TOP STORY – SOLIDARITY STRIKE AT SASOL

Solidarity’s strike action at Sasol over exclusion of whites from new staff share scheme kicks off on Monday

Trade union Solidarity announced on Saturday that its members at Sasol would on Monday begin a programme of strike action because of the exclusion of whites from the company’s new staff share scheme.  According to the union, 89% of Sasol workers at the petrochemical giant’s Sasolburg and Secunda operations voted in favour of industrial action.  The cause of the action is the recently introduced staff share scheme, Khanyisa, which excludes white workers and foreign nationals.  Khanyisa follows a previous scheme that did include white employees, namely Inzalo, which will be concluded in the first phase of Khanyisa.  However, white persons will excluded from the second phase of Khanyisa, which will be the new scheme for the next 10 years.  According to Solidarity CE Dr Dirk Hermann, in practice the new scheme implies that a Sasol employee with 30 years’ service at Sasol will receive nothing while someone who has worked at Sasol for only three months will receive share value of R500,000.  The union has already planned for three weeks of industrial action.  The programme is due to begin on Monday with several protest actions.  It will build up to Wednesday when a national day of support for the Sasol workers will be held.  A complete strike is planned to begin on Thursday with a mass meeting of the community at the Secunda plant and the Sasol coal mines.  The focus will then shift to Sasolburg and later both industrial plants and the Sasol coal mines will stage joint actions.

Read Solidarity’s press statement about the strike at Solidarity News. Read too, Solidarity union to begin strike at Sasol, at SowetanLive. And also, Solidarity plans for three-week Sasol strike over share scheme, at Fin24

Solidarity plans 'strategic' strike at Sasol over share scheme that excludes white employees

Timeslive reports that Solidarity will begin a strike on Monday at Sasol over a share ownership scheme offered exclusively to black staff.  In a statement released on Saturday, the trade union said it had planned for three weeks of industrial action.  “We have already planned for three weeks of industrial action.  However, this will be a clever strike.  Our 6 300 members are highly trained employees of major strategic importance to Sasol.  We intend to switch off a different section of Sasol each day by means of well-laid and strategic plans.  We have the knowledge and influence to achieve that,” Solidarity Chief Executive Dr Dirk Hermann stated.  Sasol, a world leader in the technology that converts coal and gas to fuel, said last year it would raise its black ownership levels in Sasol South Africa to at least 25% in a R21-billion deal.  Solidarity plans to close down Secunda on Thursday.  “We are getting overwhelming support from the community.  We expect hundreds of people from the community to join the Sasol employees in a mass rally.  There are even businesses who said they will close so that they will be able to participate,” Hermann said.

Read this report in full at TimesLlive. Read too, Sasol ‘sal staan’ as Solidariteit se lede staak, at Netwerk24 (paywall access)

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY

Police mourn 29 officers killed in the line of duty between April 2017 and March 2018

News24 reports that wreaths were laid on Sunday as the Department of Police held its annual commemoration day at its memorial site at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.  The names of 29 officers who died in the line of duty between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018 were added to the wall of remembrance, witnessed by family and loved ones of the murdered members.  Police minister Bheki Cele said:  "We call on all communities and society to work with the police to fight the scourge of police killings.  Police members are a national asset and they need to be protected by all of us.  One police killing is one to many.”  Acting national police commissioner Lieutenant General Lebeoana Tsumane stated:  “Throughout September, which has been declared National Police Safety Month, we will continue to increase safety awareness among our members in order to highlight measures to reduce attacks, vehicle accidents and the murder of our police officials.”  The slain officers’ children were offered support in terms of education, training and development through the SA Police Education Trust Fund.

Read this report by Tammy Petersen in full at News24

Killing a police officer should be made equal to treason, says Bheki Cele

Timeslive reports that Police Minister Bheki Cele said on Sunday at the Union Buildings in Pretoria that killing a police officer should become a “crime against [the] state and equal to treason”.  Speaking at the annual commemoration for police officers who died on duty, Cele went on to say:  “If they kill one of ours‚ they are taking the whole nation on.  They better be kept in a very‚ not too dark‚ but a dark place for the rest of their lives ... It must be really‚ really a fear of any criminal [that] when the criminal thinks of taking [on] the police [they] must know that when that engagement comes to an end‚ it won’t be the police officer who will be 'sleeping'.”  Between 1 April 2017 and 31 March this year‚ 29 police officers died on the job.  This was down from the previous financial year, when 40 police officers died.  National police commissioner general Khehla Sitole said the killing of police officers by criminals infuriated and saddened him.  “The killing of a police official is an attack on the sovereignty of the state. It has a negative impact on service delivery and the fight against crime in the police‚ and has a destructive effect on the wellbeing and future of the families and children of the slain policemen and policewomen.”

