First Take SA

COSATU says government has also contributed to unemployment with its back door retrenchments. The labour federation says government and business must not use Fourth Industrial Revolution as an excuse for rising unemployment.

The ANC NEC also resolved that Gauteng road users should pay for E-Tolls. This despite Premier David Makhura's insistence that the call to scrap E-Tolls was not an electioneering gimmick.

Representatives of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) and the City of Tshwane are still locked in a meeting over a wage dispute. Hundreds of protesting municipal workers gathered outside Tshwane House in Centurion demanding an 18 percent salary increase, which the union claims was granted to group heads but excluded lower-level employees. The protest brought some areas in the capital to a standstill, and operations of the Tshwane Bus Service were halted.

KhoiSan Revolution Party's Stanley Peterson says they are preparing to approach the courts to get Khoisan land back that was taken before 1913. Peterson says they want part of the Eastern Cape, part of KZN and the whole of the Western Cape

Agriculture body, AgriSA, says there are political reasons behind government's reasoning for land expropriation without compensation. This as the public is being invited to comment on the report that contains a number of recommendations - including the amendment of the constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation in some circumstances. It also recommends the reconfiguration of the land claims court to a land court - which will enable it to deal with land issues on a wider scale

Embattled asset management company, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), has appointed businessman Reuel Khoza as its first non-political chairman. Introducing the interim board, finance Minister Tito Mboweni said the tradition of employing the deputy finance minister to the chairman's position was "bad practice". Sindi Mabaso-Koyano, a chartered accountant with experience on several boards including Eskom, has been named as Khoza's deputy. The appointments come as allegations of corruption and malfeasance are under the spotlight at the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into alleged impropriety at the PIC.

Members belonging to the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) and the United National Transport Union (Untu) are expected to embark on a nationwide strike this morning. Both unions say their members will march in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban as part of what they call a 'total shut down' of commuter train services across the country. They are demanding improved rail services including the safety of commuters on trains. The strike action comes a day after Transport minister Fikile Mbalula outlined plans to improve the country's ailing rail system

The South African National Parks believes it is turning the tide in its fight against poaching in the Kruger National Park. This follows the arrest of nine alleged poachers in different parts of the park over the last three days. The sections where the arrests were made have been the hardest hit areas of rhino poaching over the years. SANPARKS rangers say the poachers were in possession of heavy calibre rifles and ammunition at the time of the arrests

Hundreds of social housing tenants in various parts of Johannesburg may find themselves homeless from next month. The Johannesburg Social Housing Company - JOSHCO - has issued those owing rent with eviction notices. The notices also inform residents that their electricity will be switched off and that access to water will be limited. The affected areas include Kliptown, City Deep and Fleurhof. Last week, Kliptown residents embarked on a protest after receiving eviction notices.

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has tabled a Special Appropriation Bill in the National Assembly, which paves the way for power utility Eskom receive a 60-billion-rand bailout from the current financial year to 2020/21 financial year. Mboweni has also announced cash injections for South African Airways, the SABC and Denel. He says the money will be handed over in chunks, as these entities will be required to meet certain conditions.