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 Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Solidarity creates private crisis fund and donates R250,000 to KZN flood victims Trade union Solidarity announced on Wednesday that it would be donating R250,000 to the Solidarity Movement’s Crisis Fund to ensure that people who have been hit by the catastrophic floods in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) get help. It appealed to the community at large to see if the amount of R250,000 could be doubled through outside contributions. “The devastation in KwaZulu-Natal that we are seeing live is terrible not only because thousands are suffering but also because the institutions that should assist them are not there to do so. It is in the knowledge that the government’s inability will spill over to disaster management that Solidarity donated R250,000 to the Solidarity Movement’s Crisis Fund to ensure that help reaches those who need it most,” Dr Dirk Hermann, Solidarity Chief Executive, indicated. He went on to note: “Over the past year, this province has been hit hard by Covid-19, the June riots and now the past week’s devastating floods. The reality people are facing is that thousands of people have been left homeless, hundreds have died and damage of millions of rands have been wrought as a direct result of the heavy rainfall.” Solidarity Helping Hand has already sent a crisis management team to KZN to assess the extent of the disaster and to determine an appropriate response. Moreover, Helping Hand has added an additional contribution of R100,000 to Solidarity's donation for assistance in KZN. Read Solidarity’s press statement, which contains details of how contributions can be made, at Solidarity News. Lees ook, Nóg skenkings vir KZN-vloede, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Tshwane principal robbed at gunpoint, Gqeberha teacher hijacked, highlighting lack of security at schools SowetanLive reports that a school principal was robbed at gunpoint at a Tshwane school while a teacher in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, was hijacked in the school parking lot. Both incidents happened on Tuesday as schools were reopening following the Easter break. The principal at Senthibele Secondary School in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, was approached by two gunmen when he arrived at the school on Tuesday. Shots were fired towards his direction and they hit his vehicle. He was robbed of his two cellphones before he ran away and the men fled. Sipho Ntlapho, a taxi operator who delivers children at the school, said the incident proved that children’s safety was not prioritised by government. “Police officials should be deployed at schools because security guards don’t have guns and can’t protect our children from gun-wielding thugs,” commented Nhlapho. In another incident in the Eastern Cape, a teacher was hijacked in the car park at a school in Gqeberha. The teacher at Sanctor High School had just pulled into the car park at about 07h25 when the incident happened. It is not clear how the men got into the car park, but they likely slipped through the gate as it was being opened to let staff in. The teacher, who was thrown out of the vehicle, was not harmed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Keletso Makhwanazi and Guy Rogers at SowetanLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Defence minister demands action by SANDF over R30m wasted on Cuban Covid-19 drug TimesLive reports that defence and military veterans minister Thandi Modise has demanded that all defence force members involved in the illegal procurement of an unregistered Covid-19 drug from Cuba must face the consequences as soon as possible. Modise was briefing MPs on Wednesday on action taken following the findings of a ministerial task team established by her predecessor. Modise said the matter would be dealt with by the head of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Gen Rudzani Maphwanya since the SANDF was responsible for procuring the drug. The task team uncovered several irregularities in the 2020 procurement of three batches of Interferon from Cuba. The amount spent was R33m and would have been as much as R200m but for the actions of SANDF CFO Siphiwe Sokhela, who refused to release the funds for the second and third batches. According to the task team, former surgeon-general Zola Dabula had initiated the procurement of Interferon and convinced the Military Command Council, including former SANDF chief Sello Shoke, of its efficacy in preventing infection. The drug, manufactured by a Cuban-Chinese company, was to have been used as a booster for soldiers. However, there is no scientific proof it is effective in treating Covid-19 and it is not approved or registered for use in SA. Moreover, the procurement process contravened the Public Finance Management Act and regulations governing the procurement of medical supplies from abroad. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Residents of Kirkwood join farm workers to shut down the Eastern Cape town on Wednesday GroundUp reports that over 2,000 farm workers and residents of Kirkwood and Addo in the Sundays River Valley Municipality, Eastern Cape, shut down parts of Kirkwood on Wednesday morning. The workers, supported by the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco), were demanding wages of R30 per hour. The workers claimed that they currently earned between R18 and R23 per hour, depending on the farm. They also complained about having to pick and pack a set daily target of oranges or vegetables. Residents of Kirkwood indicated that they had joined the protest to voice their unhappiness with the delivery of services in the township. They said they wanted street lights, water, tar roads in the township and a satellite police office station. Sanco’s Zwelimnandi Rooibard said they had taken on the fight of farmworkers too because unions were no longer paying attention to their plight. They wanted farm owners to agree to hire 30% immigrants and 70% local people. Petitions were addressed to the municipality, SAPS and farm owners in the region. Mayor Simphiwe Rune came out to accept the petition with SAPS Colonel Robbie Riekerk. They both promised to respond to the demands within seven days. There was no representative of the farm owners. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thamsanqa Mbovane at GroundUp
