First Take SA

Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Monitoring and Evaluation says the Mpumalanga department of health is in crisis. The Committee is in the province on a two day oversight visit. Chairperson of the Committee, Dr Makhosi Khoza has raised concerns over the department's failure to pay close to 1.5 billion rand to service providers on time. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Dr Makhosi Khoza and Mpumalanga department of health spokesperson Dumisani Malamule

Political parties in Parliament have expressed sadness over the passing of struggle veteran Ahmed Kathrada. Kathrada died this morning at the Donald Gordon hospital in Johannesburg. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to social activist and a former unionist and Cabinet minister Jay Naidoo

It has been reported that President Jacob Zuma during a consultative meeting yesterday with South African Communist Party (SACP), told the Alliance partner that he is planning to sack Pravin Gordhan as finance minister. This after President Zuma had asked Gordhan to return from his investment road show to the United Kingdom(UK) and United States (US). Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Deputy General-Secretary of the South African Communist Party(SACP), Solly Mapaila

Finance minister Pravin Gordhan says he has NOT been fired, contrary to rumours that have been trending since he landed in the country this morning. Gordhan rushed to ANC headquarters at Luthuli House after he was called back from an investor promotion tour in the United Kingdom by the presidency. The Minister then attended court proceedings in Pretoria, where he's seeking an order to stop the Gupta-owned Oakbay group of companies from putting him under pressure about their closed bank accounts. Gordhan spoke briefly with media outside the court. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Senior Research Fellow and Political Economist at Trade Collective, Lebohang Pheko

ANC secretary Gwede Mantashe says President Jacob Zuma's decision to recall finance minister Pravin Gordan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas from international investment roadshow has nothing to do with the ruling party's NEC. The two were scheduled to kick off an investment promotion drive in the UK and United States. Briefing the media on the latest NEC decision earlier Mantashe said the decision is a state administrative matter and not an issue for the NEC to deal with. Elvis Presslin earlier spoke to Chief Economist at Econmetrix Azar Jammine

Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Edna Molewa is attending the Ministerial Conference of the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) in Berlin, Germany. The conference aims to further strengthen the capabilities required to implement the country's transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and pro-employment development path. The programme will help South Africa achieve its goal of green economy and is in line with National Development Plan Vision 2030 - for South Africa's transition to an environmentally sustainable, climate-change resilient, low-carbon economy and just society. Elvis Presslin spoke to Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa...

A new Multi Drug Resistance TB treatment will soon be rolled out in four provinces. About 400 patients will take part in the research. The drug is produced by Japan and has been approved for treating MDR-TB in the European Union, Japan and the Republic of Korea. As the world celebrates World TB Day today, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has launched the Delamanid Clinical Access Programme for the treatment of MDR-TB. This is part of initiatives to manage and treat Tuberculosis in South Africa. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Deputy Director - General for HIV/AIDS, TB and Maternal, Child and Womens Health in the National Department of Health Dr Yogan Pillay

A snap survey conducted by advocacy group ActionAid South Africa has found that 96-percent of the women who use taxis say they have witnessed violence and harassment, while 56-percent say they were victims of violence. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Action Aid South Africa Head of Programmes, Emily Craven.

Three suspects have been arrested for the alleged series of gang rapes of female taxi commuters on Gauteng's West Rand. Following media reports about the sexual assaults, more women are continuing to come forward with information of sexual assaults by taxi drivers. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Deliwe de Lange...

Newly-elected ANC Chairperson of the Nelson Mandela Bay region, Andile Lungisa says he is willing to step down from his position. This emerged in a letter sent to the SABC by Lungisa. The ANC top six has called on Lungisa to resign from his position as it goes against the party's constitution for Lungisa, a member of the provincial executive committee, to take a leadership role in a regional structure. In the letter, Lungisa denies that he has acted in defiance of any decision or resolution or policy of the organisation. Tsepiso Makwetla speaks to political analyst Professor Somadoda Fikeni