In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Wednesday, 17 March 2021.
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Shoprite created over 4,300 new jobs in SA in second half of 2020 Moneyweb reports that food retailer Shoprite, which boasts a 140,000-strong workforce, created 4,305 new jobs in SA in the second half of 2020. This was revealed in the group’s latest interim results for the six-months ending December 2020, released on Tuesday. The new jobs came despite there being some Covid-19 trade restrictions still in place during the period, including the liquor bans and curfews. Shoprite did not specifically say in which areas of the SA business the jobs were created (most likely through the growth of its highly successful Checkers Sixty60 on-demand delivery service and through new store openings such as Rosebank Mall and Mall of Thembisa). Nevertheless, this is welcome news in the face of SA’s record unemployment rate and with some other retailers such as Massmart having cut jobs and closed stores. The food retail giant, which counts Shoprite, Checkers, USave and OK stores among its chains, reported solid results for its core ‘Supermarkets RSA’ business despite trade restrictions. Shoprite increased its trading profit by 18.3% in the period, to just over R4.7 billion. The group also managed to make headway in bringing down its debt by R5.9 billion, to R5.5 billion. “None of this was achieved in isolation. It was due to the collective effort of the more than 140,000 employees across the group… who came together daily to serve our customers and sustain the growth of this great company,” group CEO Pieter Engelbrecht declared. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Suren Naidoo at Moneyweb <https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/companies-and-deals/shoprite-says-it-has-created-over-4-300-new-jobs/> Cobra initiative succeeds in saving businesses and more than 2,000 jobs Engineering News reports that despite the SA economy having contracted by 7% year-on-year in 2020, the Covid Business Rescue Assistance (Cobra) initiative has managed to save dozens of businesses and thousands of jobs. Cobra is SA’s largest nonprofit organisation for distressed businesses. It was started in March 2020 by management consultancy IQbusiness, law firm Schindlers Attorneys and turnaround experts Engaged Business Turnaround, as well as an ecosystem of 90 partner enterprises. To date, Cobra has assisted more than 320 businesses with direct assistance — many of which would have failed without the help that was made available from the team of experts. This has translated into more than 2,000 jobs being saved across a diverse range of sectors, including the retail, automotive and restaurant industries. Cobra’s virtual war room brings together the expertise of a diverse range of professionals in law, business, technology and consulting to assist businesses that are in financial distress. This collaborative model sees a range of businesses and professionals working together in an effort to help ailing businesses. The organisation is motivated by the shared recognition that ensuring the survival of the SA economy is a priority that must be undertaken as an act of good corporate citizenship. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News South African agriculture experienced very good year in 2020 Engineering News reports that SA agriculture had a “remarkable year” last year, the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Production (BFAP) has reported. This was despite the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused all other sectors of the SA economy (except government services) to contract. While the national economy as a whole experienced its greatest contraction since at least 1946, amounting to a decline of 7% in gross domestic product (GDP), the agricultural sector experienced an annualised real GDP growth rate of 13.1%. As agriculture had suffered from a decline during 2018 and 2019 as a result of drought and animal diseases, a degree of recovery in the sector had been expected for last year. Total agricultural sector income rose by 7.3% last year. The biggest single driver for this increase was the maize sector, where income increased by 2.8%. This was followed by the eggs sector, with 1.3% and then by the citrus sector, with 0.9%. However, some sectors within agriculture did experience contraction last year. From the least to the greatest decline, these were tobacco, cattle, milk, hay, vegetables, flowers, sugar cane, cotton and subtropical fruit. These sectors – notably cattle, flowers and tobacco – were directly affected by anti-Covid-19 regulations or by weak demand caused by the effects of the pandemic. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News. Read too, SA agriculture continued to enjoy good results during 2020’s last quarter, at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Sanef condemns 'harassment' of eNCA journalists by EFF-linked students during fees protests News24 reports that the SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has condemned the "unlawful and intimidatory" acts by students allegedly aligned to the EFF that prevented eNCA journalists from covering ongoing university fees protests. "We believe that these acts of intimidation of eNCA journalists by students are rooted in recent tweets by EFF leader Julius Malema encouraging members to not cooperate with journalists from this media house," said Sanef. During protests in Johannesburg on Monday, eNCA reporter Sli Masikane was allegedly accosted by the EFF-linked students who pushed and shoved her and her camera crew during a heated verbal exchange while she was reporting on the protest. Similar incidents have happened to other eNCA journalists during their coverage of EFF events, after the broadcaster decided it would stop covering the EFF's elective conference in 2019 in solidarity with some other media houses whom the party said were not allowed to cover it. "We believe that eNCA is now being punished for this decision … We believe such tactics by any political formation has no place in our democracy as it fuels attacks on journalists. If the EFF has any issues with the broadcaster they, like all other stakeholders, should engage with eNCA," Sanef said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lwandile Bhengu at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
