This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Albert Fritz steps aside as Western Cape Community Safety MEC amid sexual assault allegations News24 reports that Western Cape Premier Alan Winde on Monday announced that Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC Anroux Marais, would be acting as Community Safety MEC following the suspension of incumbent Albert Fritz, who had elected to step down amid sexual assault allegations. Winde added that he was presently not at liberty to disclose details of the allegations as a result of specific requests by the complainants for the matter to be kept confidential. He promised to provide further updates as soon as possible. Meantime, Jaco Londt, the DA's Western Cape chairperson confirmed that Fritz had requested that he be excused from his duties as provincial leader until end of February. “The provincial executive committee accepted this and the deputy leader, MEC Tertuis Simmers, will be acting leader for the time being. We view these allegations in a very serious light and the investigation must be allowed to run its course unhindered," Londt stated. In May 2021, Fritz was elected leader of the DA’s biggest province. Four independent sources confirmed that sexual assault allegations were at the core of his suspension. A direct source who has knowledge of the suspension indicated: "He [Fritz] allegedly sexually assaulted young female workers in his office." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix, Juniour Khumalo and Adriaan Basson at News24. Read too, Western Cape MEC Albert Fritz suspended following sexual assault allegations, at BusinessLive. And also, ANC requests urgent sitting for Winde to explain Albert Fritz's alleged sexual misconduct, at News24 Four senior officials reportedly suspended for their involvement in Albert Fritz sex scandal News24 reports four more Western Cape Government officials have been suspended in the wake of the sexual assault scandal involving former Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz. The four senior officials were all working in Fritz's ministry and have all been accused of procuring and grooming the women for Fritz. Sources have told News24 that David Abrahams, head of Fritz's ministry, is among the officials who were suspended. Western Cape Premier Alan Winde on Monday announced that Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC Anroux Marais would be acting as Community Safety MEC following the suspension of incumbent Albert Fritz. Marais' appointment as acting Community Safety MEC comes after Fritz asked his party bosses to allow him to step aside amid the sexual assault allegations, nine months into his tenure as the DA's leader in the Western Cape. Fritz took over as the DA's interim leader in the Western Cape after the resignation of Bonginkosi Madikizela last year. Madikizela resigned after it was revealed that he falsely claimed on his CV that he had a BCom degree. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix and Adriaan Basson at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Calls for tighter security at schools after four shot and killed within weeks of return to classes SowetanLive reports that there are growing calls for law enforcement and security to be intensified at schools following a number of fatal shooting incidents in various schools across the country. At least four people (two pupils, a general assistant and a deputy principal) have died after three shooting incidents barely two weeks since schools reopened, sparking fears that violence will escalate if nothing is done. In an incident on 17 January in Etwatwa near Daveyton, on the East Rand, three gun-wielding men assaulted the principal of Caiphus Nyoka Secondary School, threatening to kill her if she did not resign. On Friday, Thembisile Ngendane was shot and killed outside Phomolong Secondary School in Tembisa. Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said “those tasked with ensuring that we are protected have to up their game and assist us. It’s disturbing and worrying that people can just wait for a teacher and shoot that teacher. The price of training a teacher is too much.” He added that it was time the police prioritised schools when conducting patrols as schools were a reflection of a violent society. Mugwena Maluleke of the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union, commented: “We cannot continue holding unending memorial services for our learners and educators without action being taken by our education department and communities to end these senseless killings. We urge the police to leave no stone unturned in investigating and securing tight prosecution and conviction.” Tim Hlongwane of the SA Principals Associations in Gauteng, indicated: “We advise our colleagues not to arrive too early (at school) or leave too late. Those are the times when these criminals attack.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Yoliswa Sobuwa and Isaac Mahlangu at SowetanLive. Read too, Teachers fear for their lives after deputy principal gunned down outside school, at The Citizen (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
BLSA says Covid-19 workplace restrictions must be reconsidered Engineering News reports that in her weekly newsletter, Business Leadership SA (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso argued that it was time for SA to review Covid-19 restrictions on workplaces. She noted that Covid-19 restrictions were last relaxed at the end of December, when gatherings of up to 1,000 people were permitted indoors and the curfew abolished. Since then, the Omicron wave has firmly receded. “But restrictions have not yet been relaxed for workplaces, leaving many companies unable to resume normal operations. Organised business is working on many fronts to improve health practices and provide legal certainty around vaccine mandates,” Mavuso noted. She pointed out that, as matters stood, employers must enable employees to work from home where possible and they must also ensure physical distancing and mask-wearing. “South Africa does not have the luxury of fiscal room to continue to absorb economic losses. We need economic growth to recover as fast as possible,” Mavuso stated. In her view, companies should be free to choose whether to require employees on site or not. Mavuso pointed out that the health risks of working on site could be reduced by employers introducing regular testing on site, while she also highlighted the importance of vaccination. