First Take SA

Zambia's President Edgar Lungu has defeated his main rival Hakainde Hichilema in the country's presidential election. Zambia's electoral commission says Lungu, leader of the Patriotic Front, won 50.35 percent of the vote against 47.67 per cent for Hichilema of the United Party for National Development. The opposition party has already cried foul. It says it will petition the country's Constitutional Court to relook at the whole electoral process, claiming that fraud took place. This might delay the inauguration of the president for a second term.

Condolences are continuing to pour in for the late Reverend Makhenkesi Stofile, who passed on earlier today. President Jacob Zuma is the latest to offer words of comfort to the family. He has described Stofile as a distinguished freedom fighter and a servant of the people. Stofile was the current Chancellor of Fort Hare university, where he had studied and lectured. He previously served as a Chief Whip of the ANC in the 1994 parliament and went on to become premier of the Eastern Cape and later minister of Sports and Recreation in the third ANC administration. He was also ambassador to Germany from 2010 to 2015.

The South African National Defence Force - SANDF - will provide logistical support to the police at 650 identified hot spots in the country during Wednesday's municipal elections. This emerged during a media briefing conducted by the security cluster in Vuwani. Vuwani has been identified as one of the hot spots. Residents embarked on a three months long boycott of services that has seen at least thirty schools and other property set alight by the protesters. Acting National Police Commissioner, Kgomotso Phahlane, says law enforcement agencies will make sure that citizens who want to go and cast their votes do so without fear

The major political parties have gone all out in campaigning for this year's municipal elections. Expenditure by parties on poll campaigns has come under the spotlight after ANC elections head of campaign Nomvula Mokonyane revealed that the ruling party spent R1-billion on its campaign. EFF leader Julius Malema also disclosed that his party spent less than R10-million on its election campaign. Over the weekend the Sunday Times reported that the DA forked out more than R350-million in their campaign. For more analysis on this year's municipal elections campaign,

The Independant Electoral Commission says it's satisfied with the start of the special voting today. IEC Chief Electoral Officer Mosotho Moepya, says the vast majority of voting stations opened on time and home visit teams deployed as planned.

The Pro-Makhado Forum says it does not support an agreement signed by community leaders with Co-operative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen has signed a peace deal with community leaders in Vuwani Limpopo. Tsepiso Makwetla speaks to the Pro-Makhodo Forum spokesperson Nsovo Sambo.

Co-operative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen has signed a peace deal with community leaders in Vuwani. This in the build up to local government elections which will be help on August 3. Some members of Vuwani have voewed that no voting will take place in Vuwani. PM Live anchor Tsepiso Makwetla speaks to Minister van Rooyen.

Vuwani community will continue engaging with government and the Demarcation Board over the demarcation issue in Limpopo. The community torched over 20 in protest of the amalgamation to the Tsepiso Makwetla speaks to Community Leader, speaking on behalf of Tradition Leaders Khosi Jeffrey Ramovha.

An estimated 18 people have been killed or had attempts on their lives in suspected political killings since the beginning of this year. This is according to Police minister Nathi Nhleko. He briefed journalists in Parliament on the progress of a task team established to look into suspected political killings particularly in KZN In KwaZulu-Natal alone, the task team is investigating 25 cases of violence relating to suspected political killings. Earlier, I spoke to Police Minister, Nathi Nhleko and started by asking which provinces have been largely responsible for political killings

SABC management has announced that it will reiinstate the seven dismissed news employees. The public broadcaster has
instructed its legal team not to proceed with further legal action in this regard. The SABC had fired Thandeka Gqubule‚ Busisiwe Ntuli and Lukhanyo Calata, Krivani Pillay‚ Jacques Steenkamp‚ Foeta Krige and Suna Venter after accusing the journalists of going public with their concerns about a directive not to carry footage of violent protests in news broadcasts. The SABC reversed that directive following an order from regulatory authority, ICASA. The SABC has now also reversed its decision to axe seven full time journalists.