First Take SA

Wits University students have blocked their Vice Chancellor, Professor Adam Habib, from leaving the Braamfontein campus. Habib was due to address the students on the way forward with regards to their protests against the proposed ten-point-five per cent increase in tuition fees. Today, marks the third day of the students' protests which led to the suspension of all activities on the university's campuses.

Newly appointed Independent Electoral Commission(IEC) chairperson, Vuma Mashinini says his past position within the president's office should not be viewed as him being a 'presidency man'. Mashinini briefed media in Pretoria on his new role, and preparations for next year's municipal elections. Opposition parties have raised concerns with his appointment.

John Block has resigned as Northern Cape Chairperson of the ANC and PEC as well as MEC for Finance and Tourism. This after Block was found guilty of corruption and money laundering by the Kimberley High Court . His co-accused, Trifecta director Christo Scholtz was found guilty while deputy secretary Alvin Botes has been acquitted of all charges.

The M1 highway in Sandton, north of Johannesburg has been re-opened to traffic after it was closed for about 24 hours. This follows the collapse of a pedestrian bridge under construction near the Grayston Drive off-ramp yesterday afternoon. Two people died and more than 20 others injured, three of them critically. Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau re-opened the road after he was assured that it was safe for use.

The national civic alliance is urging government to conduct an urgent investigation into the cause of yesterday's structural bridge collapse near Grayston Drive in Sandton. Two people died and more than twenty others were injured following the incident.

The Democratic Alliance has welcomed President Jacob Zuma's decision to suspend National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega. Phiyega has been suspended with immediate effect, pending a board of inquiry into her fitness to hold office. The inquiry was instituted following the recommendation of the Marikana Commission that probed the deaths of 44 people during the strike at the Lonmin platinum mine in 2012. DA spokesperson Zakhele Mbele says the DA has long called for the President to act against Phiyega...

The AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo's bid to avoid imprisonment is gradually fading as the state has filed papers opposing his application for the extension of his bail. The King intends taking the Supreme Court of Appeal's decision to the Constitutional Court on the grounds that indigenous legal aspects were never taken into consideration during his conviction. He was convicted of crimes including kidnapping, culpable homicide, assault and arson, committed between 1995 and 1996.

The judge in the case against Northern Cape ANC chairperson, John Block, party deputy secretary, Alvin Botes, as well as Trifecta director, Christo Scholtz is expected to continue to hand down judgment at the High Court in Kimberley tomorrow. The three are accused of fraud, corruption and money laundering relating to multi-million rand government lease tenders. Economic Freedom Fighters members have been picketing outside the Northern Cape High Court in Kimberley. The jubilant EFF members say the case must be finalised.

An agreement has been reached in principle for the world's largest brewer Anheuser-Bush InBev to buy South Africa's British brewing company SABMiller for more than a trillion-rand. If the take-over deal succeeds, a single company will be selling one in every three beers across the globe. The deal is still subject to international regulators' scrutiny

Human Rights Watch in southern Africa says South Africa's threat to pull out of the ICC will undo the country's good work as a promoter of human rights on the continent and worldwide. The ANC has directed government to review its membership of the international court. The governing party says the ICC has lost direction and it is being used by some powerful states that are not signatories to the Rome Statute. Ntebo Mokobo compiled this report.