In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Public inquiry into Denel blast that killed eight resumed on Tuesday, 17 witnesses lined up News24 reports that a witness broke down during the second part of the public inquiry into the 2018 blast that killed eight people at the Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) plant in Macassar, which kicked off on Tuesday. Edmunt Daniels, one of the team leaders at the mixing facilities who worked with supervisor Nico Samuels, told the inquiry that Samuels would never have done anything to jeopardise the company or anyone's safety. Samuels died in the explosion. His name came up several times in the inquiry when previous witnesses testified that he had used his private vehicle to transport explosives. Daniels broke down on Tuesday when he testified about Samuels' work ethic and character. Indicating that they wanted to get to the bottom of what happened that day, the legal representatives for Denel told Daniels they understood how hard the process had been for him and the families. Another witness, Vershan Govender, who was the acting head of the site, testified that nothing out of the ordinary happened on the day the explosion occurred. "Everything was running well. There were no problems at the time," he said. Govender noted that different products were made at the facilities and that he was unable to say what was being produced at the time of the explosion. The inquiry is being conducted by the Department of Employment and Labour and the first session was held in May, when 13 witnesses were cross-examined. Over the next few days, 17 witnesses are lined up to give evidence. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24 'SA becoming a dangerous place for journalists', warns Sanef after TV crew robbed at gunpoint in Cape Town News24 reports that two television journalists who were robbed at gunpoint in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, described the experience as one of the scariest days of their entire careers. Journalist for e.tv, Natalie Malgas and cameraman Lance Manjoro were robbed on Monday after they had finished interviewing community leaders in the township, as part of the channel's municipal election coverage. They were robbed outside a local primary school. Malgas reported: "Two of the robbers had guns and the one who appeared to be the ringleader cocked a weapon in my face. They shouted that we hand over our phones, laptops and camera." She said the robbers cleaned out the boot, taking everything, including their tripod bag and other belongings, and then fled on foot. One robber even came back and grabbed a phone charger. The journalists got into their vehicle and stopped a nearby police patrol to ask for help. The SA National Editors' Forum (Sanef) condemned the act of criminality. It added that it was concerned that, barely a month ago, an eNCA crew had been robbed in the same township, while Newzroom Afrika journalists had been robbed in East London. Noting that attacks were becoming a norm, Saned stated: "South Africa is becoming a very dangerous place for journalists and, apart from attacks on the field, journalists also face cyber-bulling and severe attacks on social media platforms." Sanef added that such attacks place an enormous physical and emotional burden on journalists, who are already exposed to challenging conditions under the Covid-19 pandemic. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cebelihle Mthethwa at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Amid ongoing Numsa strike, Seifsa urges members to implement final wage offer Engineering News reports that the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) has strongly recommended that affiliated member companies should start implementing a final wage offer put forward by the federation last week. The increases in terms of the final offer amount to wage hikes of between 5% and 6% in the metals and engineering sector, depending on job grade. The improved offer to metalworker unions was made in an effort to end strike action led since early October by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa). “While we request individual member companies to be guided by this recommendation, we, nevertheless, implore member companies to be guided by circumstances and the prevailing industrial relations climate on each and every shop floor,” the federation stated. Of the five unions that have bargained with Seifsa, Solidarity and Uasa have accepted the new offer. The SA Equity Workers Association has rejected the new offer, but its members are not out on strike. Numsa and the Metal and Electrical Workers Union of SA (Mewusa) remain on strike. Should companies elect to implement the new offer, the implications will be that all scheduled employees, barring Numsa and Mewusa members, would receive the increases. If an individual Numsa or Mewusa member elects to abandon participation in the strike and signs an undertaking, he or she would also receive the increase. Implementation of the final offer means that employees would be entitled to back-pay from 1 July. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News. Read too, Employer group warns of wage and jobs wipeout if Numsa strike drags on, at Fin24 (subscriber access only). And also, Steel sector strike moves into third week as Numsa members reject 6% wage offer, at EWN
Hundreds march to Union Buildings over health system corruption, tell of ignorance and bigotry on part of clinic staff GroundUp reports that more than 200 people marched from Loftus Stadium to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Monday to protest against corruption in the health system, which is believed to be a root cause of failing public health facilities. According to the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), 90% of public health facilities in SA are in a poor state. The protestors called on President Cyril Ramaphosa “to act quickly to bring all perpetrators of corruption and financial mismanagement and maladministration to book”. TAC general secretary Anele Yawa handed a memorandum to Deputy Minister of Health Sibongiseni Dhlomo and to Mandla Feni from the Presidency. “Underpinning the collapse of the health system is pervasive corruption and a dire lack of accountability of public officials. Corruption and theft of public funds is rife in the Department of Health at all levels. We call on the Minister of Health to suspend all officials implicated in the Digital Vibes corruption scandal with immediate