First Take SA

Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane says the re-introduction of specialised police units will help in fighting violent crimes in the province. Gauteng has recently experienced a spate of violent crimes and at times communities have been forced to take the law into their own hands. Nkosi-Malobane has condemned the murder of two officers in Gauteng in just 24-hours, saying this may prompt officers to use force when confronted by criminals.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has been re-admitted to a Cape Town hospital after compaining of discomfort. His family says the 83-year-old popular cleric has been put on bed rest while doctors obeserve his condition. Chris Mabuya reports...

National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega strongly disagrees with some of the findings of the Marikana report released by President Jacob Zuma last month. Phiyega has released a detailed statement in reaction to the findings and recommendations of the report. She says the insinuation that police management went to work on August 16, 2012 with murderous intent has no substance. For more on this we are joined on the line by Police spokesperson Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale....

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22-year-old daughter of the late Whitney Houston, has died six months after suffering brain damage in an incident at her home. Aphiwe Honono and Nkensani Hlangwane filed this report.

Lonmin is set to shed six-thousand jobs, including contractors, as it's planning to close or mothball several mine shafts in South Africa. The platinum producer is reported to have told a union in a letter that four-thousand-500 members of the Lonmin workforce could be laid off. The union hasn't been named. Lonmin shares on the London Stock Exchange have fallen by more than seven percent to an all time low after the news. Lonmin and other platinum miners have been hit by rising costs and a plunge in platinum prices to a six-and-half year low.

Lonmin is set to shed six-thousand jobs, including contractors, as it's planning to close or mothball several mine shafts in South Africa. The platinum producer is reported to have told a union in a letter that four-thousand-500 members of the Lonmin workforce could be laid off. The union hasn't been named. Lonmin shares on the London Stock Exchange have fallen by more than seven percent to an all time low after the news. Lonmin and other platinum miners have been hit by rising costs and a plunge in platinum prices to a six-and-half year low.

The Department of Health recently suspended two doctors after they performed a Caesarean section on a teenager in a general ward at Evander Hospital in Mpumalanga. Ordinarily, this would have been performed in a theatre. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi opened a criminal case against the two doctors, saying they had "a tendency to disregard instructions with impunity". However, health union the South African Medical Association says the Ministers suggesions that the two face criminal charges before an internal probe could be concluded was "reckless, premature, misguided and irresponsible".

Chairperson of the Nkandla ad hoc committee Cedrick Frolick has acknowledged that the much talked about "firepool" at President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla home is also a recreational facility. He made the remark after inspecting Zuma's private home. He quickly added that it could also be utilised to fight fires. Government has been at pains to explain why the firepool should be seen as a security feature meant to extinguish fires. Frolick has described today's visit by parliamentarians to Nkandla as an eye opener, which confirms that there was a gross inflation of prices in the construction of buildings at Nkandla.

A national flag bearing the colours blue, white and red will be raised in Washington later today and it's not the American flag. Cuba's 'standard' will for the first time in 54 years again fly outside the country's stately embassy in the U.S. capital to formally reflect the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between Havana and Washington. Some 500 guests including South Africa's Ambassador have been invited to Monday's event that will be followed by a historic joint press conference between the countries' two chief diplomats at the State Department. Sherwin Bryce-Pease is in Washington for the historic moment,

It's all systems go for tomorrow's controversial presidential elections in Burundi. Opposition politicians have accused President Pierre Nkurunziza of violating the constitution by running for a third term and are boycotting the vote. Last minute peace talks called to solve Burundi's political crisis were derailed yesterday following a boycott by the Burundi government. Dozens of people have already died in protests.