Broke Welkom mineworker thrown into river after kidnappers find no money in his bank account IOL reports that a mineworker was hijacked, kidnapped and thrown into a river after his kidnappers found his bank account had no money. Free State police spokesperson Captain Stephen Thakeng indicated on Wednesday that the 48-year-old mineworker was allegedly hijacked and kidnapped on 18 April in Welkom. "Preliminary investigation reveals that the complainant reported off duty from one of the mines in Matjhabeng at 22:00 and was driving his sedan, a charcoal Toyota Corolla with registration number FF**** FS, when he was hijacked at gunpoint and forced into the boot of his car at Stateway and Arrarat Road in Welkom. The suspects drove to different ATM's [automated teller machines] to try to withdraw cash but there was no funds in his bank account. Thereafter, the suspects drove to a river where the man was thrown into. He managed to swim to safety and was assisted by Virginia police members who arranged for him to be taken to a hospital," Thakeng reported. The police have launched a manhunt for two suspects following the incident. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Molaole Montsho at IOL
Consumer inflation accelerated to 5.9% in March, but remained within Reserve Bank target band BusinessLive reports that Stats SA announced on Wednesday that annual consumer price inflation (CPI) quickened from 5.7% in February to 5.9% in March, but remained just below the upper band of the SA Reserve Bank’s target range. The main contributors to the 5.9% annual inflation rate were food and nonalcoholic beverages, housing and utilities, transport, and miscellaneous goods and services. The recent pressure on inflation has been worsened by the Russia-Ukraine war, while core inflation and price pressures in the services sector are also building as the SA economy recovers from the pandemic. Just last week in its latest forecast, the Reserve Bank said domestic inflation would temporarily breach the target band of 3%-6% in the second quarter of 2022 and would average 5.8% for the year as a whole, before easing to an average of 4.6% in 2023. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thuletho Zwane at BusinessLive. See too, Inflation on the rise, but not expected to go too far beyond 6%, at The Citizen (subscriber access only). And also, Inflation hits 5.9% as fuel prices spike, at Engineering News Informal traders call for government to reduce cost of chicken by cutting VAT and other taxes SowetanLive reports that the SA Informal Traders Alliance (Saita) has called on the government to remove tariff taxes and VAT on chicken products. Saita, which represents more than two million informal and micro businesses across SA, made this call on Tuesday, saying that it would provide relief for both informal traders and consumers from low-income households as prices of this important food source were continuing to escalate. Saita’s Rosheda Muller said South Africans were struggling financially, adding that the cost of living seemed to be rising to unsustainable levels. She said wages were not increasing in the same direction as expenses. "Chicken is perhaps the most important part of our diet, and often the only meat that communities can afford. For this reason, government would do well to consider removing both VAT and all other taxes that come in the form of tariffs, to help its people survive," Muller stated. She went on to indicate: “The problem is that the price of all nutrition-rich products eaten in poorer communities is going up. This includes the price of eggs and chicken gizzards up by 15%, chicken feet by 10%, liver 32%, beef liver 30%, beef, wors and chicken pieces 11%, polony 21%, fish 7% and canned pilchards 9%.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nomazima Nkosi at SowetanLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
MPs grill SAPS top brass over budget priorities, living conditions of new recruits EWN reports that Parliament’s police committee has grilled SA Police Service (SAPS) bosses about budget priorities as well poor living conditions of new recruits. It was also newly-appointed National Police Commissioner Sehlahle Masemola’s first appearance on Wednesday before MPs since he was appointed to the job. Masemola was joined by Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya at the briefing. Committee chairperson Tina Joemat-Pettersson bemoaned the fact that the budget for programmes like visible policing had been cut. She pointed out that the police service faced other challenges like the massive DNA backlog and weaknesses in crime intelligence and the Hawks. Committee member Ockert Tereblanche highlighted the issue of new recruits, whom he said were struggling. "One in the Northern Cape, apparently they get Weet-Bix without milk and sugar for breakfast and there's no medical facilities. It is just an appalling condition," Tereblanche claimed. Police Commissioner Masemola said that the issue of living conditions had been "keeping them awake" and was receiving attention. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Babalo Ndenze at EWN
