OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY

CEO 'will leave no stone unturned' in probe of Rheinmetall Denel Munition blast

EWN reports that an intricate and lengthy investigation lies ahead to determine the exact cause of a deadly blast at an arms manufacturing plant in Macassar.  A week ago, eight workers died in the explosion at the Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) depot.  The blast occurred at one of the plant's 400 buildings.  Experts said that blast walls surrounding the N16 unit were completely destroyed and the building collapsed.  The blast walls, in this instance, ensured that the impact of the explosion did not spread, but was projected in an upward direction.  RDM CEO Norbert Schulze said the site presented absolutely no risk to the surrounding communities.  He stated:  “We strongly feel that, in the interest of transparency and accountability, we must leave no stone unturned to determine what happened and why.”

This short report by Kevin Brandt is at EWN. See too, Ammunition testing resumes at deadly RDM blast site, at News24

Project to relocate officials from deadly building was cancelled and unions want heads to roll

The Citizen reports that trade unions on Sunday claimed that a tender authorised last year for the relocation of health officials from the Bank of Lisbon building to a refurbished building was cancelled by the Gauteng department of infrastructure development.  Six labour unions gathered in the Johannesburg CBD outside the badly burnt Bank of Lisbon building, which houses the provincial departments of health and human settlements, to inform the public about the developments that came out of their meeting with the provincial administrators.  They said they wanted those responsible for the failure of the R8.3 million relocation project to be held accountable.  Simphiwe Gada, chairperson of Denosa in Gauteng, noted that taxpayers’ money was used to renovate a building it had been intended to relocate the health head office to.  Gada went on to state:  “When the process of appointing a relocation company had to happen, that process was frustrated and ultimately that is why they were saying they were not going to move the staff.  We are calling for those who spent the taxpayers’ money to take responsibility and be held accountable …”  Gada said that unions wanted officials involved to recuse themselves, and for two officials with the department of infrastructure development to be suspended “with immediate effect”.  Gracia Rikhotso, Nehawu’s Gauteng deputy secretary, called on members in the health department, working in buildings identified as hazardous, not to report for work on Monday until something was done.

Read this report by Chisom Jenniffer Okoye in full at The Citizen. See too, Unions tell workers not to work in unsafe buildings, at eNCA. And also, Boksburg-speurders se gebou vrot, at Netwerk24 (paywall access)

Joburg ill equipped for high-rise blazes – firefighters unhappy with gear

The Star reports that the City of Johannesburg has admitted that it does not have the necessary equipment to extinguish fires in the metro, with an alarming number of buildings condemned as death traps.  This came to light in the wake of the Bank of Lisbon building fire that claimed the lives of three firefighters last week.  MMC for community safety, Michael Sun, said the fire engines were not fully equipped to deal with blazes in tall buildings and that the city was only now trying to procure fire engines with extra-length ladders.  Firefighters observed:  “We don’t have fire engines that can fight fires that are above five storeys.  This is why it took us so long to extinguish the Bank of Lisbon fire.”  The fire at the building, which houses three provincial departments, started on the 23rd floor, quickly spreading to other floors.  Sun said he didn't know if any metropolitan or department in SA has a ladder that could reach that height (23 storeys) and that when high-rise buildings were constructed, they couldn’t depend only on emergency services for safety, but should have their own sprinklers and hydrants that firefighters could use.  A firefighter who was trapped inside the Bank of Lisbon building for several hours said they had been complaining about their safety gear.  “It is not compliant with safety standards, and so it puts our lives in danger.  We also have a problem with our safety officers who go out to these buildings to ensure they are compliant.  They take bribes,” the firefighter claimed.  Sun said they would investigate the claims.

Read this report by Tebogo Monama & Sibongile Mashaba in full at The Star. Read too, Joburg fire raises legal life and death issues for workers, at Business Report

MINING LABOUR

'Will I come back dead or alive?' - The human costs of South African gold mining

Boomberg writes that after more than two decades of improving mine safety since the end of apartheid, South Africa’s progress has stalled with an increase in gold-mining deaths.  While annual death tolls are far lower than the 615 recorded in 1993 - the last full year of apartheid - 2017 witnessed the first rise in 10 years.  More than 50 people have died in the country’s mines in 2018, roughly the same number as this time last year.  Most of the gold mining fatalities are due to workers being crushed under falling rocks, caused by more frequent tremors as companies dig deeper for the precious metal.  The government is investigating Sibanye Gold’s operations, where over half the gold mining deaths occurred this year.  “When you wake up in the morning you think, will I come back dead or alive?” observed Sivelly Mangola, a 40-year-old rock drill operator at Sibanye’s Driefontein mine who was once trapped for 30 minutes by a rockfall.  The death toll is the bleakest possible illustration of the human cost to mining in SA, where nine-hour shifts drilling narrow seams miles underground are a daily ordeal for many thousands.  It also raises questions about the long-term viability of an industry that underpinned the economy for decades, but faces competition from cheaper, shallower mines from Ghana to Canada.  This report goes on to look at the impact of geological factors and other factors, with reference specifically to Gold Fields and Sibanye.

