First Take SA

While communities have welcomed the reinstatement of the R350 social relief grant, many say it is too little and does not go far enough to cover their basic needs. During his address to the nation on government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday that the grant will be paid out till March next year and will now include unemployed caregivers.  The president also said that uninsured businesses that were looted in the recent civil unrest will also be assisted to rebuild.  Tshepo Phagane has more...

Judgment in the bail application of Bruce Nimmerhoudt, one of the alleged instigators of the violent unrest that took place in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal earlier this month, will be handed down in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court, west of Johannesburg, on Friday. Nimmerhoudt, who is a mayoral candidate for the Patriotic Alliance in the West Rand Municipality, was arrested on the 16th of July in Witpoortjie. His arrest follows a voice note that was circulated on social media platforms. In the message, a male voice incites people in Krugersdorp, Randfontein and Roodepoort to commit acts of public violence. Nimmerhoudt has been charged with incitement to commit public violence. Sashin Naidoo reports

In its fresh bid to unseal the much talked about CR17 documents, the EFF has vowed to approach the Constitutional Court directly to hear the matter. The EFF lost the case with cost at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria earlier this month.  But addressing his party's virtual 8th anniversary on Monday, Malema said his deputy Floyd Shivambu advised them to approach the apex court after allegations that Shivambu's name is also on the list of donors.  Malema said the refusal by some judges to unseal the CR17 documents is an exhibition of the capture of the judiciary. Ntebo Mokobo has more....

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has weighed in on the response by the police to the recent unrest and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, saying it was sluggish and resulted in the loss of faith in the structures meant to protect and serve the public at large. The foundation has also rejected what it calls the insidious efforts of the Indian ultra-nationalist party, the BJP, which wants to present Indian South Africans as being akin to refugees in the country, needing special protection. The organisation says the BJP does not speak on behalf of Indian South Africans.  Executive Director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Neeshan Bolton....

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that businesses impacted by looting and violence will get relief support including insurance payments and tax breaks. He also announced the reinstatement of the R350 Social Relief of Disaster Grant which will run until March 2022. He said government insurance SASRIA will expedite assessments and honour payments. He also said in order to assist economic recovery business payments for PAYE taxes will be deferred for three months... To see whether this relief package goes far enough here is Prof Jannie Rossouw from the Wits Business School... 

The sale of alcohol for off-site consumption is once again allowed starting from 10 am to 6 pm from Monday to Thursday. On-site sales and consumption are allowed "as per license conditions", but must end by 8pm. Tax breaks for the alcohol industry were also put in place. This must be welcome news for the alcohol sector as the industry had warned that the four-week ban on alcohol sales could result in over 10-thousand businesses being closed permanently affecting 200-thousand jobs. Convenor of the National Liquor Traders Association, Lucky Mtimane, for reaction to last night's announcement...