First Take SA

The SA First Forum has written to Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber demanding urgent action on undocumented South Africans. The forum says an estimated four point four million citizens remain without identity documents, blocking access to education, jobs and banking. It cites cases of learners unable to write Matric and young people unable to access tertiary education. The group has given the Department 14 days to provide numbers and a plan to document citizens within 90 days, warning of legal action. To elaborate we spoke to Acting CEO of SA First Forum, Mr. Xolani Zuma.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for the Gaza ceasefire to become permanent, warning that three years after the October 7th Hamas attacks, Israelis and Palestinians continued to live with the consequences of the conflict. In a statement issued a day before the sombre anniversary, Guterres reiterated his abhorrence of the killing of more than 1,200 people in Israel and the taking of 251 hostages, while saying the devastating hostilities that followed inflicted untold suffering on Palestinians in Gaza. He warned that last year's ceasefire had still not delivered sufficient humanitarian aid, security or a credible path to peace. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports from New York...

The Democratic Alliance, DA in Gauteng is calling for an urgent probe into chronic medicine shortages at public health facilities. Patients at hospitals including Steve Biko and Charlotte Maxeke and clinics including Nigel and Northmead, have reportedly struggled to get medication for hypertension, epilepsy and other chronic conditions. The DA says the shortages are putting patients at risk and raising questions about procurement and supply chains. The party is demanding answers from the Gauteng Health Department. We spoke to DA Health Spokesperson Madeleine Hicklin

Political commentator and civil society leader Lukhona Mnguni is vying to become the Mayor of Johannesburg. Mnguni will contest the upcoming local government elections under Rise Mzansi. Mnguni says he will focus on tackling corruption, restoring public trust and improving service delivery. Johannesburg faces persistent challenges, including failing infrastructure and governance instability.

Workers are taking to the streets today as COSATU leads nationwide marches to mark World Day for Decent Work. The federation says workers face mass retrenchments, non-compliance with the minimum wage and growing casualisation. Marches will target Sun International over planned job cuts and Massmart over the dismissal of hundreds of Makro workers. COSATU is also demanding stronger enforcement of labour laws and action on high living costs. For more we spoke to Zanele Sabela, COSATU Spokesperson.