Read this report by Felix Njini in full at Fin24

HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING / QUALIFICATIONS

EFF Student Command demands that outstanding TVET certificates be issued

The Citizen reports that the Economic Freedom Fighters’ Student Command (EFFSC) plans to take up the plight of thousands of students who studied at technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions and who have not received certificates from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).  The EFFSC has joined the Congress of the People (Cope) in a renewed call for the government to issue and investigate the backlog in the release of certificates for TVET students, left struggling to get jobs because they have no means to prove their qualifications.  The EFF said they would embark on a shutdown campaign targeting the DHET and that the campaign would be launched on 20 September.  EFFSC national spokesperson Mangaliso Sambo said:  “We want to shut down the department because the TVET sector is failing to fulfil its purpose.”  Sambo condemned the department, saying the lack of action stifled the development of students who could not contribute to economic development, due to their inability to get jobs.  Cope has urged Parliament to act to ensure the certificates, some delayed since 2010, were issued and distributed.  Cope chief whip Deidre Carter, speaking in Parliament last week, described the situation as a “crisis.  Carter said that, “despite reassurances that the decade-long backlog had been attended to, we continue to receive multiple reports from frustrated, anxious and angst-ridden students and families alike.”

Read this report by Eric Naki in full at The Citizen

DISCRIMINATION / RACISM / SEXISM

Catzavelos restaurant says EFF protest led to business closing and 29 people losing jobs

ANA reports that the Catzavelos-owned Smokehouse and Grill revealed on Sunday that the actions of the EFF members who invaded the restaurant in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on 6 September compounded bad trading conditions and resulted in the business being forced to close its doors.  The restaurant owner and director said in a statement that the jobs of the 29 staff members had thus been lost following the reaction to the racism scandal involving Adam Catzavelos, who had previously held a minority stake in the restaurant, even though he had no operational involvement.  The EFF members apparently threatened staff members and allegedly surrounded one manager holding steak knives they had picked up from the restaurant tables.  However, Adam Catzavelos had been fired from the family business, with immediate effect, on 21 August, "the day his comments came to our and the public’s attention", and more than two weeks before the EFF decided to mobilise against the restaurant.  The company pointed out that on 22 August, it had publicly disassociated itself from Adam’s widely reported racist utterances via a media statement.  "It beggars belief that businesses can be thus threatened, seemingly without a thought to the people who will be most affected and the families they support … The Smokehouse and Grill rejects racism and discrimination in all its forms,” the statement indicated.

Read this report in full at IOL News. Read too, Smokehouse and Grill restaurant forced to close in wake of Catzavelos racism scandal, at Timeslive

DA reports senior eThekwini official to SAHRC for using racial slurs

Daily News reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) has reported an eThekwini Municipality senior official to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for referring to a senior colleague as the C-word in a leaked recorded phone call.  The senior eThekwini official, who heads a key unit in the city and whose name has been withheld, allegedly referred to his Indian colleague Krish Kumar, the city’s deputy city manager, with the derogatory racial term “c*****” numerous times.  DA caucus leader Nicole Graham said they had written to city manager Sipho Nzuza calling for the senior official to be suspended immediately.  In the phone call, the senior official is heard repeatedly referring to Kumar as a c***** and is also heard trying to convince the person on the phone to protect an official implicated in the orange bag scandal.  The official is facing a disciplinary hearing within the city.  Graham wrote in a letter to Nzuza:  “His (the implicated official’s) utterances where he admits to trying to subvert a disciplinary process and calls Krish a c***** are completely outrageous.  We cannot have racists in the upper echelons of the city, especially when they show such disdain for respected colleagues.  His admissions that he is bowing to political pressure are very worrying indeed.”  The city’s investigations and integrity unit (CIIU) is investigating the matter, while the IFP in eThekwini said it was disturbing that politicians were involved in internal disciplinary processes.

