First Take SA

Labour union POPCRU and its members will today march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to demand the government increase salaries by 6.5%. This is after public sector unions rejected the government's three percent wage offer. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to POPCRU spokesperson Richard Mamabolo...

COPE has suspended its Chair of Chairs Colleen Makhubele as a party representative in the City of Johannesburg Council. The party's Gauteng Interim Provincial Committee resolved to suspend Makhubele with immediate effect. Makhubele previously voted with a PAC-sponsored motion to remove the DA-aligned speaker of the council, Vasco da Gama. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Dennis Bloem, Spokesperson for the Congress of the People, COPE

The construction mafia crisis is not only a criminal act but also, a clarion call for economic inclusion. These groups, operate under the banner of "radical economic transformation" and present themselves under the guise of "local business forums" and invade construction sites across the country, demanding money or a stake in development projects. Property Point founder Shawn Theunissen says criminality in the construction industry can be addressed by introducing governance systems that facilitate fair and equal access to sub-contracting opportunities.

Time to take a look at the current top African economic stories with Victor Kgomoesoana, 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

President Cyril Ramaphosa will return to South Africa after Queen Elizabeth's funeral today. The President will no longer be traveling to New York from London after cutting his trip short to address the energy crisis in the country - This is as Stage 6 load shedding continues. Last week Eskom announced the launch of an online skills database to crowdsource experts for the power utility to hire. Eskom says it will recruit suitable candidates to help the utility with its load-shedding woes. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to the head of Solidarity Research Institute Connie Mulder

After days of lying in state, the body of the late Queen Elizabeth II will begin its final journey this morning as part of a grand state funeral. The Queen died at the age of 96 on September 8. She spent 70 years on the throne, making her the longest-serving monarch in British history. President Cyril Ramaphosa will join world leaders who will bid farewell to the monarch before heading back to South Africa to deal with the stage six rolling blackouts currently being implemented by Eskom. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to SABC correspondent in London Laura Makin-Isherwood 

Various parliamentary committees have concluded a three-day joint oversight visit to illegal mining hot spots In Gauteng. During the oversight visit the Portfolio Committee on Police, Home Affairs, as well as the Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy heard from the South African Police Service that more than 10 000 people had been prosecuted for illegal mining between 2012 and 2022. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Albert Seabi, Whip of the Portfolio Committee on Police

The crash that claimed the lives of 21 people in Phongolo, Kwa-Zulu Natal was inevitable - according to a local resident. Last week Friday a truck driver collided head-on with a bakkie ferrying school children off the N2. In a viral video, the truck is seen speeding excessively, overtaking on a double barrier line, and crashing into the bakkie. 19 learners and two adults have died and the truck driver has since been arrested. Pongola resident Jabu Hansen says his calls for the government to intervene in the ongoing accidents on the N2, have largely been ignored over the years...

The deaf community is calling on authorities to act swiftly and ensure that there are Sign Language services available at key service points such as police stations, clinics, and hospitals. They say many incidents of gender-based violence against the community go unreported and may lead to the normalization of GBV against the deaf. This is as the International Week of Deaf People starts today and until the 25th of September to raise awareness about challenges facing the community. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Nicky Bezuidenhout, Marketing and Communications Manager at eDeaf

Law professor Richard Calland is facing calls to recuse himself from the Independent panel looking into whether there is prima facie evidence to impeach President Cyril Ramaphosa over his conduct in relation to the robbery on his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo. Some opposition parties and analysts say Calland has written favorably about the President and his alleged consistent bias towards Ramaphosa taints the panel's independence. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to GOOD party MP Brett Herron, who nominated Professor Calland to serve on the independent panel.