effect and to open criminal cases against them. We demand to know what systems will be put in place to recoup this money stolen from the health department,” said Yawa. Dhlomo indicated that the department would start internal disciplinary processes and suspensions and would keep the public updated. It would also not oppose prosecutions brought against its officials. TAC chairperson Sibongile Tshabalala said that its community-led monitoring program in all provinces apart from the Northern Cape found that “facilities are in shambles” Tshabalala also said a lack of choice in contraception methods was an ongoing problem, and women seeking abortions were still stigmatised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mosima Rafapa at GroundUp Forty-two of the 53 military veteran protestors accused of holding two ministers, deputy minister hostage granted bail News24 reports that eleven of the 53 military veterans accused of taking two ministers and a deputy minister hostage have previous convictions, the Pretoria Magistrate's Court heard on Tuesday. Of the 53 accused, 42 were granted R500 bail each as the State did not oppose the applications. One accused did not appear in court as he was still in hospital and 11 others will formally apply for bail on Friday. The State did not specify the convictions of each of the 11 accused, but said the crimes ranged from robbery to murder. But, the legal representative of one of the accused, Zakhele Ximba, claimed that he did not have a record. During the bail applications on Tuesday, advocate Dali Mpofu, SC, representing 30 of the accused, raised issues around what he said was the "continuous assault of the accused". He further alleged that cellphones were confiscated from the accused without their permission, while they were also forced to hand over their pin numbers for investigations. The court also heard that the charge sheet had been amended, with the accused now facing 27 charges, namely one charge of conspiracy to kidnap and 26 charges of kidnapping. The hostage drama happened at 19:15 last Thursday at St George's Hotel when a group of military veterans demanded an audience with President Cyril Ramaphosa and his deputy, David Mabuza, to address their concerns. The group of veterans, who met with the Minister of Defence, her deputy and the Minister in the Presidency and then took them hostage, was demanding millions in reparations for their role in the anti-apartheid struggle. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24. Read too, Eleven former military vets kept in prison as bail bid postponed to Friday, at BusinessLive
Rescue under way at Northern Cape diamond mine for at least 12 illegal miners missing after tunnel collapse TimesLIVE reports that the rescue of at least 12 artisanal diamond miners trapped in collapsed tunnels at a diamond mine in the Northern Cape will be hazardous and difficult. The 12 were among dozens of miners working underground at the shuttered Nuttaboy Mine on the outskirts of Springbok in Namaqualand when several handmade tunnels collapsed on Wednesday last week. The alarm was raised after a miner managed to dig his way out. Five miners are thought to have died in the incident. The mine is owned by West Coast Resources. Springbok mayor Marvin Cloete told the SABC that rescue operations were under way, but were possible only during the day for safety reasons. Den Williams of Mines Rescue Services said crews had been dispatched to the mine and they were currently investigating the incident and conducting an assessment. He explained: “You cannot risk a life to save a life. Before a rescue is launched a thorough assessment has to be conducted.” Williams added that collapsed tunnel and shaft rescues were extremely difficult. SA has 950 mine rescue specialists, located at mines across the country. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Graeme Hosken at BusinessLive AMCU and other unions to take Sibanye to CCMA over wage negotiation impasse Mining Weekly reports that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), along with other trade unions in the gold mining sector, plans to take Sibanye-Stillwater to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) over a wage dispute at the miner’s gold operations. Sibanye is the only company in the sector that has been unable to reach agreement with trade unions on the wage increases for the coming three years. On Tuesday, AMCU said it was “a similar situation” when compared to the previous round of wage negotiations in 2018, which eventually led to a five-month protracted strike which spilled over into 2019. At the time, all other companies had also reached settlements with trade unions, but Sibanye had not. Sibanye’s latest offer for surface and underground workers is R400 for the first year of the agreement, and 3.4% for artisans, miners and officials. This is in stark contrast to the R1,000 agreement reached with Harmony Gold, which at 40,000 is the biggest employer in the gold mining sector . Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Exxaro Resources in partnership with Dis-Chem Pharmacies vaccinates head office employees Mining Weekly reports that back empowered mining company Exxaro Resources has partnered with pharmacy group Dis-Chem to vaccinate its employees, contractors and their next of kin at the Exxaro head office, the conneXXion. The partnership commenced in August and, as at 15 October, more than 570 people had received the Covid-19 vaccination through the partnership. “Our partnership with Dis-Chem and the various provincial departments of health where we have mining and renewable energy operations, is our continued effort to protect our employees and their families in line with our Zero Harm policy, which also ensures that we provide access to basic healthcare services,” said Exxaro safety and health GM Dr Joseph Matjila. As part of Exxaro’s commitment to fighting Covid-19, its Occupational Health Centres at its Grootegeluk and Matla complexes have been accredited as vaccination sites and it has established partnerships with the provincial health administrations in Limpopo and Mpumalanga to assist in accelerating vaccination uptake. As at 15 October, Exxaro had vaccinated 7,667 employees across all its operations and was aiming to reach herd immunity of 80% in support of the target of reaching that milestone by November. According to the Minerals Council SA (previously called the Chamber of Mines), 41% of mining employees are partially or fully vaccinated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
