First Take SA

EFF leader Julius Malema is set to face criminal prosecution after the National Prosecuting Authority agreed to charge him with crimen injuria. The case relates to comments he made in April 2025 in which he accused a former Bergview College principal of raping a seven-year-old girl, a matter the NPA previously declined to prosecute due to lack of evidence. AfriForum's Private Prosecution Unit, which backed the complaint, says the decision is a test of accountability and the right to dignity. The unit has also filed complaints against ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula and Eastern Cape Education MEC Fundile Gade over similar allegations.We spoke to Afriforum's Private Prosecution Unit Spokesperson, Barry Bateman.

South Africa is facing more than 27,000 vacant teaching posts, even as thousands of qualified teachers remain unemployed. Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube told Parliament the national vacancy rate stood at 7% as of June 2026, with the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng hit hardest. The department says a PERSAL vacancy does not always mean an empty classroom, with provinces using temporary and acting appointments to fill gaps. We speak to Mr. Basil manuel, Executive Director of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa, NAPTOSA on why posts are not being filled and what needs to change.

The Madlanga Commission has heard that 149 people were killed in 77 incidents involving police task teams in KwaZulu-Natal over three years. IPID Deputy Director for Investigations, Len John told the Commission the deaths relate to Cash-in-Transit, taxi violence and drug unit operations in the province. John described the shootings as extra-judicial killings and alleged officers delay calling IPID to scenes to manipulate investigations. He says some suspects were killed at dawn with claims they fired first. We spoke to Jabulani Mabena, National Spokesperson for the South African Policing Union (SAPU)

South Africa's latest employment figures have once again raised alarm over the country's jobs crisis. Statistics South Africa's second-quarter 2026 Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows the official unemployment rate rising to 33.6%, with 345,000 more people joining the ranks of the unemployed, while total employment fell to around 16.7 million. RISE Mzansi argues that these figures are evidence that South Africa's current economic approach is no longer working, saying government needs a fundamentally different approach to job creation and economic growth. We spoke to RISE Mzansi's National leader, Songezo Zibi to unpack South Africa's jobs crisis and what needs to change.

The City of Johannesburg says it cannot directly employ 385 casual Pikitup workers because they are contracted through a service provider. Deputy Mayor Loyiso Masuku says the City has a Service Level Agreement with that company and negotiations are ongoing to resolve the waste collection strike that has left rubbish piling up across the city.