speaking at the DA's headquarters in Bruma, east of Johannesburg, Steenhuisen labeled the initiative "illegitimate" and lacking credibility. The DA was the first party to pull out of the dialogue following the dismissal of its...

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

Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie is facing backlash after tweets with racially derogatory language toward black South Africans resurfaced online. The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has lodged a complaint against McKenzie with the Presidency, Parliament and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Ethics. Elvis Presslin spoke to ATM National Spokesperson, Zama Ntshona

The General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) is outraged over a report from the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) showing food inflation has jumped to 4.7%, a 16-month high. GIWUSA says this isn't just a statistic BUT a "brutal assault" on workers and the poor. The union has criticized Agbiz for downplaying the crisis, saying deeper systemic issues are at play beyond temporary...

The Presidency insists that budget processes for the upcoming National Convention comply with the Public Finance Management Act. This follows the withdrawal of several legacy foundations, including the Thabo Mbeki, Steve Biko and FW de Klerk foundations, who cited insufficient funding and tight preparation timelines. President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed the organising team has been restructured to...

ActionSA has lodged a complaint against Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie with the South African Human Rights Commission. The complaint is over alleged racist remarks in old social media posts where McKenzie reportedly used Apartheid-era slurs against black South Africans. ActionSA is also taking action against Minister Dean Macpherson for allegedly using racially charged language against party supp...

A DA oversight visit to the Cape Town Deeds Office has reportedly discovered a troubling practice of racial classification. The party says South Africans are being forced to declare their race on a mandatory form when buying or transferring property. Land Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso admitted in a parliamentary reply earlier this year that no legal definition of race supports the regulation. Elvis P...

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 ACDP has strongly condemned a viral video falsely portraying the classified Coloured community in a degrading and incestuous light, calling it racist, defamatory, and rooted in colonial-era stereotypes. The Open Chats team has since issued an apology , which many critics deemed inadequate. Meanwhile, the Patriotic Alliance has opened a criminal case, the DA approached the Human Rights Commissi...

Several members of Operation Dudula have been arrested and are being held at Diepkloof Police Station. The group is accused of blocking foreign nationals from accessing public clinics and hospitals in the area. Operation Dudula claims its members are facing charges for allegedly impersonating Home Affairs officials. The group's president, Zandile Dabula, says the arrests are part of a broader effo...

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has denied that it owes R62-million in unpaid accommodation fees. The scheme refuted these claims after Private Housing Student Association (PHSA), which represents private landlords, claimed that this money is owed from January 2024 to July 2025. Kagisho Mamabolo, PHSA CEO, says landlords in private accommodation are at financial risk due to the l...

Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela says claims of grade tampering and racial bias at UCT's Social Development Department are deeply concerning. Manamela is calling for answers from UCT's leadership, demanding clarity on internal probes and how academic standards will be upheld. This comes after allegations surfaced that UCT academics in the faculty of Social Development have allegedly been aw...

The South African National Editors' Forum, SANEF has slammed an alleged attempt by the Industrial Development Trust's CEO, Tebogo Malaka, to bribe Daily Maverick investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh. The incident, aimed at halting Myburgh's reporting on corruption allegations against Malaka, comes shortly after her suspension following a PricewaterhouseCoopers probe. The investigation unc...

The South African National Defence Force has issued a stern warning to its members over the rising trend of sharing explicit content on social media while in uniform. The Defence Force says such behaviour is a serious breach of military discipline and tarnishes the image of the force. The Defence Force insists personal freedoms do not override military values. Elvis Presslin spoke to SANDF spokesp...

Suspended Independent Development Trust CEO Tebogo Malaka faces possible criminal charges after allegedly trying to bribe a journalist. Video footage from the Daily Maverick shows Malaka and IDT spokesperson Phasha Makgolane offering R60,000 in cash to reporter Pieter-Louis Myburgh at a meeting near Stellenbosch. The bribe was reportedly to halt Myburgh's investigation into Malaka's affairs. This...

Opposition parties have criticized the appointment of ANC MP Soviet Lekganyane as chair of the parliamentary committee investigating allegations of police corruption made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The EFF, uMkhonto weSizwe Party and ActionSA expressed concerns over an ANC member leading the probe, citing potential bias due to the involvement of ANC figures like suspe...

The Pretoria High Court will today hear an application brought by President Cyril Ramaphosa and the government to reinstate their opposition in a constitutional damages case. The case involves 25 families and survivours of apartheid-era human rights violations seeking R167 million in damages for the state's alleged failure to investigate and prosecute crimes recommended by the Truth and Reconcilia...

The South African Municipal Workers' Union (SAMWU) will  today lead a march to Tshwane House to demand the reinstatement of unfairly dismissed workers and payment of outstanding salary increases for City of Tshwane employees. Elvis Presslin spoke to SAMWU Tshwane Regional Chairperson, Lehlohonolo Maphatsoe