In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Thursday, 14 April 2022.
|
President Ramaphosa restores national state of disaster after floods in KZN and Eastern Cape BusinessLive reports that the government on Monday declared a state of national disaster in its battle to implement recovery and reconstruction plans in the wake of the devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal that have claimed more than 400 lives and destroyed homes, schools and critical infrastructure. In a televised address on Monday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the declaration was meant to boost existing measures undertaken by organs of state to deal with the national disaster and allow for the mobilisation of resources to support interventions in the affected provinces, which included the Eastern Cape. He announced no additional grants to fund relief efforts or finance repairs to infrastructure in the province but promised government would make financial resources available to tackle the disaster and would approach parliament for a joint sitting on that. He warned that any resources must be used for the purpose for which they were intended and promised oversight to prevent corruption or fraud. Ramaphosa’s declaration of a new state of disaster came just weeks after government finally ended the state of disaster that was implemented in March 2020 to manage the Covid-19 pandemic. But the declaration of national disaster could be viewed with suspicion by critics. The government has recently faced heavy criticism from civil liberty groups for using the wide-ranging powers accorded to it by the Disaster Management Act to impose sweeping regulations that were not subject to public consultation or parliamentary oversight, as the state moved to curb the spread of Covid-19. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mary Papayya and Bekezela Phakathi at BusinessLive. Read too, Ramaphosa announces state of disaster after KZN floods, deploys SANDF and asks for public support, at News24 10,000 soldiers deployed to help restore power, water to flood-hit KZN AFP reports that SA deployed 10,000 troops on Monday to help restore power and water, and search for 63 people who remained missing after deadly storms battered its east coast. Some of the troops include plumbers and electricians, joining the mammoth task of trying to get life back to normal. A week after unprecedented rain began to pound KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the death toll stood at 443, and rescue workers said hopes of finding more survivors were fading. The KZN government indicated: “The tragedy currently unfolding in our province is one of the worst natural disasters in the recorded history of our country.” Funerals have been taking place across the city of Durban, which bore the brunt of the storms. But with damaged roads and waterlogged cemeteries, burials are difficult. KZN Funeral Directors Association’s Nasan Chetty said the continuous rain had made it "very difficult to do burials". "If we dig the graves and then come back to do the burial a few hours later it is water-logged," he pointed out. Swathes of eThekwini, the municipality that includes Durban, remain without electricity or water, and KZN warned it could take time before services were restored. Some 40,000 people were left homeless and more than 550 schools and nearly 60 healthcare facilities have been damaged, according to government tallies. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by News24 KZN Floods: Pietermaritzburg search and rescue police officer dies while on duty The Witness reports that Pietermaritzburg search and rescue police officer Sergeant Busisiswe Mjwara (42) drowned on Sunday while searching for flood victims at the Henley Dam area. Police dog Leah from the Durban SAPS K9 also drowned. The National Commissioner of the SAPS General Fannie Masemola confirmed that two police members, and a K9 had passed away. Masemola said at about 11.30 am on Sunday, Mjwara was conducting a search in the Msunduzi river for three victims that had drowned earlier in the week, when she got into difficulty and drowned. He said Mjwara was airlifted to a nearby hospital but was sadly declared dead on arrival. During the same operation, K9 Leah from the Durban Central Search and Rescue (SAR) unit also drowned. According to reports, Leah was attempting to assist Mjwara when she also experienced difficulties. The third member, 31-year-old Constable Thandazile Sithole, who was attached to the Durban Central Police Station, died when her home collapsed on her earlier last week. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nompilo Kunene at News24. Read too, Masemola: Deaths of two police officers in KZN floods a blow to SAPS, at EWN. And also, KZN SAPS provincial commissioner, Community Safety MEC to visit family of deceased Search and Rescue officer, at The Mercury Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Draft health regulations the ‘bare minimum’ to control Covid-19, Phaahla assures MPs BusinessLive reports that Department of Health (DOH) Minister Joe Phaahla has defended the draft regulations for the surveillance and control of notifiable medical conditions as the bare minimum required to keep the Covid-19 infection rate low. He rejected the description of the draft regulations by opposition party MPs as “draconian”. More than 150,000 submissions have been made so far to the DOH on the draft regulations and Phaahla announced on Thursday a seven-day extension of the period for public comment from 16 April to 24 April. He told Parliament’s health committee in a briefing on Thursday on the draft regulations that the DOH was considering the separation of regulations required for the control of the Covid-19 pandemic and those required for the control of future notifiable diseases. Phaahla said there was still a need for public health measures as there was no reason to believe at this stage that the trend of increased Covid-19 infections would not continue, especially as SA entered the winter season. The proposed regulations under the National Health Act will fill the gap left by the termination of the national state of disaster. He rejected the claim by opposition party MPs that the draft regulations were an infringement of individual freedom and human rights. “There is no desire to control people’s lives unnecessarily,” the minister said. The draft regulations amend the regulations of 2017 relating to the surveillance and control of notifiable medical conditions and replace the regulations under the Disaster Management Act, which have been used to manage the Covid-19 pandemic. