First Take SA

The budget for Mogale City Local Municipality has been approved. This after councilors failed to form a quorum to adopt the 2017/2018 budget last week. Only 38 of the 77 councilors attended that meeting. Members of opposition EFF and the DA did not attend the meeting. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to the mayor of the Mogale City Local Municipality Patrick Lipudi

Today is World Population Day. The United Nations declared this day in 1990 to highlight issues regarding the global population. The theme this year is Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations. It coincides with the Family Planning Summit underway in London where policymakers are discussing efforts to reach the Family Planning 2020 goals. Tsepiso makwetla spoke to Ramatu Daroda Family Planning Policy Adviser United Nations Population Fund's East and Southern African Regional Office…

Rangers from the Kruger National Park and the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency are searching for four lions that escaped from the Kruger National Park last night. This is the second time that lions have escaped from the park. Two months ago, five lions escaped. Four were captured and returned to the park while one was not captured. Tsepiso Makwetla spokesperson for the South African National Parks William Mabasa

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange has announced the restructuring of its operations that will see it shed 60 jobs by the end of the year. The company says it is restructuring against the backdrop of South Africa's low economic rate, ratings downgrades and low business confidence and as exchanges were adapting to fast paced technological changes. Tsepiso makwetla spoke to JSE chief executive officer, Nicky Newton-King

Chairperson of the subcommittee on Health and Education, Naledi Pandor says the ANC has resolved that basic education must undergo comprehensive review in order to respond to radical social economic transformation. She was speaking at Luthuli House in Johannesburg, where the ANC is reporting back on their health and education policy discussions from its National Policy Conference last week. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Naledi Pandor...

Our Friday feature TRENDSWATCH. Molebogeng Sebidi looks at news that dominated social media this week.

Stats SA has continually warned that access to healthcare in South Africa is still very different for black and white South Africans. Now a Black-owned RH Bophelo is set to list on the JSE next Wednesday with the aim of providing competitive rates for lower to middle-income earners "who cannot afford private healthcare. RH Bophelo will list initially as a special purpose acquisition company vehicle which will be used to acquire commercially viable infrastructure assets. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to one of the sponsors of RH Bophelo, Mr Quinton Zunga...

The ANC has proposed that government communications be centralised to form part of the Presidency and that the provincial government communications should be allocated in the premier's office. The Chairperson of the Communication and Battle of Ideas Commission, Jackson Mthembu says this is to ensure that the presidency gets to tell and instruct in terms of the messaging that we are driving as government. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Jackson Mthembu

ANC President Jacob Zuma says factionalism continues to cost the party its voter support. His Deputy Cyril Ramaphosa and former African Union Commission Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma are vying for the contest to lead the ruling party ahead of its December conference. The party top brass and its leagues are divided as to whom should succeed Zuma. Delivering his closing address to the ANC five-day national policy conference in Nasrec, south of Johannesburg, President Zuma admitted that slate politics was derailing party's efforts to regain public trust. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe

ANC delegates at the party's policy conference say they are not happy with the black shareholder percentage in the mining charter. The current charter contains a new clause that states that all mining companies must have 30 percent black empowerment shareholding within 12 months. The Minister of Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane says ANC delegates want the mining charter to increase its black ownership to over 50%. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to minister Mosebenzi Zwane