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News Commission for Gender Equality slammed for its views on Covid-19 vaccination BL Premium reports that a number of medical and scientific organisations have slammed the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) for making spurious claims about the potential danger of Covid-19 vaccination for women’s health. The CGE’s views come at a time when SA is battling to increase the vaccination rate in the adult population, which currently stands at 46%. In a statement on Sunday the organisations, which included the SA Medical Research Council, SA Medical Association and the SA Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said the views expressed by the commission “are at variance with the accepted scientific knowledge regarding Covid-19 vaccinations”. They called on the commission to withdraw its “ill-advised” statement immediately. They said by expressing such views the commission could fuel anti-vaccination sentiment and compromise the national vaccination programme as well as efforts to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. In its statement the CGE warned against the imposition of mandatory vaccinations. It referred to a new study published in Obstetrics & Gynaecology medical journal that found that vaccines might cause a small change to women’s menstrual cycle length, but that this change was temporary. The CGE said many women might not be comfortable about being vaccinated due to the possible long-term effects on their reproductive health. The wish of these women to delay getting vaccinated should be respected, the CGE said. The medical bodies took issue with the commission’s faulty insinuation that vaccination could harm women’s health and said that instead the commission should be urging women to get vaccinated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Health department refutes claims vaccine is unsafe for women of reproductive age, at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
ANC staff’s indefinite strike at Luthuli House could further delay the party’s regional conferences Daily News reports that the ANC’s Luthuli House staff’s indefinite strike could further delay the party’s regional conferences, according to eThekwini regional task team co-ordinator Bheki Ntuli. He said on Sunday that none of the branches had sat over the weekend because of the unresolved pay dispute between Luthuli House and its workers. Twelve branches had planned to sit at the weekend in a bid for the party to reach the 70% threshold required before holding regional conferences. Unlike before, branch meetings are directly linked to the party’s head office after a new membership system was introduced to avoid corruption. It is now head office staff who permit the meeting to start after the scanner at the head office has confirmed that the quorum has been met. “Our fear is that the indefinite strike at our head office will further delay our regional conferences. We were hoping the matter would be resolved by now, but it looks like the treasurer-general’s office and the staff were unable to find one another,” said Ntuli. The long-awaited eThekwini conference was expected to sit at the end of the month, but the strike may delay it. The region has only managed to sit 66 branches out of 110; but it needs at least 78 in order to reach a quorum. This means the region is still lagging behind by 12 branches. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Willem Phungula at Daily News Unpaid ANC staff face eviction from their homes City Press reports that the ANC’s failure to pay salaries has had dreadful consequences for its employees, some of whom have been evicted from their homes or are now relying on loan sharks to provide for themselves and their families. Staff representative Mvusi Mdala last week said the meetings convened by ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile had shown that the party’s leadership had no clear plan to solve this crisis, which was why the staff members had decided to down tools. Mdala said that in a meeting last Tuesday, Mashatile had presented “timelines which are not achievable”. Mdala indicated: “He (Mashatile) has run out of ideas and he is failing to say that. He committed to giving us a written response and we were informed that the response was ready, waiting for his signature. In that meeting, it was said there was a high possibility we might get into next month without salaries." Mdala added: “The situation the ANC has put people in is not only about losing houses; people are being evicted now because they last paid rent last year. We are subjecting ourselves to these inhumane conditions by the leadership not providing solutions.” In its meeting last week, the ANC’s national working committee (NWC) acknowledged the strain the nonpayment of salaries was putting employees under. The NWC discussed a possible amendment to the Political Party Funding Act to allow parties to receive up to R100 million from a single donor, as opposed to the current R15 million. The party blames this law, which comes into effect on 1 April, for its financial woes. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Queenin Masuabi at City Press (subscriber access only)
ANC NEC says government must figure out how to best implement a basic income grant News24 reports that the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) has resolved that government must look into how to best institute a basic income grant (BIG) to assist the country’s poor and unemployed. President Cyril Ramaphosa said in an address at the conclusion of the NEC’s lekgotla on Sunday that the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant (SRD) of R350 had made a "significant positive impact on the lives of the poor but more particularly the unemployed" and indicated that government “must examine the feasibility, the lekgotla said, and affordability of providing some form of income support for the poor and unemployed going forward." The SRD is expected to end in March. In December, a panel recommended that SA should gradually implement a basic income grant, beginning with the institutionalisation of the SRD. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana was more circumspect on the issue in his first medium-term budget speech in November, stressing that SA was already spending R1.1 trillion on grants, while struggling with snowballing government debt of R4 trillion. But he added that a decision about government's interventions to expand the "social security net" would be provided in the February 2022 Budget. The decision on the BIG will be made by Cabinet. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Ahmed Areff at News24. Read too, Ramaphosa right to insist on feasibility of basic income grant, say economists, at BusinessLive
