OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY

Disgruntled pupil who fatally stabbed teacher after failing grade 7 gets 12 years in jail

TimesLIVE reports that a 17-year-old school pupil who stabbed a Northern Cape teacher to death was sentenced on Monday to 12 years' imprisonment by the Khathu High Court.  The pupil, who cannot be identified due to his age, stabbed his teacher with a knife at Manyeding Village near Kuruman in January 2018 after having failed grade 7.  According to the police, the teacher was attacked at his home after the pupil arrived at night and started breaking the windows with stones.  Police spokesperson WO Mosimaneotsile Letsapa observed:  "When giving judgment, the judge emphasised that this sentence will send a strong message to other young people that once you commit crime you will be punished and account for your crimes."

Read the full original of Nonkululeko Njilo’s report on this story at TimesLIVE

‘Drunk’ KZN cop who had called in sick killed his superior after being caught out socialising

Daily News reports that the police constable who was arrested on Friday after allegedly shooting dead his superior inside the Ekhombe Police Station in Nkandla, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, had been under the influence of alcohol.  Apparently Sergeant Malusi Thokazi Sibisi, 43, who was on duty at the time, had gone to ask off-duty police officers who lived near the station to keep the noise levels down.  When Sibisi arrived there, he found the 30-year-old constable, who had earlier called in sick, among the group of off-duty officers. Sibisi then used his cellphone to record the constable socialising with his colleagues.  Shortly after Sibisi left to return to the station, the constable also left the party.  Sibisi and two other officers were inside the police station when the constable walked in shortly before 10pm night and fired three shots with his service pistol.  Sibisi died at the scene.  After committing the act, the constable apparently threw his service pistol on the counter and was arrested.  The suspect was expected to appear in the Nkandla Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Read the full original of Anelisa Kubheka’s report on this story at Daily News. Read too, Two more SAPS officers slain in KwaZulu-Natal, at Algoa FM

‘Work bully victim’ details her ordeal in Twitter meltdown

The Star reports that a Gauteng woman has taken to Twitter to describe how bulling and intimidation at work have left her depressed and suicidal.  During her Twitter meltdown, Pulane Moloi talked about how the alleged abuse she endured at Kantar TNS resulted in her suffering fainting spells.  She claimed her line manager called her stupid, useless and a horrible person who used her depression and rape to get sympathy from the firm and her colleagues.  “I was overworked and given impossible deadlines.  I have had my job security threatened on numerous occasions by my then line manager.  When I tried to voice a concern or query, I would be told I should be grateful I have a job,” said Moloi, 45.  She reported the abuse to the branch chief executive Ivan Moroke, but the company found no fault or guilt on the part of her line manager “based on lack of witnesses as they said it was my word against hers.”  Moloi said the company had asked her to stay home in January while it tried to find a better position for her.  However, this month the company gave her three options: apply for a software developer job at the Cape Town branch, suggest a department she wanted to work in or get medically boarded.  Moloi has lodged a complaint with the CCMA that has been referred to the Labour Court.

Read the full original of Yethu Dlamini’s report on this story at The Star

Domestic workers now eligible to claim from the Compensation Fund

The Citizen reports that following a case in which a domestic worker died at her employer’s home during the course of her employment and her daughter could not claim compensation due to the fact that domestic workers are not considered employees under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), the Pretoria High Court last week found that the exclusion of domestic workers under the Act was unconstitutional.  Thanks to the decision, domestic workers might become eligible to claim from the compensation fund if they are injured, contract a disease, or die at their place of work.  Apparently, the domestic worker, who was partially blind, was washing the top windows outside a bedroom located next to the pool when she slipped from the step ladder on which she was standing and fell into the pool – which was unfenced and uncovered at the time.  The employee could not swim and drowned.  The helper’s daughter later approached the Department of Labour to lodge an application for compensation for the death of her mother, but she was informed that domestic workers were not considered “employees” under the act and were therefore not entitled to compensation and unemployment insurance benefits.  The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of SA (Seri) successfully brought an application on behalf of the dependent to compel the department to amend the act.  Seri will further be arguing that the declaration of invalidity must be applied retrospectively

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

SARS Alberton branch closed following fire, no injuries reported, at Independent News

SAPS: National Police Commissioner conveys condolences to the families of two slain KwaZulu-Natal police officers, at SAPS News (press statement)

Sanef says journalists are under fire – eNCA journalists attacked by criminals and a body of a journalist found in Free State, at Sanef News (press statement)

MINING LABOUR

Lonmin investors back Sibanye takeover deal to create platinum giant

Bloomberg reports that Lonmin investors have backed the platinum producer’s takeover by Sibanye Gold, bringing to an end a company that was once part of a business empire synonymous with British capitalism in Africa.  Based on provisional results, Sibanye’s all-share takeover was backed by 98.87% of votes cast at a meeting on Tuesday in London, passing the required threshold of 75%.  The vote is a triumph for Sibanye CEO Neal Froneman, a prolific deal-maker who faced investor concerns that his offer undervalued Lonmin’s assets.  Sibanye investors approved the deal earlier in the day.  Froneman, who had already seen off a challenge to the deal from the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), which is Lonmin’s biggest trade union, will gain access to his rival’s processing facilities and some of the lowest-cost shafts in the industry.  The combined entity will challenge Anglo American Platinum as the world’s biggest primary producer of the metal.  Lonmin CEO himself Ben Magara backed the deal, saying that on its own Lonmin lacked the capital to invest in its operations.

