First Take SA

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has come out in support of Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan. Gordhan was also cited by the Public Protector, Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane for violating the constitution and she instructed President Ramaphosa to take disciplinary action against him. The Kathrada Foundation, has questioned the timing of Mkhwebane's report, citing an alleged agenda on the part of the Public Protector to try and influence the President's choice of cabinet members,

There continues to be wide spread speculation over who will form part of President Cyril Ramaphosa's new cabinet. This as the presidency has announced that the names of those individuals will only be made public later in the week and not today as earlier expected. President Ramaphosa says the new executive should possess the required skills, experience, representivity and a commitment to the public services that will take the 6th administration forward.

The cash-strapped Makanda Municipality in the Eastern Cape is optimistic that it will find a lasting solution with the Gift of the Givers which has been assisting the drought-stricken Makhanda with water sourcing. The Gift of the Givers has announced that it was withdrawing its services after the Department of Water and Sanitation refused to pay service providers used by the organisation. The founder of Gift of the Givers, Imtiaz Sooliman says the department has failed to pay service providers for the drilling of fifteen boreholes that cost them 15 million rand. He says the agreement was that they would be paid when funds from National Treasury were available - but that has not been fulfilled.

Residents of Makana Municipality in the Eastern Cape have taken to social media to express their dismay at reports that aid organisation - The Gift of the Givers - is pulling out of the water-scarce area. This follows reports that the Municipality, which hosts Makhanda - formerly known as Grahamstown - is seeking to employ a company in order to deal with the water challenges in the area. Gift of the Givers says it is pulling all its services in the area as promises to compensate the organisation for costs which amount to just over fifteen million rands have not been fulfilled.

The Automobile Association says the latest fuel price data from the Central Energy Fund shows an unstable fuel price picture and another possible fuel hike next month. The AA has also warned consumers that the forthcoming Carbon Tax due for introduction on June 5 will add an additional nine cents a litre to the petrol price, and ten cents to the diesel price.

Users are being urged to update their WhatsApp smartphone apps immediately because of a security bug that allows hackers to take over phones by simply calling, whether or not the call is answered. The vulnerability reportedly enabled attackers to install surveillance software on smartphones by ringing up targets using the app's phone call function. The messenger and Voice over application is used by millions of people in South Africa, who are part of the 1.5 billion users around the world

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is today expected to officially hand over the lists of designated members of Parliament and members of Provincial Legislatures to Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng following the recent elections. The Chief Justice will in turn hand over the National Assembly list to the Acting Secretary to Parliament in preparation for the first sitting of the National Assembly.

Former employees of Lily Mine and community members in Barberton, Mpumalanga have threatened to go underground to retrieve remains of three miners that were trapped three years ago. Pretty Nkambule, Solomon Nyerenda and Yvonne Mnisi were inside a metal container when the mine surface caved in. The former employees have been camping at the mine for more than a week, calling on the mine management and government to attend to their grievances.

Gauteng parents will only be able to register their Grade 1 and 8 learners online next week Monday. This after a number of organisations raised objections to the start of the process TODAY (monday 13/05). Gauteng MEC Panyaza Lesufi has postponed the online registration process saying that he will meet with these organisations in the week leading up to the new date.

Elvis Presslin spoke to the Executive Chair of the Instiute for Elections Management Services in Africa , Terry Tselane on his views of the 2019 general election