First Take SA

Council meetings are under way in both the Johannesburg and Mandela Bay Metros, at which motions of no confidence will be debated in the DA's Mayor Herman Mashaba and Mayor Athol Trollip respectively. The ANC is bringing the motion in Johannesburg and the Patriotic Alliance and UDM, in Port Elizabeth. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to our reporter Tshepo Phagane.

The ANC's Free State provincial conference cannot go ahead this weekend as scheduled. This after the High Court in Bloemfontein ruled that the party's general branch meetings held over the past few months were irregular and unconstitutional. The conference cannot go ahead until branch general meetings, which were declared unlawful, are rerun. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Free state ANC spokesperson Thabo Meeko

Some of Africa's leading academics seek to answer questions concerning constitutions and democracy in Africa , in a book launched during the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa 's 12th annual symposium looking at State Capture as an obstacle to Democracy in Africa. The book entitled 'Checks and balances: African constitutions and democracy in the 21st century', focuses on Africa's constitutional development after 1990, among other things. Tsepiso Makwetla was at the launch and spoke to book editor Grant Masterson and first asked him to elaborate on the subject of the book

ANC Chief Whip in Parliament Jackson Mthembu has laid a complaint with the party's Secretary General asking him to investigate five MPs regarding last night's state capture debate on ANN7 . ANC Caucus Spokesperson Nonceba Mhlauli dismissed the five ANC MPs claims that Mthembu colluded with the DA to allow the debate to be held at the Da's request. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to ANC Caucus Spokesperson Nonceba Mhlauli

Lawyers for Solidarity and DA earlier today told the high court in Pretoria that former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe did not qualify for retirement pension benefits. They've argued in their submission before the full bench of judges that Molefe was not a full time employee when he resigned from Eskom, and therefore not a member of the pension fund. The parties wants Molefe's 30 million-rand pension payout ruled unlawful and set aside. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to our reporter Phanuel Shuma

Rating agency Moody's has downgraded Eskom earlier today citing the power utility's financial and liquidity woes and poor governance. Moody's downgraded Eskom's long term corporate family rating and placed the power utility on review for a further downgrade. This means that Eskom will find increasingly difficult to get funding and if it does, it will have to borrow at a higher interest rate. S&P Global Ratings lowered the ratings of Eskom, with a negative outlook in April this year. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe...

The Independent Electoral Commission in the Free State says they haven't received any complaint or objection from political parties over the Metsimaholo Municipal election re-run. The SACP and the EFF claim there have been irregularities at some voting stations today. The municipality is holding elections to appoint a new council after a coalition including the DA and EFF collapsed earlier this year. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to our reporter Thabiso Radebe

The ANC's Free State provincial conference cannot go ahead this weekend as scheduled. This after the High Court in Bloemfontein ruled that the party's general branch meetings held over the past few months were irregular and unconstitutional. The conference cannot go ahead until branch general meetings, which were declared unlawful, are rerun. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Dr Somadoda Fikeni, a Political and Policy analyst.....

Derek Matyszak of the Institute for Security Studies spoke to Tsepiso Makwetla about the recent unfolding events in Zimbabwe. Mr Matyszak was speaking during the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa EISA's 12th annual symposium, looking at 'State Capture as an obstacle to Democracy in Africa'.

Sibusiso Nkomo from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation and Afrobarometer spoke to Tsepiso Makwetla about the perceptions of systematic corruption and the corrosion of democratic culture and institutions. Mr Nkomo was speaking to Ms Makwetla at the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa, EISA's 12th annual symposium, looking at 'State Capture as an obstacle to Democracy in Africa'.