Read the full original of the report on the deal by Felix Njini and Thomas Biesheuvel at Fin24. Read too, Sibanye shareholders vote overwhelmingly for Lonmin deal, at BusinessLive. And also, Sibanye’s audacious bid for Lonmin approved by all shareholders, at BusinessLive

Other general posting(s) relating to mining

Khulubuse Zuma, Zondwa Mandela in court over Aurora acid mine drainage, at TimesLIVE

VACANCIES / RECRUITMENT

Eskom insiders provide 'very limited' choices to replace CEO “to fix the mess”

Bloomberg writes that Eskom’s 96-year history is replete with former CEOs who rose from within the debt-laden state-owned power utility to run the company, but there are few obvious choices for the next CEO to come from those same ranks.  Two possible candidates from Eskom’s executive team to replace Phakamani Hadebe have strengths but also weaknesses.  CFO Calib Cassim is a chartered accountant who has worked at Eskom for 17 years, yet he has little technical expertise.  COO Jan Oberholzer, who has held a range of jobs during a quarter century at the utility, may not have the financial experience to steady its shaky finances.  The new CEO will need political clout and connections to navigate Eskom’s complex relationship with the government, which plans to break the utility up into three units.  The State has also been reticent to give it the money it says it needs to remain solvent, or the go-ahead to fire excess staff.  “Generally when a company is in a mess, you appoint a CEO from outside,” Jannie Rossouw of Wits University’s school of economic and business sciences observed, adding that within Eskom, “the cupboard is fairly bare and their choices are indeed very limited.’’  Rossouw also observed:  “Somebody inside a company doesn’t normally have the ability to fix it because you know too many people in the organisation.  When you come from the outside you just think numbers.”  Eskom’s board still has to advertise the CEO post, which will be vacant from the end of July.

Eskom insiders provide 'very limited' choices to replace CEO, at Mining Weekly. Read too, With the appointment of a chief restructuring officer, is the position of Eskom CEO redundant? at Moneyweb

UNEMPLOYMENT

SA’s unemployment rate in numbers (info graphic)

View Financial Mail’s info graphic, which displays key unemployment statistics in respect of the first quarter of 2019 as reported on by Statistics SA.  It shows that 8.3m (40.7%) of SA youth aged 15 to 34 were not in employment, education or training.  In the Eastern Cape province, the percentage jumped to 47.1%

View this handy unemployment summary at Financial Mail

RETRENCHMENTS / COMPANY JOB LOSSES

Tongaat Hulett not following due process in retrenchments, claims Fawu

East Coast Radio reports that the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) has been taken aback by Tongaat Hulett's announcement that it could retrench up to 5,000 workers.  According to the company, permanent and temporary workers across its operations in six Southern African Development Community countries would be affected.  The sugar industry has been under pressure lately with the implementation of sugar tax and the importation of sugar from other countries.  According to Tongaat Hulett, it has undergone a full financial review to stabilise the business.  The strategy will aim to address its debt burden, streamline operations and fundamentally change its business model.  Fawu’s Mayo Mngomezulu said they would challenge the decision on the basis that due process has not been followed.  "We will be meeting with the company.  As a matter of fact we have written a letter to the company advising them to follow the prescripts of the Labour Relations Act in terms of retrenchments.  They cannot simply retrench by announcing it.  The law is clear in terms of processes they need to follow before they retrench.  One of those is to notify us, as a union, and they have not done that", Mngomezulu said.

The original of this report by Steve Bhengu is at East Coast Radio. Read too, Bitter news for sugar company workers, at The Mercury

BASIC EDUCATION

KZN mother wants justice for eight year-old son, punched in face allegedly by teacher

Daily News reports that the mother of an eight year-old boy who was allegedly punched in the face by his teacher in Gingindlovu in northern KwaZulu-Natal wants justice for her son.  The woman said her son sustained a head injury after his teacher accused him of copying during a test and then assaulted him.  The provincial education department said it would investigate the matter and if the allegations were true, serious action would be taken against the teacher.  The mother of the Grade 3 pupil advised that she had opened a case of common assault against the teacher.  The woman indicated that she and her son were still traumatised by the incident since no action had been taken against the teacher even though several weeks had elapsed.  Following the incident, her son missed two weeks of school while recovering.  He was now back at school, but still complained of severe headaches.  The teacher apparently apologised for the incident and asked to pay for the boy’s medical expenses.  But, the mother refused to take the money “because I want justice to prevent this from happening to other children.”  She claimed her neighbour’s child was also beaten up by a teacher at the same school, which meant they were using corporal punishment, which was unlawful.