Read this report by Sihle Mlambo in full at Daily News

Former Transnet director Seth Radebe lashes Gordhan in court over ‘racist’ dismissal

Timeslive reports that the lawyer for ousted Transnet director Seth Radebe claimed in court on Monday that Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan “failed dismally” to respond to allegations of racism leveled against him.  Radebe has filed an urgent application challenging his dismissal by Gordhan and seeking the removal of the new Transnet board‚ appointed by Gordhan.  Radebe wants the High Court in Pretoria to declare that Gordhan’s conduct in firing him amounted to “unfair discrimination” and was “unlawful‚ invalid and unconstitutional”.  His lawyer, Adv. Dali Mpofu‚ said Gordhan failed to answer to Radebe’s claims that Gordhan “bullied” him “in the corridors of parliament‚ and screamed and shouted at him”.  In court documents, Gordhan said he fired Radebe for failing to take action over evidence of multibillion-rand state-capture looting at the parastatal.  He denied that the dismissal was driven by racism.  “Race had nothing to do with this‚” Gordhan stated.  The minister also rejected Radebe’s accusations that he was racist in his decision to keep Arlana Kinley – who has since resigned – on the Transnet board‚ while he fired Radebe.  Gordhan stated that Kinley’s retention was aimed at ensuring continuity and had nothing to do with race.  But Mpofu said this explanation was “senseless” and that Gordhan would still need to explain why he chose Kinley to ensure this continuity and not Radebe.  The hearing continues.

Read this report by Karyn Maughan in full at Timeslive

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Police investigating racist rant on Cape Town MyCiti bus, at News24

COMMUTING / TRANSPORT TO WORK

Prasa accused of failing to pay its share for unit to protect Metrorail commuters in Cape Town

ANA reports that City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for transport and urban development, Brett Herron, said on Sunday that the Metrorail system in the city was in jeopardy as the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) had failed to pay to protect rail commuters.  He also asked Transport Minister Blade Nzimande to declare a state of emergency or disaster in so far as the rail service in Cape Town was concerned.  Herron express my condolences to the family and loved ones of the man who was killed during a horrific attack on commuters who were travelling on the train between Lynedoch and Eerste River on Friday evening.  Eight other commuters were also robbed of their belongings and thrown off the train.  Herron said this latest incident prompted him to publicly express his exasperation with the fact that Prasa had to date failed to pay its part of the funding that was needed for the special rail enforcement unit that the city was currently training.  In May, Prasa signed a memorandum of agreement and committed to co-fund the special unit together with the city and the Western Cape government.  According to Herron, Prasa's contribution of R16 million was still awaited, even though the city has sent several urgent reminders to the Prasa executives to fulfil their duties and to honour their commitment.  Herron also said he had written to Nzimande asking for his urgent intervention to ensure that Prasa paid the R16 million needed to fund a fully operational rail enforcement unit.

Read this report in full at IOL News. Read too, One dead, eight injured as armed gang attacks commuters on Cape train, at IOL News. And also, Rail agency blames deadly attack on train commuters on gang, at Cape Times

Traffic control officer blamed by regulator for rail crash at Booysens station

The Star reports that the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) has blamed a traffic control officer for last week’s Selby Metrorail train accident, but the United National Transport Union (Untu) has rubbished the claim.  Last week, two trains collided at Booysens Station, injuring 112 passengers.  According to the regulator’s preliminary findings, the traffic control officer issued manual authorisation to the train headed from Faraday to Naledi to pass and proceed to Crown Station.  Minutes later, the officer authorised another train on to the same line.  RSR spokesperson Madelein Williams said:  “The regulator has in the past instructed Prasa (the Passenger Rail Agency of SA) to provide sufficient supervision to traffic control officers and to provide proper control and approval of manual authorisation.”  Untu responded that it was shocked and disappointed by the regulator’s conclusion.  Steve Harris, general secretary of Untu, said the regulator and Prasa must admit “they don’t have the expertise, management skills or supporting infrastructure to use manual train authorisations”.

A short report by Tebogo Monama is at The Star

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Prasa’s condolences and ‘extreme shock’ after Stellenbosch train attack, at News24
• Probe underway after Cape Town Metrorail commuters thrown off moving train, at EWN

OTHER REPORTS

Popcru says prisons and transport departments not taking demands seriously

Timeslive reports that the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) on Sunday expressed its displeasure at not receiving responses from the department of justice and correctional services and the department of transport concerning its members’ concerns.  On 13 July‚ the union embarked on a national march and presented a number of memorandums to the justice and correctional services department‚ the SA Police Service (SAPS)‚ the health department and the transport department.  The departments were given 14 working days to respond.  Popcru general secretary Nkosinathi Theledi said they had only received responses from the police and the health department and he expressed disappointed at the department of justice and correctional services and the department of transport for not taking members’ issues seriously.  He noted that the SAPS had acknowledged the issue raised and said they would be engaging further on the implementation of a single police service.  In its response‚ the police had reflected on‚ among other issues‚ the need for a flatter organisational structure, decentralisation of work and authority to police stations and the availability of specialised skills at police stations.  Theledi called on correctional services officers to refuse to transport inmates from maximum security prisons to courts or hospitals if the ratio of correctional officials to inmate was not two to one.

Read this report by Ernest Mabuza in full at Timeslive