With exemption permits expiring in November, Zimbabweans ask Gauteng High Court to declare them permanent residents Moneyweb reports that the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit Holders Association, representing roughly 250,000 Zimbabweans in SA, has asked the Gauteng High Court to declare its members permanent residents. Their Zimbabwe Exemption Permits are due to expire in November 2021. They have also asked the court to direct the Minister of Home Affairs to issue them with SA ID documents on the grounds that they are permanent residents of SA in terms of the Immigration Act read together with the Identification Act. Furthermore, they have asked the court to review and set aside the decision by Home Affairs not to renew residency permits “knowing that the holders of the permit have known no other home besides South Africa for more than 10 years”. This decision was unconscionable, irrational, unreasonable and unconstitutional, according to the court papers. Zimbabwean Exemption Permit holders have a constitutional right to an equal path to citizenship in SA, and that right was being withheld, the association claimed. Advocate Simba Chitando, representing the applicants in the case, argued: “The problem faced by many hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans in SA is that they have been here for 10 years or longer under a variety of different permits, and it is generally conceded that they make a huge contribution to the SA economy, yet these permits do not allow them to enjoy the benefits that come with permanent residence, such as full access to banking facilities, or the right to accumulate pension savings. We argue that it is past time to grant permanent residence to those Zimbabweans who have been living and working in SA in a kind of no-man’s land. We believe it is reasonable to expect to be granted permanent residence when the ZEPs expire, which they do in November 2021.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ciaran Ryan at Moneyweb
Stellenbosch teacher resigns amid allegations of sexual offences against pupil IOL reports that a Stellenbosch teacher has resigned after allegations of sexual offences relating to a pupil arose. The teacher who taught at Idas Valley Primary School was arrested on 22 September and was released on bail on 8 October. The alleged incident did not occur at school. Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond indicated: “A teacher was arrested on September 22, 2021 for an incident that allegedly took place after school and not on the school premises. The teacher resigned and it is a deemed dismissal. He is currently out on bail. Support for the pupil is ongoing. Support to pupils and staff has also been arranged.” The news of the allegations against the teacher spread shock waves through the community. The school released a communication on Monday on its Facebook page and assured parents that it would do everything in its power to ensure the safety of pupils. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Robin-Lee Francke at IOL Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Emfuleni municipal manager Lucky Leseane placed under suspension again IOL reports that the embattled Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng has again placed its municipal manager Lucky Leseane on suspension for undisclosed reasons, notwithstanding the country facing municipal elections within the next two weeks. Emfuleni Local Municipality’s mayoral spokesperson Lebo Mofokeng on Tuesday dismissed social media reports that Leseane had been fired and indicated instead: “The Emfuleni Local Council in its sitting held on the July 29 resolved to put Mr Leseane on precautionary suspension pending consideration of an investigation report into allegations of serious misconduct and poor performance.” She, however, did not disclose the contents of the allegations against Leseane saying the report was tabled as confidential. Leseane confirmed he had been placed on precautionary suspension. He said he was still waiting for the investigation report, but would co-operate if the investigators had found anything against him. He indicated that he had joined the municipality in March last year and that his performance had not this year been assessed. Last year in October, Leseane had been placed on suspension by the same municipality, but the Labour Court in Braamfontein overturned it in November. The court’s decision followed after Leseane filed an urgent application challenging the decision of the council to place him on suspension without an option of summoning him for a disciplinary hearing. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Baldwin Ndaba at IOL
Zweli Mkhize in court bid to set aside SIU’s findings on Digital Vibes scandal The Citizen reports that former health minister Zweli Mkhize has approached the High Court in Johannesburg to set aside the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU’s) findings into the Digital Vibes contract. In a founding affidavit dated 14 October, Mkhize reportedly claimed that had his submissions and evidence been taken into account, the SIU would have come to a different conclusion regarding his alleged involvement in the appointment of Digital Vibes. Mkhize further argued the SIU report ended his career as a public servant, and as a result, the findings and recommendations be declared unlawful and unconstitutional. The SIU carried out the probe into the irregular tender earlier this year after claims that Mkhize and his family personally benefited from the contract, which was for the department’s National Health Insurance (NHI) communication work andm, later, Covid-19 media campaigns. The SIU report, released last month, found the Digital Vibes contract was irregularly awarded, with procurement procedures not followed, National Treasury regulations flouted, officials with conflicts of interest, fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R72 million and irregular expenditure of R150 million. The SIU found that Mkhize, his associates and direct family members contravened the provisions of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act in that they “paid and received gratifications” resulting from the fact that the department had irregularly and unlawfully awarded contracts to and paid Digital Vibes in respect of the NHI and the Covid-19 media campaigns. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen
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