NAC in bid to fix allocation of Pesp relief funds The Star reports that the National Arts Council (NAC), which has come under fire for alleged mismanagement of funds to beneficiaries, is investigating way of improving allocation, according to board member Dr Sipho Sithole. Last year, the Presidency made a special employment stimulus programme available to the sector to disburse via the NAC and the National Film and Video Foundation. The Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (Pesp) was supposed to be geared towards employment creation and retention initiatives for artists, creatives, heritage sector workers and cultural workers. The initiative was in response to the pandemic that affected creatives who did not often have a 9 to 5 job and relied heavily on the gig economy, which came to a standstill under lockdown. The R300 million Pesp fund started taking applicants from October. The NAC was supposed to disburse the money through two funding streams – R100m to enable job retention and R200m for work opportunities within the arts. Since then, the council has suspended its CE and CFO pending an investigation into the mishandling of the funds which resulted in applicants not receiving the money promised to them. In a radio interview, Sithole said the NAC had appointed industry experts outside the council to go through the applications. He said there were many applications that had been turned down, leaving the council with 1,374 in total. Sithole added that part of the reason why the Pesp fund went over budget was because they had underestimated the size of the industry. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpiletso Motumi at The Star
Two security officers and a third person killed in violent protest at Limpopo’s Annesley mine in Tubatse News24 reports that a violent protest on Monday at the Annesley Mine in Tubatse outside Burgersfort has left three people, two of whom were mine security guards, dead. Four people have been arrested and were scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday on charges of murder, robbery and malicious damage to property. More arrests are expected. Police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo reported: "A group of protesters from Segorong village allegedly went to the said mine at about 10:15 and on arrival they demanded to see the management. They then allegedly overwhelmed the security officers on duty, disarmed them and during the confrontation some shots were fired. The windows of the guardroom were also smashed." The two security guards were shot in the altercation. One died on the scene and the other died in hospital on Tuesday. One of the protesters was also shot and succumbed to his wounds at the local clinic. Police officers recovered a rifle allegedly stolen from one of the security guards, but are still searching for the pistol used in the murders. "The motive for this violent protest will be determined by the unfolding police investigations," Mojapelo indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24 Harmony Gold employee killed in engineering-related incident at Moab Khotsong mine on Monday Mining Weekly reports that gold producer Harmony Gold Mining reports that an employee was fatally injured at its Moab Khotsong mine, in Orkney, in the North West, following an engineering-related incident on 15 March. “Safety is a foundational value at Harmony and it is of utmost importance that we ensure a safe working environment at all our operations,” said Harmony CEO Peter Steenkamp. Harmony’s management team extended its condolences to the deceased’s family, friends and co-workers. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Hawks head tells parliament the elite investigation unit is operating on less than 50% capacity BusinessLive reports that the boss of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI), Godfrey Lebeya, has painted a dire picture of its resourcing constraints, saying the unit was operating at less than 50% capacity. The Hawks, as the DPCI is also known, investigates priority crimes for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to institute criminal prosecutions. Lebeya addressed parliament’s portfolio committee on justice and correctional services on Tuesday on a joint report by the Hawks, the NPA and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) which provided updates into investigations into corruption at the state attorney and the master’s office and probes into Covid-19 corruption. When asked about the capacity constraints in law enforcement agencies, Lebeya told the committee that while the Hawks were getting 103 new personnel, it was still an interim measure. He said the Hawks were operating on about 47% capacity and needed more resources, even though the situation had improved. The unit was moving towards ensuring it operated with a staff complement of 100%, but this would take time he said. Breaking down the numbers, Lebeya said the DPCI had about 21,000 cases and fewer than 2,000 investigators, which was less than what they needed as one case docket did not mean only one investigator was working on it. Lebeya pointed out that the workload in general was more than what they could speedily complete. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Claudi Mailovich at BusinessLive
