First Take SA

As the nation prepares to celebrate its colourful diversities tommorow on heritage day, Owami Woman and Brand SA are presenting a one of a kind Woman tailored heritage day celebration. The Owami Women and Brand South Africa event will amongst other things, highlight various Women in different fields. Trough their leadership and contribution,these women have positively affected their communities and environment for the greater good of South Africa.

Reserve Bank Governor, Letsetja Kganyago, has announced that the bank's repo rate will remain unchanged at 6-per cent and the prime lending rate at 9-point-5 per cent. This is in line with the prediction by most economists. Speaking in Pretoria, Kganyago cited a few concerned which led to the decision. These include a weaker rand and the exchange rate, electricity increases and low domestic growth.

The application by two Mpumalanga rhino breeders to overturn government's moratorium on the sale of rhino horn continued in the High Court in Pretoria today. John Hume and Johan Kruger are challenging the government's legislation and moratorium barring trading in rhino horn. Hume own over a 1000 rhinos at his farm. Meanwhile, advocate David Unterhalter was replaced by Isabel Goodman as lawyer standing in for ministry of Environmental Affairs. Goodman, in her heads of arguments told the court that the moratorium is in line with international law that prevents private rhino horn trade and sale.

Reserve Bank Governor, Letsetja Kganyago, has announced that the bank's repo rate will remain unchanged at 6-per cent and the prime lending rate at 9-point-5 per cent. This is in line with the prediction by most economists. Speaking in Pretoria, Kganyago cited a few concerned which led to the decision. These include a weaker rand and the exchange rate, electricity increases and low domestic growth.

Power failure on the 18th of June at Letaba Hospital was the reason behind the death of one of the three patients, who died at the Letaba Hospital outside Tzaneen in Limpopo. This was revealed by health minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi in Polokwane today when he released the findings into the incidents of that day. Motsoaledi says the hospital had not experienced load shedding, but that a back up generator which ran for a long time had ran out of diesel. Motsoaledi says the patient relied on a ventilator which no longer had power supply.

European Union ministers are meeting in Brussels to try to resolve a dispute over how to relocate 120,000 asylum seekers who have recently arrived in Europe. Some central European states have resisted calls for EU members to accept mandatory quotas. Whatever is decided, the United Nations says the EU's plans will not be enough. The migrants are part of 500,000 that have arrived by sea this year so far. Germany says it expects up to a million this year.

Reports coming out of the capital city of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou are that a deadline for the coutry's elite guards to surrender has passed. Troops loyal to Burkina Faso's deposed government said they were preparing to attack Camp Naaba military base near the capital's presidential palace, which is held by troops who staged a coup last week. The coup leader, General Gilbert Diendere, has defied an ultimatum to step down, saying his forces will retaliate if attacked.The guards had ousted the civilian government in a coup last Thursday. The Regular army, which gave the ultimatum, has been massing in the capital and residents have been told to stay in doors

Free State University Vice chancellor, Professor Jonathan Jansen, says South Africa spends the biggest share of its GDP on education than any other country, yet its results are among the worst in the world. Jansen was addressing a dialogue on raising the standard of education in SA in Sandton, north of Johannesburg. He says says this crisis is due to government's inefficiency to turn their resources into results.

COSATU has continued to campaign that companies must discontinue doing business with Apartheid Israeli regime as an instrument to isolate the intransigent regime against ill-treatment meted against the people of Palestine.
COSATU says they agree with BDS-South Africa that 'International mobilisation, mass protests, global boycotts and specifically the cultural and sports boycott against the oppressive and racist Apartheid system in South Africa were used as ways to mobilise huge pressure on the Apartheid regime in the 1980s, largely accelerating our struggle towards freedom'.

It's not entirely a 'Happy day for Pharell as he prepares for his first concert in South Africa. The City of Cape Town says its finalising security arrangements for this evening's Pharrell Williams concert at Grand West Casino as thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters are expected to protest outside the venue ahead of the start of the event.