Limpopo’s banning of education assistants from studying further ‘pure madness’ SowetanLive reports that teacher unions and the School Governing Body Council of SA (SGB) have blasted the Limpopo basic education department’s decision to stop education assistants from furthering their studies or seeking part-time employment while contracted to the state. This after the department issued a circular earlier this month ordering the termination of contracts of education assistants if they were found to be studying or working on a part-time basis. The appointment of assistant teachers within the basic education department is part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI), which entered its third phase on 1 April. According to the circular, issued by head of department Onica Dederen, education assistants are prohibited from studying or being in any other form of employment. SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said the circular violated the rights of assistant teachers as it was obstructing their progress in terms of empowering themselves. He said: “That circular is very odd and out of this world, and I don’t think it is legitimate and it might not only be discriminatory but in violation of national regulations.” The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA’s Basil Manuel, said while the union accepted the prohibition of assistant teachers from having extra forms of employment, it had challenged the banning of education assistants from further learning. SGBs have dismissed the circular and described it as “pure madness”. The council’s convener Masoane Derick called on SGBs to defy the circular when appointing assistant teachers in the province. Limpopo education spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said the circular was based on instructions from the national department. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siviwe Feketha at SowetanLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Mangaung's acting city manager forcefully removed from office after contract expired News24 reports that Mzingisi Nkungwana, who had been acting city manager of Mangaung, had to be forcefully removed from his office. A video clip of Nkungwana being removed circulated on social media on Tuesday. In the video, the metro police chief, Israel Kgamanyane, is seen pushing Nkungwana and trying to force him out of the office. Kgamanyane can also be heard saying: "I am just assisting you to go out." He then called security guards to assist, but the guards did not intervene. Nkungwana pushed his way to the office and sat on the couch, asking for his "pump". When he left the office, he said he was going to the police station. According to Sunday World, Nkungwana opened a case of assault against Kgamanyane. He reportedly said he was being targeted for "cleaning up the mess that is Mangaung". Before the incident, the mayor of Mangaung, Mxolisi Siyonzana, wrote to Kgamanyane to get Nkungwana to "comply with the contents of the letter written to him on the 14 April 2022". In that letter, Nkungwana was told to “desist from holding yourself out as the acting city manager and attempting [to] render any services in an attempt [to] perform the responsibilities of the office of the city manager.” The municipality's spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, advised that Nkungwana's contract had come to an end at the end of March. Khedama said that, from Thursday, the new acting city manager, Tebogo Motlashuping, "will temporarily take over the administration of Mangaung metro". Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jeanette Chabalala and view the video clip at News24
Embarrassing court defeat for Prasa with judge ruling that agency defamed Pearl Munthali GroundUp reports that the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has suffered yet another defeat, in the Pretoria High Court. On 13 April, Acting Judge Linda Retief dismissed objections raised by Prasa in Nqobile Pearl Munthali’s defamation case against the rail agency, and awarded Munthali costs in the case. Retief found that the rail agency’s 2019 memo on Munthali’s suspension, which was sent to 15,000 Prasa employees, and its 30 January 2021 media release that announced her firing, were both defamatory. But Prasa’s lawyers have apparently now raised a further objection to Munthali’s defamation case following Retief’s ruling. Munthali issued summons against Prasa in her defamation case last year, but Prasa delayed the matter from going to trial by raising objections to Munthali’s claims. Munthali was one of three executives named in the 30 January 2021 media release from Leonard Ramatlakane, the chairperson of Prasa’s board, that alleged that these Prasa executives had outstayed their terms of office, and who were therefore fired with immediate effect. That action didn’t succeed. Munthali, who was head of the Prasa Development Foundation, was reinstated on 24 February 2021 by Judge Edwin Tlhotlhalemaje in the Labour Court. Despite a series of court defeats, Prasa has persisted in its efforts against Munthali, as well as fellow executives Martha Ngoye, Tiro Holele, and Nkosinathi Khena. In separate rulings, their contracts were declared to still be in force. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by James Stent at GroundUp
IFP accuses eThekwini municipal workers of blowing up electricity transformers on Tuesday News24 reports that the IFP has accused eThekwini municipal employees of blowing up electricity transformers in Nsizwakazi, Klaarwater Township, Durban, on Tuesday evening. In a statement on Wednesday, the party said it had received news that four municipal employees had allegedly blown up the transformers in the area. IFP national executive committee member and MP Joshua Mazibuko said an eyewitness informed him that that at dusk four municipality vehicles had arrived in the area and drove to the transformers at the corner of Intake and Demat roads. "Soon thereafter when they were there, the transformers went up in flames and the whole area suddenly experienced a power failure. Nearby Dassenhoek experienced the same explosion and power failure as well." Mazibuko said the eyewitness told him the area had power before the employees arrived and there had been no problems with the electricity supply until those workers "fiddled" with the transformers. Mazibuko said: The IFP condemns such criminality, if indeed it occurred, regardless of who did it. We call on eThekwini Municipality to quickly institute an investigation into these allegations. Likewise, we call on the South African Police Service to get involved in investigating these very serious allegations. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Malibongwe Dayimani at News24
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