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Nehawu wants answers over shooting of North West health workers by police during protest at Witrand hospital EWN reports that health workers union Nehawu is demanding answers from the North West police commissioner. It said on Monday that police had opened fire on some of its members during a protest at the Witrand Hospital earlier this month. The union has called for an immediate investigation into who called the police to the scene and who instructed them to shoot at the crowd. Nehawu in the Tlokwe region said it was dismayed and appalled by the incident. It described the ordeal as a shameless attack and demanded that Commissioner Sello Kwena should respond to their letter by Wednesday this week. On 7 April, workers at the Witrand Psychiatric Hospital downed tools and staged a protest outside the facility. They claimed that they had not been paid performance bonuses while hospital management had been given bonuses. The union said police soon arrived and fired rubber bullets at the workers. North West police spokesperson Amanda Funani confirmed that police did fire rubber bullets at the protesters to disperse them. She said Ipid was now investigating the matter. But regional Nehawu organiser Rantekane Kgoadi said they were planning to take the matter to Police Minister Bheki Cele Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Buhle Mbhele at EWN
Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold wage talks just got tougher on threat of secondary strike at producer’s platinum operations Business Times reports that platinum wage negotiations at Sibanye-Stillwater this year are expected to be especially tough after majority unions at the group’s gold mines unveiled plans for a secondary strike to up the ante in their fight for higher wages. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union (Amcu) said last week they had given notice for a secondary strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s platinum operations. The prospect of a secondary strike comes as the impasse between the unions and the company entered its second month, with both hardening their positions. Amcu general secretary Jeff Mphahlele said he expected about 35,000 employees at the Rustenburg and Marikana operations to down tools as part of the secondary strike. “We are taking the secondary strike to every outlet of Sibanye-Stillwater after Easter. If you think of the 35,000 people at the Rustenburg and Marikana operations, the impact will be huge,” he stated. NUM general secretary William Mabapa said the unions were convening shop steward council meetings in the platinum operation branches to gauge the appetite for a secondary strike. “For now, they do not have a problem. It is a matter of waiting for the Easter weekend and after that, we will process everything,” he indicated last week. The unions were also applying to authorities for permits to lead marches to the JSE and the Union Buildings, Mphahlele reported. Richard Cox, executive vice-president at Sibanye’s SA gold operations, said the group had not yet received notice for a secondary strike at its platinum group metals (PGMs) operations and would take legal action in the event it was given. He said wage negotiations at the PGM operations in SA were scheduled to begin any time between June and July. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Sibanye-Stillwater stands firm on wage deal as labour ratchets up the pressure, at Business Report Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Nearly one million South Africans emigrated in five years City Press reports that economic, social, political and environmental concerns may have led to nearly one million South Africans leaving the country between 2015 and 2020. According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (Desa), 914,901 SA citizens emigrated between 2015 and 2020. Compared with the period between 2010 and 2015, when 786,554 locals left the country, the latest emigration data point to increasing numbers of people departing our shores. Society leaders who spoke to City Press expressed concerns over SA losing skilled labour. Business Unity SA’s Cas Coovadia said it was abundantly clear that SA was losing skilled talent, particularly among younger professionals. “These people are global citizens and will work where the environment is most conducive. They consider not only remuneration and career opportunities, but also soft issues such as safety and security, education, culture and lifestyle,” he pointed out. Trade union federation Cosatu’s spokesperson Sizwe Pamla acknowledged the brain drain in the country and noted that emigration was no longer a phenomenon seen mostly among white South Africans, but was also affecting young coloured, Indian and African graduates and professionals. “Our efforts to rebuild our economy will not succeed unless we find ways to retain our skilled youth and professionals,” Pamla pointed out This, he said, needed to include better pay for doctors and nurses who work in rural areas and in public healthcare facilities. “It needs to include better pay for teachers and smaller classes in public schools. It needs to include capacitating the police to deal with rampant crime and corruption. It needs to include fixing Eskom so that the days of load shedding are [left in] the past,” Pamla added. He said public transport needed to be modernised, particularly the country’s railway network. Ports also needed to be modernised so that export industries could thrive. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Msindisi Fengu at City Press (subscriber access only)
New training to help young electricians make thousands of buildings more energy efficient Cape Argus reports that the SA National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi) and the Institute of Energy Professionals Africa (IEPA) have launched a new training initiative in which 50 young and mostly unemployed electricians will be trained to help make thousands of buildings in SA more energy efficient. The young electricians will soon begin the three-month EPC Practitioner Skills Programme enabling them, with the energy usage data required, to issue Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and give buildings a rating based on the amount of energy consumed per square metre. Sanedi renewable energy manager Karen Surridge said owners of buildings such as office facilities, educational institutions, sporting facilities and community centres were required to obtain and prominently display an EPC by 7 December this year. If building owners did not comply, they would face a fine of R5 million or five years’ imprisonment. Surridge said EPCs were issued by companies accredited by the SA National Accreditation System (Sanas), but many more energy companies employing thousands of people with EPC skills would be required to obtain energy usage data on the thousands of buildings covered by these regulations. “The EPC Practitioner Skills Programme has the potential to create many thousands of jobs. The programme is particularly welcome for qualified young electricians unable to find work,” Surridge stated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kristin Engel at Cape Argus