Read the full original of Sne Masuku’s report on this story at Daily News

DISCRIMINATION / RACISM / SEXISM

SAHRC finds that labour department in Mitchells Plain committed human rights violation against coloured applicants for jobs

Cape Argus reports that the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in the Western Cape has found that discrimination against coloured applicants at the Labour Department's offices in Mitchells Plain constituted a human rights violation that must be further investigated by its national office.  The commission conducted an investigation after a complaint was laid by the organisation Gatvol Capetonians that coloured people were overlooked by the department when they applied for 46 posts last year.  According to Gatvol president Fadiel Adams, about 1,000 coloured candidates from the community applied but were not considered or shortlisted.  Their applications were handed in at the Mitchells Plain office and put in a box.  However, commissioner Chris Nissen noted that no explanation was given by the department to the 1,000 applicants about the box and what transpired.  He conducted various interviews and visited the offices of the department in February and March.  “The commission can only conclude that the 46 appointed in one grouping undermines the rights of others in Mitchells Plain and therefore constitutes an alleged human rights violation.  It will now recommend that the commission makes a thorough investigation into these practices in the provincial Labour Department,” Nissen indicated.

Read the full original of Vincent Cruywagen’s report on this story at Cape Argus

STATE CAPTURE

Disagreeing with Brian Molefe would have been ‘professional suicide’, former Transnet employee tells inquiry

BusinessLive reports that the state capture commission of inquiry heard on Monday that Transnet CEO Brian Molefe’s “relaxed demeanour” changed very quickly when a subordinate disagreed with him over the awarding of a lucrative tender.  Chartered accountant and former Transnet employee, Gerhard van der Westhuizen, detailed how Molefe became annoyed over the matter.  At issue was Molefe’s controversial decision to overturn the awarding of a system network contract to Neotel, giving it to his preferred bidder T-Systems instead.  Van der Westhuizen said while he was in “violent disagreement” with Molefe over the issue, he was cognisant that his career could be short-lived if he did not comply with Molefe’s instruction.  “I don’t think I had much of a choice, I thought my employment would be ended.  My objections would be tantamount to professional suicide … if I didn’t do what I was told to do,” he told the commission.  Van der Westhuizen said the relationship between Neotel and Transnet was “extremely strained” after that.  Port Terminals chief information officer Sharla Chetty testified on Friday that the reasons advanced by Molefe for not awarding the contract to Neotel were not justifiable.

Read the full original of Luyolo Mkentane’s report in the above regard at BusinessLive. Read too, Transnet’s dodgy IT deal with Gupta-linked company, at The Citizen

SEXUAL HARASSMENT / SEXUAL ASSAULT

MyCiTi driver traumatised after being sexually terrorised by two commuters

Cape Argus reports that the MyCiTi vehicle-operating company Kidrogen is facing a “new type of threat and act of hooliganism”, namely that of its drivers being sexually assaulted by commuters.  Two men allegedly sexually assaulted a female driver at the Marine Circle bus station in Table View at about 7.30am last Tuesday.  After boarding the bus, one of them switched off the vehicle and started terrorising the driver.  He allegedly unbuttoned his trousers and pushed his genitals up against the driver's window while trying to force the door open.  The second man was apparently acting as a lookout.  Kidrogen spokesperson Leah Eckles said the driver was traumatised.  Realising that she wasn't going to be able to hold the door much longer, she decided to abandon the bus and escaped through the driver's door.  Eckles indicated:  “The whole ordeal was so horrific and the driver is so disturbed by what transpired that she has been put off from work indefinitely for the purposes of receiving counselling.”  Kidrogen chief executive Andile Peter said he was concerned that the incident represented a “new type of threat and act of hooliganism”.  The police are investigating a sexual assault case.

Read the full original of Sisonke Mlamla’s report on this story at Cape Argus

OTHER NEWS HEADLINES AND PRESS STATEMENTS

IFP slams appointment of ‘disreputable’ officials in KZN cabinet, at The Citizen

Former Hankey farm worker pleads not guilty to brutal attack of woman inside farmhouse, at Independent News

Men arrested for killing Durban cops while they were guarding councillor’s home claim they were assaulted in custody, at TimesLIVE

Peter Moyo questions reasons for Old Mutual suspension (interview), at Moneyweb

Saftu stands firmly behind the Oakvalley Estate farmworkers and calls for the intensification of the strike and solidarity with them, at Saftu News (press statement)

DA Gauteng says Esidimeni doctor and nurses still free to practice, at Politicsweb (press statement)

SAPS: Warden arrested for alleged corruption and defeating the ends of justice in Worcester, at SAPS News (press statement)