The ANC is dying, says the party’s key ally Cosatu BL Premium reports that Cosatu came out with guns blazing at the national executive committee (NEC) lekgotla of its key ally, the ANC, at the weekend, saying the party was in a mess, was dying and faced the real prospect of losing power in the 2024 election. The labour federation also took a swipe at tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu after her attacks on the constitution and black judges, saying the ANC’s failure to discipline deployees was feeding a culture of mediocrity and only bold action could save it. Cosatu’s forthrightness could force the ANC to tackle some of its challenges as the party has depended on the federation’s grass-roots structures to win elections since 1994. In her speech during the lekgotla on Saturday, Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi said the party’s performance during the municipal elections had not been not a surprise. “It was expected, given an unemployment rate of 44%, rampant corruption and deteriorating public services … If we continue on this road we must accept that we will lose the 2024 elections,” Losi remarked. On SA’s economic challenges, Cosatu said it wanted every sphere of government and state-owned enterprise to have “job creation and economic growth at the heart of their work”. Both the public and private sectors needed to accelerate the implementation of the economic reconstruction and recovery plan and ramp up local procurement, Losi stated. “We need a social compact with government and business where they commit to halting retrenchments and creating jobs,” she indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, If ANC is dying, so is Cosatu, says Michael Bagraim, at BusinessLive (letter to the editor)
Treasury to bail out Renosterberg Local Municipality in the Northern Cape over unpaid workers GroundUp reports that the National Treasury is likely to step in and help pay salaries to municipal workers from the Renosterberg Local Municipality in the Northern Cape. This development follows a week-long unprotected strike by workers demanding that the municipality must pay their December salaries, among other things. The workers returned to work last week after officials from the provincial government visited them and promised to resolve the payment issue. The municipality has not been able to pay workers or its debtors after its bank account was frozen, apparently through a court order to recover millions of rands owed to Eskom. According to one report, the municipality has gone back to court to regain control of its bank account, but the matter has not yet been finalised. SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) shop steward Zolani De Klerk claimed that the present instance was not the first time that salary payments have been late. The union is also demanding that the municipality be dissolved. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Liezl Human at GroundUp
Fired Public Investment Corporation CFO Matshepo More seeks reinstatement BusinessLive reports that as the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) begins its drive for a new CFO, Matshepo More, who previously held the position, is seeking reinstatement on the basis that the asset manager failed to follow procedure when terminating her employment. More has approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to compel the asset manager to reverse its decision to fire her. She is also seeking full compensation for the losses she has incurred since she was fired last October. The PIC, which manages R2.2-trillion in government pension and social funds on behalf of the Government Employees Pension Fund, the Unemployment Insurance Fund and the Compensation Fund, is opposing the application. Citing alleged bias by the chair of the disciplinary hearing which affected the outcome, More says the PIC terminated her employment without providing reasons, therefore making dismissal inappropriate for the charges levelled against her. More was fired in 2021, two-and-a-half years after she was suspended from the PIC for her involvement in irregularities related to the PIC’s R4.3bn investment in Ayo Technology Solutions. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thando Maeko at BusinessLive
Metrorail closes one line between Soshanguve and Mabopane stations following technical fault and train incident Engineering News reports that passenger rail service operator Metrorail has closed one line between the Soshanguve and Mabopane stations following a technical fault and train incident. A train en route to Mabopane station experienced a technical fault outside Soshanguve station on Monday at about 05:30. Metrorail reported that the technical team, upon attending to the fault by uncoupling the set, experienced a roll back of the set onto the other – causing a collision. There was no damage to infrastructure. The train set had eight staff members, but no commuters, on board at the time of the incident. The first Metrorail train from Mabopane to Pretoria was delayed by 30 minutes, but all other trains operated on schedule. No further delays are expected. An investigation of the incident is under way. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News. Read too, Prasa reiterates commitment to improving service reliability, at Engineering News
Pfizer is officially SA’s ‘top employer’ for 2022 The Citizen reports that the Top Employers Institute has announced that Pfizer South Africa is one of the best places to work in the country this year. CEO David Plink said the past two years had been “demanding”, impacting organisations across the world. He went on to say: “Pfizer South Africa has continued to show that it prioritises maintaining excellent people practices in the workplace. They continue to meet the challenges of the changing world of work while working tirelessly to make a positive impact on the lives of their workforce.” Being certified as a Top Employer showcases an organisation’s dedication to a better work and workplace excellence through HR policies and people practices, according to the Top Employers Institute programme, which certifies organisations based on the participation and results of their Human Resources Best Practices Survey. The survey covers six HR domains, consisting of 20 topics including People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Well-being, Diversity and Inclusion, and more. Pfizer SA country manager and Sub-Saharan Africa cluster lead Rhulani Nhlaniki commented that the accolade was a testament to the deliberate efforts over the years to evolve our culture and working environment, where all colleagues in the organisation are heard, seen, and cared for. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Narissa Subramoney at The Citizen
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