Peter Becker files for High Court to declare his dismissal as National Nuclear Regulator director unlawful, invalid Engineering News reports that Koeberg Alert Alliance (KAA) activist Peter Becker has filed an application in the Cape Town High Court to declare Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe’s decision to dismiss him as a director of the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) unlawful and invalid. Mantashe in January suspended Becker from the NNR board over allegations of misconduct and conflict of interest, before making a final decision on 25 February to dismiss him from the position. Becker’s dismissal came at a time when the NNR was finalising plans for replacing steam generators at the ageing Koeberg nuclear power station. The R20-billion refurbishment of the plant is a requirement by the NNR if Eskom is to renew Koeberg’s operating licence. Activists, such as Becker, have been discussing and helping to decide on technical aspects of the work being done at the power station. He had, however, been denied access to the agenda and document packs, as well as invites, for such meetings since shortly before his suspension. The KAA has queried the costs involved with the Koeberg refurbishment and required of Eskom to reveal the scope of work being planned before it went ahead. Becker was appointed to the board in June 2021 to represent communities which might be affected by nuclear activities. Mantashe reportedly said he had concerns about Becker’s anti-nuclear stance and deemed it a conflict of interest with his duties to the NNR board. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News
Man caught in Hillbrow allegedly producing fake IDs, passports and work permits to appear in court on Tuesday News24 reports that a Zimbabwean national is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, after Gauteng police swooped on a flat in Hillbrow and caught him red-handed while he was allegedly manufacturing various documents, including IDs, driver's licences, Covid-19 tests and travel documents. The 47-year-old suspect was arrested last Thursday by police, who were part of Operation Okae Molao in the Johannesburg CBD. They received a tip-off about a Zimbabwean national who was allegedly selling various documents from his flat. Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo reported: "Upon searching the premises, police discovered documents that include more than 95 South African identity documents, birth certificates, smart identity cards, passports, bank statements, Covid-19 certificates, work permits, SAPS firearm licence competency certificates, Sassa cards, bank cards and other essential documents.” The suspect is being charged with fraud. There is a possibility that more charges will be added pending the investigation. Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela commended the police and welcomed the tip-off. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24. Read too, Fraudulent document manufacturing plant uncovered in Hillbrow, at IOL
Harassment in the workplace: These are the things that can now get you into trouble under amended code Fin24 reports that passive aggressive behaviour, bullying, ostracising, cyberbullying, career sabotage, and racist, sexist or LGBTQIA+-phobic language are just some of the many forms of harassment in a new, wider code of conduct for the workplace on which victims can rely to get employers to take action. While there had been no proper concept of bullying in the workplace before, the amended code now provides that any form of harassment must be dealt with by means of an investigation and either a formal or informal disciplinary process. Perpetrators and victims can now include anyone working at or visiting the business premises. The amended the Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Harassment in the Workplace came into effect on 18 March this year. “The workplace is becoming more diverse, leading to an increase in workplace and corporate bullying. As such there was a need for wider protection of employees when it comes to harassment," explained labour law expert Sunil Hansjee. The new code encourages employers to adopt a zero-tolerance attitude toward harassment in the workplace. It places more responsibility on employers to educate employees about what harassment is. Employers who fail to take adequate steps to eliminate harassment within a reasonable time may render themselves vicariously liable for damages even if the harassment consists of a single incident. The test for harassment takes into account whether it was unwanted, the nature thereof and the impact on the victim. The different types of harassment are listed in the Fin24 report. Read the full original of the informative report in the above regard by Carin Smith at Fin24
Gauteng government's acting director-general in the premier’s office, Thabo Masebe, has died News24 reports that the acting director-general in the Gauteng premier's office, Thabo Masebe, has died. Premier David Makhura said on Monday that Masebe's death had saddened him and he expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Masebe family and the provincial government at large. "Masebe was a loyal and committed servant of the people who dedicated his time to transforming the provincial communications services. He was a multi-skilled communicator with over 20 years' experience in the public service. An activist who committed his life to serve the people of South Africa and humanity," Makhura remarked. Before he was appointed the head of communications in the Gauteng government, Masebe worked at the Presidency as the spokesperson to former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe. During his tenure, he was also responsible for managing the communications directorate in the private office of the deputy president. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24
|
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page