STRIKE DISMISSALS

Steve Tshwete municipality in Mpumalanga fires hundreds of workers who took part in three-month strike

News24 reports that the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality in Mpumalanga has fired 400 employees who participated in a three-month protest that crippled service delivery in Middelburg and caused damage to infrastructure. Municipal manager Bheki Khenisa confirmed that the 400 employees were served with dismissal notices on Friday. Another 100 employees from the civil engineering department will be served with similar notices on Monday. The protest was mainly started by infrastructure and technical services staff.   Later, other departments, including library services, joined in. For three months, engineers, firefighters, electricians and parks services employees stayed away from work in Middelburg. They were fired for their absence from work since 21 September.   According to Khenisa, the strike was illegal and workers failed to comply with a 48-hour ultimatum to return to work on 8 November. The workers accused senior municipal officials and leaders of having links to several companies that were contracted to work for the municipality.   One of their demands was that outsourced services should be ended. The notices were addressed to employees who were members of the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) as well as the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Malibongwe Dayimani at News24

PROTESTS / PICKETS

Disgruntled ANC staffers to resume picket over late salary payments on Monday

TimesLIVE reports that ANC staff members will be bearing placards again when their suspended picket over salaries resumes on Monday. ANC staff representative Mvusi Mdala said disgruntled employees at the party’s Luthuli House HQ would be joining staff picketing at provincial offices from 12pm.   Staff are protesting against late payment of salaries and the party’s alleged failure to pay over medical aid and provident fund contributions. The action was suspended in September for staff to focus on winning the local government elections. At the time Mdala said the decision to suspend the strike was taken “to work for a decisive victory” for the ANC in the local government elections on 1 November. It was reported in August that the ANC had been battling with cash flow for months and had an unsettled R80m Sars tax bill. While the party deducted pay-as-you-earn tax from staff salaries, it allegedly did not pay the money over to Sars. The party has also reportedly failed to pay over provident and pension fund contributions for more than two years. In their letter of demand, staff said they wanted all pension and provident fund contributions to be paid immediately, as well as outstanding salaries for July and August.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Patrick at TimesLIVE. Read too, ANC staff: This is worst leadership ever, at City Press (subscriber access only)

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

Doctors, patients robbed at gunpoint at Protea North medical centre

SowetanLive reports that doctors have come under siege again with medical centres being targeted by criminals under the guise of being patients. Criminals swoop on unsuspecting doctors, patients and employees, hold them hostage before making off with their belongings, including cash, cellphones and laptops. In an incident that occurred last week, a surgery was hit in Protea North with the doctor robbed at gunpoint by three suspects – one of whom entered the surgery pretending to be a patient with a stomach complaint. Dr George Vilakazi reported that the robbers made off with about R8,500, cellphones and jewellery. Before being seen by Vilakazi, the suspect inquired about the pricing and said he did not have money on him but was waiting for someone to bring it. “He went outside and made a call and we heard him asking his compatriots where they were. He then returned and filled out the form and wrote his name as Thabo Mngomezulu.   In the consulting room, I asked him to lay on the bed so that I could examine him but before I could do anything, he sprang to his feet and pulled out a firearm,” Vilakazi reported. The suspect and his accomplices rounded up seven patients and three staff members before marshalling them into the consultation room. They tied their hands with cable ties and took their belongings. Although traumatised, the victims were not physically harmed. A dental surgery a few kilometres away was recently robbed when criminals made off with an undisclosed amount of money, cellphones and other valuables.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tankiso Makhetha at SowetanLIVE

COVID RELIEF FUNDS

National Arts Council charges suspended CEO and CFO over disbursement of R300m to struggling artists during pandemic