Estate Agency Affairs Board ordered to issue all outstanding estate agents’ licences within fifteen days BL Premium reports that Gauteng High Court judge Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane on Monday ordered the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) to provide all outstanding licences to estate agents within the next fifteen days. SA estate agents need to have valid fidelity fund certificates (FFCs) to sell properties. It is a criminal offence for any person to act as an estate agent without a valid licence. The judge gave the board urgent deadlines by which it must either issue the outstanding licences to each qualified agent and agency listed in the court application, or notify them of valid reasons for not doing so. The board was also ordered to file a report with the court within 30 days detailing the number of applications they received on or before 31 October 2020, how many of these applications were approved for certification, and how many certificates have been issued. In February, the Real Estate Business Owners of SA (Rebosa) took the board, which controls and regulates certain activities of estates agents, to court for failing to issue operating licences on time. Rebosa said it represented about 46,000 agents in the country and that many of them had not yet received their certificates for 2021. CEO Jan le Roux said they believed thousands of licenses were outstanding. But, EAAB CEO Mamodupi Mohlala-Mulaudzi sought to belittle the crisis in February, saying that Rebosa wanted to draw attention away from bigger issues such as transformation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alistair Anderson at BusinessLive (paywall access only) HPCSA suspends 16 employees implicated in bribery and corruption involving the expediting of registrations News24 reports that the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) has placed 16 employees on precautionary suspension, after they were implicated in bribery and corruption involving the expediting of registration processes. The suspensions followed findings in an investigation into maladministration, corruption and fraud that had been under way since 2019. The investigation, covering the period 2016 to 2019 and undertaken by the Special Investigating Unit, was approved by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the request of the HPCSA. Several reports have since been received by the council. The most recent on Friday implicated several employees in acts of corruption or bribery involving the expediting of registration processes. As a result, 16 employees were placed on precautionary suspension as part of the disciplinary processes in line with the HPCSA's disciplinary codes and procedures. "The HPCSA condemns such unethical business practices within the organisation and it is committed to ensure that such behaviour does not occur in the future," said HPCSA president Professor Simon Nemutandani. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24
BMF calls for suspension of Eskom CEO, who is facing racism allegations SowetanLive reports that the Black Management Forum (BMF) has called for the suspension of Eskom group chief executive officer Andre de Ruyter, who has been the parastatal's CEO since 15 January 2020. He is facing allegations of racism, which were levelled against him by suspended chief procurement officer Solly Tshitangano. According to Tshitangano, De Ruyter has been purging black suppliers, which De Ruyter has denied. The BMF, a development and advocacy organisation for black professionals, managers and entrepreneurs, on Tuesday said it was astonished that De Ruyter could continue with his normal responsibilities at the power utility while an inquiry instituted by the state-owned entity's board was underway. The BMF said failure to put De Ruyter on ice contravened numerous governance and labour law principles. It went on to say: "At the time of his appointment, the organisation warned that his employment was a setback in the country’s pursuit of racial transformation in top management positions. The BMF has since received numerous complaints from employees and suppliers of Eskom about the prevailing white supremacy culture that is inculcated by the new leadership, led by the GCEO." When announcing the probe against De Ruyter last week, Eskom said it would be appointing an independent senior counsel to "establish the veracity and the basis to the allegations". Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpho Sibanyoni at SowetanLive
Female prison warder caught on camera having sex with inmate faces disciplinary measures HeraldLive reports that the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is set to take action against a female warder who was caught on video having sex with an inmate at a prison in KwaZulu-Natal. The graphic video has gone viral on social media. DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said the video, with scenes of alleged sexual activity between the official and an inmate at the Ncome Correctional Centrehas, has left the department appalled, embarrassed and gutted. “Sexual activities between inmates and correctional officials are shameful incidents that can never be ascribed to what is expected of our officials,” said Nxumalo. He said that the official involved had been identified and would be subjected to a disciplinary process with immediate effect, adding that correctional officials were expected to abide by a code of conduct at all times. Nxumalo advised that disciplinary measures had also been instituted against the inmate. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Promise Marupeng at TimesLIVE
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