Read this report by Nico Gous in full at Timeslive

Security guard killed on Friday in Rosebank, Johannesburg, while trying to stop robbers

Timeslive reports that police are testing a firearm left at the scene of a robbery-turned murder in Rosebank‚ Johannesburg‚ on Friday afternoon to see whether it has been used in other crimes.  In the incident‚ which was caught on camera‚ a man walking on Baker Street was accosted by four men who robbed him of his watch.  Police spokesman Colonel Lungelo Dlamini related what happened:  “Security guards saw what was happening.  When they responded‚ they were shot at.  One guard died.”  One of the four robbers was wounded in the exchange of gunfire.  “Another suspect was able to drag him into a car‚” said Dlamini‚ adding that all the men escaped, but left a firearm behind.  “We will be following all the procedures‚ including ballistic testing‚ to establish if the weapon was used in any other crimes‚” said Dlamini.

A short report is at Timeslive

Pikitup disruptions expected again around Joburg & Soweto this week over staff security concerns

EWN reports that Pikitup has warned there might be more problems with rubbish collection around Johannesburg and Soweto this week.  Affected areas will include Diepkloof, Orlando, Orlando West, Dube, Meadowlands, and Orange Farm.  The waste removal company said it was gratified though that services had resumed in Waterval, Victory Park, and Emmarentia.  Four Pikitup depots were shut down early last week after job seeking residents torched and stoned a truck in Diepkloof.  Pikitup's Muzi Mkhwanazi indicated:  “As soon as the situation calms down we will be able to conduct services for the residents.  However, I’m happy to announce that in Waterval… services are continuing today (Sunday).”

This short report by Kalaheo Sekhotho is at EWN

MINING LABOUR

Mining Charter to be published for implementation by November, says Mantashe

Reuters reports that the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) aims to publish the long-delayed third iteration of the Mining Charter by November, the mining minister Gwede Mantashe said on Friday.  This would bring to finality a matter that has been hotly disputed between the mining industry and government.  A period for the public to submit comments of the draft ended on Friday and government will now consolidate the final law.  Mantashe said in a statement the contributions made during the public hearings had been useful.  “It is envisaged that the final Mining Charter will be published for implementation by November 2018, in order to entrench the necessary regulatory certainty,” he indicated.  Policy certainty could add R122 billion in capital expenditure to the mining sector over the next four years, the Minerals Council SA (previously known as the Chamber of Mines) said on Thursday.

A short report by Joe Brock is at Moneyweb

Mineral Resources’ Mpumalanga office closed amid allegations of corruption

Mining Weekly reports that the Mpumalanga regional office of the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) will be closed from 3 September until further notice.  The closure follows feedback received from clients on challenges faced at the office, mainly relating to backlogs in the issuing of licences and allegations of corruption.  The closure of the office will allow an investigation team, set up by Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe in July, an opportunity to complete its work in the region and to provide feedback to the minister in due course.  Owing to this, all administrative processes related to the Mpumalanga office will be handled from the DMR’s head office, in Pretoria, until further notice.  The online application system Samrad will also be closed for Mpumalanga applications.  Applications for renewals and graduation of prospecting rights to mining rights should be submitted manually to the department’s head office.

This short report is at Mining Weekly

PROTESTS / MARCHES / CAMPAIGNS

Protest action planned near Lanseria Airport on Monday over job opportunities

Fourways Review reports that Lanseria International Airport issued a statement on Friday indicating that the airport’s management and other businesses in the area had received news of planned protest action on Monday, 3 September.  The protest action was planned by members of the Greater Lanseria Community and Business Development Forum.  The statement read:  “We have been advised that this planned action is against lack of service delivery, employment opportunities for local communities and SMME empowerment.”  It was reportedly scheduled to begin at 9am and end at 1pm.  The statement went on to indicate:  “We are informed that the protesters will be marching from Cosmo City, along Malibongwe Road, through to the airport to hand over memoranda to various businesses in the area, including the airport.  We would like to advise passengers to allow for delays and longer travelling time to the airport.  We are in close contact with the various law enforcement agencies to ensure all routes leading to and from the airport remain unaffected.”

This short report is at The Citizen

JOBS SUMMIT

Jobs Summit on 4 & 5 October to focus on high impact interventions for job creation and retention

The National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) announced on Friday that the Jobs Summit to be held on 4 and 5 October 2018 will focus on collaborative and high-impact interventions to drive job creation, job retention and economic growth.  This was agreed upon at a meeting held on 29 August 2018 of the Presidential Committee on the Jobs Summit, chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa.  The Committee is composed of the leadership of government, labour, business and community organisations and is tasked with guiding preparations towards the Jobs Summit first mooted by President Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address earlier this year.  The Committee has five working committees covering economic sector-specific interventions; small, medium and micro enterprises support; education and skills; inclusive growth, transformation and inequality; and public and social programmes, labour market and anti-corruption.  It is said to be resolute that this Jobs Summit must be a major step towards jointly addressing the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality with its interventions directed primarily to assist youth, women and low-income families and communities.  The social partners welcomed an assurance from President Ramaphosa that there were no forced retrenchments planned in the public sector.

