First Take SA

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe says following the release of the newly drafted Mining Charter on Friday, members of the public and other stakeholders have until the end of July to submit suggestions and inputs. Mantashe was briefing the media on policy and regulatory framework in Pretoria. He says they have already embarked on an intensive consultation with mining and organisations across the country to sell the newly drafted mining policy. The minister says they are currently dealing with challenges facing the department including mining license backlogs and alleged corruption. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to director for mining at Cadiz Corporate Solutions, Peter Major

Victor Kgomoesoana, Director of 'Africa Is Open For Business' spoke to Tsepiso Makwetla on this week's top African economic stories including Nigeria gunning for another $500m Abacha loot, Zimbabwean president commissioning a $30M Varun Beverages plant in Harare and Kenya, Uganda urged to seize assets of S Sudan warlords

Priority crime busting unit the Hawks says the investigations into last month's attack on a mosque at Verulam in Kwa-Zulu Natal are at a sensitive stage. National Police Commissioner, Kehla Sitole, also confirmed that one of the victims in on Thursday attack on a mosque at Malmesbury outside Cape Town is a Somali. Sitole, senior police management and the Hawks were in Parliament to brief the Police Committee on various matters. Our Parliamentary Correspondent Mercedes Besent compiled this report.

Power utility Eskom implemented stage 1 load shedding on Thursday night. Spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe says this was due to severe power constraints. Workers affiliated to the National Union of Mine workers (NUM) and National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) went on strike on Thursday over salary increases. Phasiwe says acts of intimidation and sabotage have resulted in interrupted power supply. To discuss the current state of affairs at Eskom we are now joined on the line by energy analyst Ted Bloom

Eskom says contingency plans and security measures are in place, this as workers go on strike. Briefing the media at Eskom head offices in Johannesburg, Eskom CEO, Pakamani Hadebe encouraged non-striking workers to report for work. Workers affiliated to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) will protesting against the utility's zero percent wage offer. Eskom's Chief Executive, Pakamani Hadebe says following reports of intimation of non-striking workers, the South African Police Service will be monitoring the strike. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to NUMSA spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola

Former SABC COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng will face tough questions from SABC lawyers when his CCMA hearing resumes on Thursday. Motsoeneng is challenging his dismissal, which he still believes was unfair. He wants his job back as Group Executive for Corporate Affairs. Motsoeneng took to the witness box on Wednesday where he defended his controversial 90 per cent local content policy. He was dismissed after holding a media briefing, where he attacked SABC board member, Krish Naidoo, among others. Angela Bolowana was there at the hearing and filed this report.

A female police officer in Limpopo, who is allegedly romantically involved with a cash-in-transit heist kingpin, has been arrested and fired for giving the suspect a car to escape. It has also been revealed how cash-in-transit suspects hijacked the sister of a security guard who refused to co-operate with them. These were some of the issues that emerged during a meeting between Parliament's Police Committee and stakeholders, such as the South African Banking Risk Centre, the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA), and the South African Reserve Bank, on how to curb cash-in-transit heists. Mercedes Besent reports

Drug abuse is a serious problem in South Africa - and one that affects people of all ages and backgrounds. The Central Drug Authority (CDA) says drug abuse in South Africa is taking a heavy toll on communities and is fueling a life of addiction and crime among the youth. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Rochney Katz , a mother and former drug addict and Chairperson of the CDA, David Bayever

The Gauteng government says payments to all the 134 Life Esidimeni claimants have been concluded ahead of the June 19 deadline given by retired deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke. More than 144 psychiatric patients died in 2016 after they were moved from Life Esidimeni centres in Gauteng to under-resourced NGO's. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Esidimeni family victims spokesperson Nomvula Nonjabe...

Social Development Minister, Susan Shabangu, has assured the NCOP's Select Committee on Social Services that the current social grant distributor, Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) will be history come the 1st of October. Shabangu, departmental officials and SASSA briefed the Select Committee on the department's budget and SASSA's progress to comply with the constitutional court order. The Minister also complained to committee members that CPS is continuing to confuse social grant beneficiaries. Our parliamentary Correspondent Mercedes Besent tells us more...