First Take SA

The ANC has reacted to the incident in parliament yesterday which saw guards exchanged punches with opposition Mp's during the state of the nation address. The governing party has slammed the DA and EFF for the chaotic scenes, even accusing them of using the Life Esidimeni victims as political fodder. The guards in white shirts forcibly ejected about 25 members from the EFF who prevented Zuma from speaking for more than an hour. Meanwhile the DA has initiated court action what they call the intolerable violence seen in the National Assembly. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to ANC Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu and senior research fellow at think-tank Trade Collective and political economist Lebohang Pheko

The Minister of Defence, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, says over 400 members of the SANDF will only be on standby during the State-of-Nation Address, on Thursday evening. Mapisa-Nqakula was reacting to the outcry by some opposition parties, which have accused government of militarising the address. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says the military has no place in the maintenance of law and order as the South African Police Services have been given such a mandate. The party's National Spokesperson, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi spoke to Tsepiso Makwetla

An all-new family comedy set in Chatsworth, Kwazulu-Natal, will be released in cinemas on the 3rd of March. Titled "Keeping up with the Kandasamys", the film's producers say it opens a window into the lifestyle and subculture of modern-day Indian South Africans. The producers say the film promises its audience some amusing takes on families, relationships and neighbourhood-envy. We are now joined on the line by actress Jailoshini Naidoo

Journalists from the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) and the Press Gallery Association (PGA) walked out of a meeting with parliamentary officials held on Wednesday. The urgent meeting was intended to clarify issues related to the covering of the State of The Nation Address. Journalists have accused parliament of introducing rules to restrict their movement during the address, something officials have vehemently denied. Sanef says it is also extremely concerned that security arrangements for the president's State of the Nation address may restrict the ability of journalists to carry out their work. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Sanef Chair, Mahlatse Gallens.....

Human rights group Amnesty International says it has found evidence that as many as 13,000 people, most of them civilian opposition supporters, have been secretly hanged at a Syrian Government prison. In a new report, the human rights group alleges that no trials were held, and some prisoners were condemned to death in hearings lasting just one or two minutes. Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, Philip Luther spoke to Tsepiso Makwetla

Civil action organisation, OUTA, says it has requested from Eskom the Denton report. This after Eskom held a media briefing earlier today, announcing that it will publish the contents of the 'sanitised' report into the state of the power utility. Outa and the DA are among the organisations which will be given access to the report, which was commissioned by Eskom over two years ago, but not made public. The investigation cost Eskom 20-million rand. Director of Energy at OUTA, Ted Blom spoke to Tsepiso Makwetla

The signing ceremony for the minimum wage and labour law changes has been postponed until further notice after trade union Cosatu requested more time more time to consult its executive committee. A signing ceremony was to be held in Cape Town this afternoon. Earlier reports suggested that the National Economic Development and Labour Council yesterday agreed to a minimum wage of R20 per hour. Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to COSATU president Sdumo Dlamini

Eskom has cancelled coal transportation contracts with six companies in a bid to ensure clean governance. The power utility moves about 40-million tonnes of coal using two road transport channels through 58 trucking companies. The cancellation comes as investigations revealed the implicated trucking companies had introduced additional trucks into the coal road transportation system, therefore disadvantaging other companies. Tsepiso Makwetla speaks to Eskom Spokesperson, Khulu Phasiwe...

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) Minster, Senzeni Zokwana has confirmed the pest infestation to crops across Limpopo and North West provinces. Zokwana says the army worms as they are commonly called are affecting sweet corn and maize and that the department doesn't know the extent of the damage as yet. Tsepiso Makwetala speaks to the Head of Research team for Insect Ecology at Agricultural Research Council, Dr Roger Price...

Former South African rugby legend, Joost van der Westhuizen, has passed away.... He was 45. Van der Westhuizen was rushed to hospital in a critical condition on Saturday, and despite showing signs of improvement yesterday, he passed away this afternoon (monday 6 January). Van der Westhuizen, who fought motor neuron disease since 2011, played 89 Tests for the Springboks between 1993 and 2003 and was the record holder for the most test tries scored before it was broken by Bryan Habana. Tseposo Makwetla speaks to rugby legend and former Springboks' Pieter Hendriks and Dr Marcelle Smith, a neurologist at the Donald Gordon Medical Centre