News24 reports that the National Arts Council (NAC), which was at the centre of corruption allegations in the disbursement of R300 million meant for artists and creatives during the Covid-19 pandemic, has charged its suspended CEO Rosemary Mangope and CFO Clifton Changfoot.   The NAC released a forensic report into allegation of mismanagement of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Package (PESP) this weekend. The investigation was launched in July and completed and submitted to Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa in September. The report found Mangope failed to properly manage and direct the stimulus package in that she failed to ensure internal control and financial management were carried out. She was found to have misrepresented information to the executive committee which continued to approve funding for applications beyond the allocated PESP budget, when no formal submission requesting additional funding from National Treasury had been requested. Changfoot was found to have failed to exercise financial and management oversight when more than R8 million was awarded to applicants even though no approval had been granted by the executive committee. The report recommended the NAC should take action against project managers, 21 panel members and the executive committee.   The creative industry was left reeling when the Covid-19 pandemic forced lockdowns for almost two years, preventing artists and creatives from earning a living. Artists took matters into their own hands and camped inside the NAC offices in Newtown in downtown Johannesburg demanding that management address their concerns over the payments.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Getrude Makhafola at News24

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• End to Covid R350 grant sparks fears of humanitarian crisis, at SowetanLIVE
• We will go hungry without Covid relief grant, say recipients, at SowetanLIVE

MEDIUM TERM BUDGET FRAMEWORK

Samwu welcomes Treasury’s allocation of R450bn to help municipalities deliver basic services

BL Premium reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has welcomed the Treasury’s decision to inject R450bn into struggling municipalities. According to the department of co-operative governance & traditional affairs’ local government barometer, “64 municipalities are currently dysfunctional, 111 on the brink of dysfunctionality, while only 16 out of 257 are stable”, Dumisane Magagula, the union’s general secretary, noted. He added: “The challenges faced by these municipalities are financial in nature.   In Kopanong Local Municipality in the Free State, workers have not been paid their salaries for three months.”   According to Magagula, several municipalities are deducting money for third parties such as medical aid, pension fund and funeral policies from workers’ salaries but this money never gets to the third parties, resulting in the lapsing of policies. Samwu, which represents about 160,000 of the country’s 300,000 municipal workers, said the challenges faced by municipalities necessitated the need for such interventions by national and provincial governments. “This would ensure that municipalities are stabilised to ensure continued and improved service delivery to residents.” The country’s 257 municipalities, which are at the coalface of service delivery, have received a shot in the arm with an allocation of more than R450bn from the fiscus over the 2022 medium-term expenditure framework.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

‘Two-pot’ plan on the table to access pension funds, Godongwana assures

Business Report writes that the National Treasury will soon publish a discussion document on the details of the proposal for retirement funds reform before further announcements are made in the 2022 February Budget. This was a promise made by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Thursday when he tabled the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) in Parliament. There has been a raging debate about the Pension Funds Amendment Bill which aims to allow workers who are in financial distress to access a portion of their retirement savings. The retirement funds industry has expressed general sympathy towards the objectives of the bill to provide relief to those members of pension funds who were in financial difficulties, but wants it done in the right way. Godongwana reiterated the National Treasury’s position on the issue, saying the government was taking careful considerations around the legislative amendments so as not to collapse the critical pension funds industry. He said they were proposing measures to boost household savings by increasing preservation before retirement and to increase flexibility through partial access to retirement funds through a “two-pot” system. “In terms of this system, individuals would be able to access contributions to the one pot, while contributions to the other pot would be saved until retirement.   These measures would require legislative changes and further consultation. Limited withdrawals would also depend on affordability and liquidity of funds,” he indicated. The Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) last week called for the fast-tracking of the policy and legislative process of accessing portions of pension funds.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siphelele Dludla in Business Report of 12 November 2021

MINING LABOUR

‘We were confident activities would not have caused mine collapse’, geologist tells Lily Mine inquest