Read Nedlac’s press statement in this regard at SA Govt News

RETIREMENT AND OTHER EMPLOYEE FUNDS

Financial Services Conduct Authority to probe Regiments Capital over Transnet Second Defined Benefit Fund

ANA reports that the Financial Services Conduct Authority (previously the Financial Services Board) has completed a preliminary investigation and is now conducting a full inspection of Regiments Capital and the Transnet Second Defined Benefit Fund.  The Democratic Alliance (DA) indicated on Sunday:  “In October last year, the DA wrote to the Financial Services Board requesting that they investigate allegations that Regiments and its directors made unlawful payments of more than R500 million from the Transnet Second Defined Benefit Fund to Gupta-linked entities Trillian and Albatime between December 2015 and April 2016.”  DA spokeswoman Natasha Mazzone said that Regiments allegedly failed to disclose the reasons for making these payments, which pointed to a possible breach of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act.  She observed that more than 50,000 hard-working employees, some of them already retired, depended on Transnet to put their hard-earned money in reliable hands.  The DA said it would await the findings of the investigations and trusted that strong action would be taken against those found to have failed in their fiduciary duty to perform proper oversight.

This short report is at The Citizen

DISMISSALS / SUSPENSIONS / DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Top Hawks official suspended in relation to state capture probe

The Citizen reports that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s (DPCI, or Hawks) anti-corruption task team unit head, Zinhle Mnonopi, was suspended on Thursday afternoon.  She was implicated last week by former deputy minister of finance Mcebisi Jonas in evidence before the Zondo commission investigating state capture.  Jonas told Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that Mnonopi tried to force him to sign a false statement to ‘kill’ an investigation related to him accusing the Gupta family and former president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane of having tried to bribe him with R600 million and a ministerial post.  Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya confirmed late last week that Mnonopi had been served with a notice of suspension on Thursday, based on allegations that she "interfered with the investigations and acted without impartiality".  On Sunday, Parliament’s police portfolio committee welcomed the announcement by Lebeya on the appointment of a team to fast-track investigations regarding allegations of state capture.  The proactive steps taken by Lebeya were necessary and appropriate, committee chairman Francois Beukman said.

Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read too, State capture inquiry claims first scalp, as top Hawks official suspended, at News24

COMMUTING / TRANSPORT TO WORK

Transport union Untu concerned over renewal of Prasa safety permit after three rail incidents in KZN

News24 reports that three safety-related rail incidents in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have prompted the United National Transport Union (Untu) to question how the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) was issued with a safety permit.  "The union would like to warn Prasa and the RSR (Rail Safety Regulator) to seriously look at the safety permit granted for another year, [because] serious incidents are rife.  [They will] have blood on their hands," the union’s general secretary Steve Harris said in a statement on Friday.  Last week, Prasa was issued with a one-year safety permit to operate the country's trains until 31 July 2019.  This followed three life-threatening incidents on train routes.  On Tuesday, a mast pole fell on a train at Fraser Station just outside Tongaat while it was carrying commuters.  No one was injured.  On the same day, two carriages of a train disconnected when emergency brakes were applied.  There were tyres that obstructed the railway line.  "The emergency brakes of the one coach were not in a working condition and the emergency brakes of the second coach were weak.  The two coaches disconnected while the train was still in motion.  The crew managed to stop the coaches after 500 metres," Harris said.  Nobody was injured, although the crew and the commuters were very traumatised.  In another incident on Friday, frustrated commuters at the Umbogintwini Station near Durban allegedly hijacked the South Coast railway line.  The crew were pushed around and verbally abused while commuters prevented them from entering the train to return to Durban.  Two unarmed protection officials were assaulted.  

Read this report by Kaveel Singh in full at News24. Read Untu’s press statement at SA Labour News

OTHER REPORTS

Notorious hacker Paladin strikes again, targets labour department website in demonstration

News24 reports that the notorious hacker who goes by the Twitter name Paladin has struck again - this time targeting the websites of the Department of Labour and SA Express.  Paladin, whose Twitter handle is @VirusSec, contacted a journalist on Friday evening asking him to take a look at the Department of Labour's website.  When the journalist checked, it was business as usual.  However, just minutes later, the Twitter user asked the journalist to check again.  The second time around, the website was completely inaccessible.  After another few minutes, the website was back to normal.  The self-confessed hacker told News24 that it was a 10.4-second attack and that the journalist was only informed so that the government would not be able to deny that the website had been attacked.  @VirusSec added that a full-scale attack would be launched soon on a government website of his choice.  On Saturday, the domain for SA Express also went down.  Both websites however were functional again on Sunday morning.  The Twitter user has also taken responsibility for website attacks on the websites of the Presidency and the Department of Environmental Affairs.

Read this report by Alex Mitchley in full at News24