First Take SA

Victor Kgomoesoana, Director at "Africa Is Open For Business" looks at Rwanda's opposition ( Democratic Green party) has won parliamentary seats for first time, MTN Nigeria has been directed to pay two-billion-dollars accumulated import duties Value Added Tax (VAT) and in Kenya, the High Court in Bungoma has suspended the decision by Treasury to levy a 16 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products

Afriforum Deputy CEO Ersnt Roets rattled the Constitutional Review Committee during his oral presentation on whether section 25 of the constitution should be amended to expropriate land without compensation. This came as Roets used his presentation to slam the ANC and the EFF. The National House of Traditional Leaders, the Southern African Catholics Conference and the Foundation for Human Rights also made their presentations. Our Parliamentary Correspondent Mercedes Besent tells us more...

The United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reported that two South African peacekeepers were wounded, in a rebel ambush near the epicentre of an Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country. MONUSCO peacekeepers are providing near-daily escorts to Health officials there, where some stretches of road are considered a 'red zone' because of recurrent rebel attacks. The peacekeepers were attacked in the town of Ngadi by militants believed to belong to the Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan militant group active in eastern DRC. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to SANDF spokesperson Brigadier-General Mafi Mgobozi.

Consumers are often the ones who are left licking their wounds when a country battles a recession. On Tuesday Stats SA released it's economic data which revealed that South Africa has hit a technical recession. This means the country's economy has experienced two consecutive quarters of negative growth. A comsumer advisor has called on South African consumers to go back to basics . Carmel Loggenberg Roberts Reports ......

Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba says four firefighters who are still receiving treatment at the Milpark Hospital following yesterday's deadly blaze in the CBD are out of danger. Mashaba together with his team from the mayoral committee visited them in hospital this morning. Four others have been discharged. Three firefighters died after the Bank of Lisbon building, which house two Gauteng departments caught fire yesterday morning. The fire has since spread to other floors of the building. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to City of Johannesburg emergency services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi.

Safety of government buildings in the Johannesburg CBD remains in question. Gauteng Premier David Makhura says a report released last week reveals that seven other buildings, beside the site of yesterday's fire, have been identified as being non-compliant with safety regulations. Makhura was speaking at the government building where the blaze led to the deaths of three firefighters. SABC reporter, Horisani Sithole reports...

The majority of opposition parties in Parliament say they're not shocked that the country slipped into technical recession. Some are attributing the recession to uncertainty in policies -- while others say it's due to over-reliance in foreign direct investment. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) CEO Tanya Cohen

Government has given the South African Broadcasting Corporation a financial rescue to the tune of R1.2 billion in the form of a guarantee. The public broadcast will now be able to borrow monies to stay afloat. Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane told the media in Cape Town that the National Treasury and the SABC Board have concluded their discussions on the viable financial rescue of the broadcaster. The organisation has lost about six hundred million rand for the 2017/2018 financial year alone. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Duduetsang Makuse, National Coordinator of the SOS Coalition: Support Our Public Broadcaster

Investigations are underway into the exact cause of YESTERDAY's train collision that left over 100 people injured in Selby south of Johannesburg. Metrorail says a train travelling from Faraday towards New Canada collided head on with another train bound for Naledi in Soweto. All the injured were taken to various nearby hospitals. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Zanele Sabela, SATAWU spokesperson...

Thirty organisations and individuals will be making oral representations to Constitutional Review Committee at Parliament. This follows country wide public hearings. The committee is tasked with establishing whether Section 25 of the Constitution should be changed to allow for land expropriation without compensation. Zalene Merrington reports...