News24Wire reports that according to former Lily Mine geologist Michael Begg, they did not foresee the collapse that led to the closure of the Mpumalanga gold mine. On 5 February 2016, a shipping container above a crown pillar at the mine fell into a sinkhole, trapping three workers, Solomon Nyirenda, Pretty Nkambule and Yvonne Mnisi, underground. Testifying in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court at an inquest into the mine collapse, Begg said they were confident that what they had been doing at the mine would not have caused it to collapse. "What happened is shocking," Begg said.   He pointed out that the entire Lily Mine was under the crown pillar, and they mined under it. "The mine was dry and there was no water coming underground. We didn't have any issues with water underground. The ventilator shaft was never wet. Dust underground was one of our major issues," Begg said. He later praised former mine engineer Rudiger Kersten as a well-known expert in the Lowveld mining area. "He was an experienced engineer. He was a good man. He was not a haphazard, incompetent and [error-making] engineer.   When we started going underground in 2011, Kersten requested to retire and could not carry on," Begg advised.   According to a report prepared by Kersten, he (Kersten) had raised concerns about the mine structure and had suggested that the entrance of the mine be moved. He allegedly foresaw the collapse of the crown pillar. The inquest hearing continues.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly

Growth strategy has created thousands of jobs at Northam Platinum

Business Times reports that Northam Platinum’s CEO Paul Dunne credits the stellar performance of the platinum group metals (PGMs) miner to the growth strategy it has been pursuing, which he says is informed by a belief in the inherent value and long-term demand for the scarce metals they produce, particularly in a cleaner and greener world.   “Northam’s strong performance can be attributed to our unfolding strategy of sustainable production growth down the cost curve. We embarked on this strategy during the depressed commodity market of 2015, employing countercyclical investment in acquisitive and organic growth, positioning the company for strong financial performance while also derisking our operations against subdued or volatile commodity markets,” Dunne indicated. “Since the inception of our growth strategy, we have created more than 8,000 sustainable, direct jobs in some of the least economically developed areas of our country. This year alone we have added 2,300 jobs and this, against the backdrop of a struggling national economy. The majority of new employees are previously unskilled members of the communities local to our operations. We hire, train and upskill them with transferable competencies,” Dunne added.   He pointed out that mining was a primary industry and the multiplier effect of the company’s growth stimulated local economies, creating significant numbers of indirect jobs as well.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Aurelia Mbokazi at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining

• Thirty entrepreneurs graduate from De Beers’ enterprise coaching programme, at Mining Weekly

BUSINESS RESCUE

Mango employees wait anxiously for creditors meeting on Monday

Business Times reports that Mango’s more than 700 employees are anxiously waiting to see whether creditors will on Monday pass the low-cost carrier’s business rescue plan — which aims to get it back in the sky by December — or whether it will be amended with its business rescue practitioners having to go back to the drawing board. Mango Pilots Association chair Jordan Butler said if the plan was amended at Monday’s creditors meeting, as suggested by Mango shareholder SAA in correspondence with business rescue practitioner Sipho Sono, it could mean Mango would be “mothballed” and its 708 employees retrenched. Butler stated that Sono wanted the low-cost carrier back in the sky by December in time for the lucrative festive season, but this “seems highly unlikely as the SAA board is insisting Mr Sono change his already published plan”. This is detailed in correspondence between the business rescue practitioner and SAA.   Interim SAA chair John Lamola said there was no “misalignment” between the SAA board and the business rescue practitioner, with it rather being a matter of when Mango’s operations should resume. But Butler said he believed SAA was opposed to Mango returning to the skies because of the perceived threat to its own operations and that its return could also potentially cause problems for Takatso Consortium’s proposed bid to acquire a controlling stake in SAA. Takatso is SAA's preferred strategic equity partner and is currently negotiating with the Department of Public Enterprises about the purchase price for a 51% interest in SAA.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nick Wilson at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

DISMISSALS

Former SANDF employees who were fired for deserting training in Cuba appeal to secure reinstatement

