First Take SA

The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro has passed a motion of no confidence in Deputy Mayor, Mongameli Bobani. The motion, tabled by Patriotic Alliance's Marlon Daniels, succeeded by 60-votes. However, the opposition parties have refused to accept the results. They staged a walkout while the voting was underway. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Athol Trollip and Political analyst at Nelson Mandela University, Ongama Mtimka..

This week's announcement that the Gupta owned Oakbay Investments sold Tegeta to a Swiss company, sent journalists in search of the elusive Charles King. What they found in Switzerland was a nameplate inside a building at Rue de Bourg 27 in Lausanne. Charles King was meant to be located on the fifth floor. What Bloomberg Journalists found was a largely empty space. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the Bloomberg business journalist, Arabile Gumede

UK Public Relations firm, Bell Pottinger has been found guilty of breaching the code of conduct of the Public Relations and Communications Association. Professional Practices Committee (PPC) has concluded that Bell Pottinger, one of the largest UK-based public relations consultancy breached the trade body's code of conduct in its work for Gupta-owned Oakbay Investments. The DA had complained to the Association about Bell Pottinger's campaign that allegedly fanned racial tensions in South Africa. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to DA National spokesperson, Phumzile Van Damme

Law enforcement agencies in South Africa are spying on over 70-thousand mobile phones every year, according to statistics by the Right2Know campaign. The non-profit advocacy organisation today released statistics from MTN, Vodacom, Cell C and Telkom that show that government accesses tens of thousands of people's sensitive communications information every year using a loophole in South Africa's surveillance policies. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Murray Hunter, Who is an organizer for the South African Right2Know Campaign focusing on securitization...

Gupta-owned Oakbay Investments today announced that it has sold its mining unit, Tegeta for 2.97 billion rand to Switzerland-based Charles King SA. Oakbay Chief Executive, Ronica Ragavan says the sale was part of the commitment to preserve jobs, provide certainty to employees throughout the group and to safeguard the value of the business. However experts believes that it may be opportunistic for the Gupta family to get rid of such a controversial asset at this point. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Tshepo Mongalo a Company Law Professor

Police in KwaZulu Natal are investigating the murder of yet another resident at the notorious Glebelands hostel in Umlazi, bringing the death toll linked to the hostel to 93. A 38-year-old man believed to be a former peace committee member at the hostel, was allegedly shot multiple times by unknown suspects. This comes as the Moerane Commission probing political violence in the province continues. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to KwaZulu Natal police spokesperson, Lieutenant colonel Thulani Zwane

Voting is currently underway in Angola marking the end of President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos's 38-year reign. The current defense minister, Joao *Lourenco is widely expected to win the election. Dos Santos will remain in control of the governing party with the right to choose the head of the police and the army. The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) is said to be confident that it will retain power. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Independent Analyst Paula Roque

The ANC caucus in parliament says the reported disciplinary action of former Minister of Tourism Dereck Hanekom is being handled by the Luthuli House. The party has asked Hanekom to explain why he should n't be removed as the chairperson of it's national disciplinary committee. This, after Hanekom's comment on social media saying ANC MPS "must vote against state capture, massive looting and corruption" in the recent motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma. Outspoken ANC MP, Makhosi Khoza, Mondli Gungubele and Pravin Gordhan, have also openly expressed desire to use their conscience at the ballot box. Khoza has since been fired as chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Public Service. The opposition says President Jacob Zuma is taking steps to punish Mps who voted against him. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Richard Calland, Associate Professor in Public Law, at the University of Cape Town.

There is a global call for a ban on killer robots, warning that technological advances could revolutionize warfare and create new weapons of terror. More than one hundred robotics and artificial intelligence entrepreneurs intend on sending a letter to the UN calling for action to prevent the development of autonomous weapons. The renewed plea on autonomous weapons was released as the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence which is underway in Melbourne, Australia with a more than 2000 of the world's top AI and robotics experts taking part. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Professor Bhekisipho Twala, Director in Artificial Intelligence and Statistical Science at the University of Johannesburg's Institute for Intelligent Systems

Twelve of the opposition parties represented in parliament and civil society groups including religious leaders were today locked behind closed doors in parliament discussing plans to form a Convention for a Democratic SA (codesa) like process.The aim of the initiatives is to address challenges currently facing the country under the ANC leadership. United Democratic Movement Leader Bantu Holomisa says the party would like to see greater co-operation and co-ordination between opposition parties and civil society to increase pressure on the ANC in dealing with the country's challenges. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Bantu Holomisa