First Take SA

A 13-year prison sentence handed to an illicit cigarette trafficker in Limpopo is being hailed as a potential turning point in the fight against tax crime. Tax Justice South Africa says the ruling should set a national precedent, as illicit trade continues to cost the country an estimated R100 billion a year. To discuss this further we spoke to Tax Justice South Africa founder, Yusuf Abramjee.

Former President Thabo Mbeki says the Phala Phala saga is a personal issue for President Cyril Ramaphosa, not an ANC matter. Speaking to SABC news specialist correspondent, Sophie Mokoena, Mbeki welcomed the Constitutional Court's decision to set aside Parliament's 2022 vote against impeaching Ramaphosa. The case relates to allegations of 580,000 US dollars stolen from the President's Limpopo farm. Mbeki argued the ANC should not involve itself in what he described as a private affair. We spoke to ATM Parliamentary Leader, Vuyo Zungula.

A key suspect in a major fraud case linked to the Human Settlements Flood Disaster Relief Fund is expected in the Durban Magistrates Court this morning. The kingpin faces charges for illegally accessing emergency housing funds as part of a syndicate dismantled under Operation NenzaniLaEzweni. MEC Siboniso Duma says authorities are making strong progress in rooting out officials and politicians who sold or rented RDP houses to undocumented foreign nationals in areas including eThekwini and uMtubatuba. We spoke to Ndabezinhle Sibiya, Spokesperson for the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements in KZN, joins us on the line.

City Power says it has made significant headway in cutting electricity losses in Johannesburg, with the rate dropping from just over 40 percent last July to around 25 percent by April this year. The utility credits the improvement to its Revenue Enhancement Programme, which has recovered roughly 1-point-6 billion rand through billing corrections, meter audits and the removal of illegal connections. We spoke to City Power's Chief Commercial Officer, Thami Mathiso.

The Democratic Alliance, DA in Gauteng has welcomed the Public Protector's report setting 30-day deadlines to fix fire-damaged sections of the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital. The report notes repair costs have ballooned sharply while critical services remain disrupted. We spoke to Dr. Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health.