The Star reports that a group of SA National Defence Force (SANDF) employees who were axed for deserting training in Cuba, where they were sent to study medicine, are fighting for reinstatement. The group included army clinical associates, nurses and dental technicians, many of whom had been in the employ of the SANDF for more than 10 years. They arrived in Cuba during August 2017 for learning and training at the Military Infantry School and would have become doctors after completion. The 35 refused to go to class from 11 February 2019 citing a range of grievances. The SANDF accused them of committing mutiny and the Chief of the Defence Force fired them without a hearing. Letters given to the 35 on 26 March 2019, but dated 25 February 2019, advised that the Chief of the Defence Force was “left with no alternative to make a decision without hearing your side”. On their return to SA, the 35 were escorted by military police to clear out their units, and sent home. These details were deposed in a series of court applications the group launched against the SANDF. They are seeking reinstatement to their old jobs on the basis that they were axed without a hearing. A board of inquiry should have been held to test if they deserved to be fired on the grounds that they absented themselves from the army for 30 days, they maintain. Their first application, brought at the North Gauteng High Court, was successful.   But the SANDF triumphed on appeal before a full Bench at the South Gauteng High Court. The 35 have now launched an appeal application at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), which will be heard later this month.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bongani Nkosi on page 5 of The Star of 12 November 2021

WORKPLACE CRIME

Female prison warder in court for possession of illegal drugs worth R870,000

IOL reports that a 37-year-old female prison warder has appeared in the Witbank Magistrate’s Court for allegedly dealing in drugs.   Tinyiko Claudia Mathebula, based at Paxton correctional services in Witbank, was arrested at around 3am on Thursday. Hawks provincial spokesperson in Mpumalanga Captain Dineo Sekgotodi said the court released Mathebula on R3,000 bail, and postponed the case to 27 January for further investigation. Sekgotodi reported that a joint police team swiftly acted on information received about the prison warden who was allegedly dealing in drugs. A search warrant was obtained and executed at Mathebula’s house. “An assortment of drugs that include 2,474.4 grams of Crystal meth, 79.8 grams of cocaine, 1.6 grams of cocaine rock, 15.4 grams of heroin worth an all-inclusive value of R870,000 as well as cash notes totaling R70,000 were found and seized for further investigation,” said Sekgotodi. Last week, the SAPS in Mpumalanga has arrested a 34-year-old man for possession of dagga, estimated at about R330 000.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jonisayi Maromo at IOL

ALLEGED SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Absa fires Sipho Pityana as lead independent director, but he remains a member of the board

BL Premium reports that Absa has removed Sipho Pityana as lead independent director roughly three weeks after it emerged that he was suing the banking regulator for allegedly blocking his appointment as chair of the bank. In a statement on Friday, Absa informed shareholders that its board had decided that Pityana would “with immediate effect” cease to be lead independent director, chair of the group’s remuneration committee and, as a consequence, a member of its directors’ affairs committee. For the time being Pityana will remain a member of Absa’s board.   On 25 October, it was reported that Pityana had taken the extraordinary step of taking the Prudential Authority (PA) to court for allegedly blocked his appointment as Absa chair. Pityana filed papers to the high court asking it to declare that the PA, which falls under the auspices of the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) and which regulates the country’s banks, had unlawfully conducted an “informal process” with the boards of Absa Bank and Absa Holdings to block his nomination. In his court papers, Pityana said that through an “informal process” the PA had conducted deliberations about him that involved external parties — in particular, his successor as chair of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA), Maria Ramos — concerning a “false and untrue allegation” of sexual harassment that was made against him in 2020. Upon being made aware of the sexual harassment allegations, Absa commissioned its own independent legal review of the AGA investigation and findings and found that the mining group’s report was flawed. Though Pityana said the Absa board had initially resolved to nominate him, it withdrew that decision after its own investigation when SARB deputy governor Kuben Naidoo indicated that the regulator would object to it.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thabiso Mochiko and Nick Wilson at BusinessLive. Read too, Legal wrangle hangs over Absa axing of Pityana as lead independent director, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)