First Take SA

The Pietermaritzburg High Court has set May 17th as the start of the corruption trial of former President Jacob Zuma and the French arms company Thales*. Zuma and Thales are facing corruption, racketeering and money laundering charges linked to South Africa's multi-billion rand arms deal in 1999. By agreement with the state, Zuma and the Thales representatives were not present in court when Judge Nkosinathi Chili certified the case trial-ready.

The pass rate for the Class of 2020 is 76.2%. Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, says although the national pass rate dropped below 80%, with a drop of 5%, it is much better than she expected. She announced the pass rate in Pretoria.

The community of Doornkop in Soweto is reeling from shock after the body of a mother of four was found buried in a shallow grave inside a shack on Friday. Last Sunday, the body of the woman's husband was found inside the couple's other shack. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding their deaths. On Friday, Police Minister Bheki Cele announced that from October to December last year, South Africa's murder rate increased by 6.6%, meaning 389 more people were killed, compared to the same period in the previous financial year.

It's been seven days since residents in the eastern part of Makhanda in the Eastern Cape had any water in their taps. Leaks at the James Kleynhans Water Treatment Plant have damaged pumps resulting in parts of the town running dry. According to a municipal report, the Settlers Dam is currently at five percent and the Howiesons Poort Dam is at 25 percent.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised how the country will rise from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic during his reply to the debate on the State of Nation Address. Although he conceded that there have been mistakes, which include problems with the efficacy of the Astrazeneca vaccine regarding the new variant of the corona virus, he says the country has started rolling out Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

The Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has fired the MEC for Health, Sindiswa Gomba. COGTA MEC, Xolile Nqata, will act in Gomba's position until a replacement is named. Gomba is facing fraud and corruption charges related to the funeral of Nelson Mandela in 2013. The former superintendent general of the health department, Dr. Thobile Mbengashe, will also face disciplinary action in line with the findings of the SIU related to the procurement of the ambulance motorbikes last year. Mabuyane says he will have an opportunity to present his case.

The state has warned that it's likely to add more charges against ANC secretary-general, Ace Magashule, when he appears in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court today. Magashule is among eight people and five companies that face multiple charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering relating to the multimillion rand Free State asbestos roofing audit contract.

The first COVID-19 vaccine doses were yesterday administered to President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize along with a group of healthcare workers at the Khayelitsha District Hospital, in Cape Town. The Western Cape will be receiving 13-thousand of the 80-thousand Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines which have arrived in the country.

The joint sitting of the National Assembly on Wednesday held the second day of the debate on the State of the Nation Address. Opposition political parties didn't mice their words in criticising President Cyril Ramaphosa's administration, while the ruling party, reitarated its stance in defending and strengthening law enforcement agencies as well cracking the whip on corruption.

Members of Parliament's Public Enterprises committee are deeply unhappy about a fruitless and wasteful accommodation project at Eskom, to the tune of 840-million. Eskom executives appeared before Parliament's Public Enterprise committee to brief MPs on various issues. MPs heard that the cost of a project to provide accommodation for artisans working at the nearby Kusile Power plant in Mpumalanga has rocketed from just over 260-million to 840-million with no benefit to the company.