First Take SA

Residents of Isipingo Hills, south of Durban say they are living in fear after some community members allegedly hijacked a water tanker in the area. It is alleged that over the weekend a group of residents with firearms stopped a water tanker and filled their own tanks before instructing the driver to deliver water to another part of the area. Some parts of Isipingo are still without water since the floods almost two weeks ago. Meanwhile, no one has been arrested for the killing of an official at the Water and Sanitation Depot at Ottawa in Durban at the weekend. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Emergency Response Coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in eThekwini, Sean Christie

Emergency services workers in parts of the Buffalo City Metro and Amathole District in the Eastern Cape have downed tools over grievances including what they say are poor working conditions and staff shortages. The Health Department says the strike is unprotected. Trade union, NEHAWU, says it is not aware of a strike by any of its members. The department says 23 emergency fleet vehicles have been damaged. Private ambulances have been pelted with stones. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Eastern Cape Health Department Spokesperson, Sizwe Kupelo

Time to take a look at the 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...

There was a heated exchange of words during SCOPA's oversight visit to Eskom on Friday. Eskom Board member Busisiwe Mavuso walked out of the meeting following a war of words with SCOPA chair Mkuleko Hlengwa. Mavuso said the ANC is to blame for Eskom's ongoing challenges. Meanwhile, the ministry of public enterprises called her comments "regrettable" and her conduct "unbecoming" as a board member of Eskom. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to SCOPA member and ANC MP Bheki Hadebe

Health professionals say they are starting to witness a spike in the number of new daily COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. This has prompted concerns that the country may be at the beginning of a fifth wave which is possibly driven by a new Omicron variant. The latest daily infections recorded are fast approaching five thousand while the government continues to intensify its vaccination drive ahead of the winter season.  For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to the leader of the vaccination program at the health department, Dr. Lesley Bamford

The South African Federation of Trade Unions is expected to hold a picket against jobs and retrenchment at the Union Building today. The Federation says neo-policies of the ANC-led government have led to an onslaught against jobs and further crippled the economy. Unemployment, the Federation notes, is above 50 percent among women and at a staggering 77 percent among the youth, while the black majority population sits at fifty percent unemployment. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to SAFTU national spokesperson, Trevor Shaku

The ANC national government reportedly blew R1.4 billion on parties, dinners and hotels during lockdown, this according to the Democratic Alliance, DA. The party's Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration Dr Leon Schreiber says 18 ANC Ministers, Deputy Ministers and their departments spent over R1.4 billion since President Cyril Ramaphosa's government took office on 19 May 2019. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to Dr. Leon Schreiber

ANC National spokesperson Pule Mabe has confirmed that the party's Eastern Cape elective conference has been postponed to a date to be confirmed. He was speaking during the launch of the Letsema campaign in Mangaung in the Free State. Mabe cautioned media houses and journalists against reporting false or unverified news updates on the delayed conferences of the party describing them as sensitive. This follows confusion on whether the party's conference in the Eastern Cape was to continue or not this weekend. Elvis Presslin spoke to political analyst from the Nelson Mandela University, Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast

The Senzo Meyiwa murder trial is expected to resume in the High Court in Pretoria this morning after a week's postponement. This was to allow legal representatives to consult with the accused and to adequately prepare. Meyiwa was gunned down at his then-girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo's mother's home in Vosloorus, Johannesburg eight years ago in October 2014. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to the legal counsel for Sifisokuhle Ntuli, accused number 5, Advocate Ms. Zandile Mshololo

Residents of Eldorado Park in Johannesburg have vowed to continue protesting until power utility, City Power re-connects their electricity. This comes after the area and surrounding areas have been left in the dark following a fire at a substation earlier in the month. Yesterday, residents blocked roads with stones and burning tyres in a demand for authorities to address them. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Community Activist, Dereleen James