In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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National Planning Commission calls for declaration of energy emergency BL Premium reports that the National Planning Commission (NPC) has called for a wide-ranging intervention to alleviate SA’s long-standing energy crisis, including a declaration of an energy emergency. The national advisory body, chaired by Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele, said declaring an energy emergency would help rid the country of the red tape that was making it difficult to bring in new generation capacity. Ongoing power cuts implemented by Eskom since last week have plunged households and businesses into darkness for up to six hours at a time, sparking fears that the country’s ailing economy could slip into a technical recession. The NPC said on Wednesday: “Ending load-shedding needs to become a unifying national goal for the whole country and all stakeholders. The most immediate priority is to ensure that new generation capacity is rapidly and urgently brought on to the grid, together with significant new storage capacity.” A wildcat strike at Eskom was suspended after a wage deal between Eskom and unions was reached on Tuesday. The power utility, which blamed the strike for the severe power cuts, said load-shedding would be gradually reduced from stage 6, but warned that its capacity remained constrained due to the backlog of maintenance at its power stations. SA’s energy crisis also featured during the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting on Monday where various interventions by the party in response to the crisis were adopted. This includes bringing in seasoned former Eskom technicians with the appropriate skills to provide assistance, facilitating private investment in new generation capacity and speeding up the repurposing of power stations with other energy sources. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thando Maeko at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). See too, Declare an ‘energy emergency’, says National Planning Commission, at Mail & Guardian Eskom struggling to meet demand for services in Gauteng IOL reports that a high number of incidents of electricity equipment failure has put a strain on Eskom’s ability to replace equipment and restore supply to affected areas across Gauteng. On Wednesday, the power utility said it had limited stock levels of mini-substations and transformers due to increased electricity equipment failure caused by network overloading. “The network overloading is caused by illegal connections, meter bypassing and tampering, unauthorised operations on the network, infrastructure vandalism and theft, as well as the non-payment and non-purchasing of legal electricity tokens, which is constantly on the rise,” Eskom indicated. The power utility advised it had successfully replaced and repaired 116 out of 181 of the damaged mini-substations and 1,326 out of 2,314 transformers, at a cost of R152m. Despite the upgrades, the utility said it still faced a high demand for equipment replacement and repairs. Furthermore, Mashangu Xivambu, senior manager for maintenance and operations in Gauteng, lamented: “Adding to the delays, which is a major concern to the Eskom management, are the frequent and increased number of incidents of road closures and protests which delay entry into areas where work needs to be conducted. Access to our offices is often blockaded, employees are sometimes assaulted, intimidated and in extreme situations, held hostage by some of the community members.” He said Eskom would withdraw services in areas where the safety of employees was compromised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Brenda Masilela at IOL. Lees ook, Tekort aan kragtoerusting in GP – Eskom, by Maroela Media. As well as, Cape township homes in the dark as technicians fear for their safety, at GroundUp Security guard killed, another injured as cable theft surge strangles coal supply to Majuba power station Fin24 reports that Transnet has warned that a new spike in cable theft incidents has claimed the life of a security guard and has critically constrained coal supply to the Majuba Power Station by rail. Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) delivers a maximum of three coal trains to the Majuba Power Station per day, in line with the capacity of a portion of the line which is owned by Eskom and feeds directly into the power plant. Previously, TFR could run six trains a day on this line. It has, however, been severely damaged by the theft of overhead cables and critical overhead track equipment. Eskom has been unable to restore the overhead track equipment, the rail operator said. Now, a new spike in cable theft incidents on the Container Corridor and in the Delmas-Ogies area has made even the three trains per day impossible to achieve. The challenge comes on top of severe operational issues facing Eskom, which continued to implement stage 5 load shedding on Wednesday as power demand outstripped available supply. Further highlighting the security challenge facing Transnet, on Tuesday two guards were attacked during a cable theft incident in the Sentrarand area, in which one guard was killed and another was injured. Sentrarand forms part of the Central Corridor, which serves as crucial junction feeding into all corridors – incidents in this region have devastating ripple effects across the network. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at Fin24. Read too, Cable theft disrupts coal deliveries by rail to Majuba power station, at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
In fuel price protests, trucks blocked roads on Wednesday in Mpumalanga, including N4 to Mozambique Bloomberg reports that on Wednesday morning protesters in Mbombela blocked roads, including the N4 highway linking SA to Mozambique, with trucks as they demonstrated against fuel prices rising to a new record. The road between the Mpumalanga provincial capital and White River was obstructed by parked trucks, as was the N4 highway connecting the city to the border with Mozambique and the port of Maputo. There was also a group of protesters moving around the blockades. Petrol and diesel prices in SA surged to a fresh all-time high on Wednesday on rising oil costs and as the government trimmed a temporary reduction in a fuel levy. Fuel has a weighting of almost 5% in SA’s consumer price basket and the increases will place further pressure on household finances and inflation. The protests followed a strike by bus drivers in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, on Monday after diesel prices were increased by 11% and petrol by 4.4%. The action ended after the government pledged to subsidize some fares. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Matthew Hill & Khuleko Siwele and view video footage at Fin24. Lees ook, N4 by Mbombela versper weens onluste, by Maroela Media Protesters block entry points to Kruger National Park over fuel price hikes TimesLive reports that local and international tourists entering and leaving Kruger National Park (KNP) were urged on Wednesday to use alternative routes because sporadic protest action over fuel price hikes shut many roads near Mbombela. The KNP said in a statement on Wednesday that tourists should use the Orpen, Phabeni, Malelane, Crocodile Bridge and Kruger gates to access the park, depending on which of the park’s tourist facilities they were booked into. Motorists were warned to avoid the N4 into Mbombela. The protests were in response to the latest fuel price rises, which jumped by R2.37/l for 93-octane petrol and by R2.57/l for 95 octane. Diesel rose by R2.31/l (0.05% sulphur) and R2.30/l (0.005% sulphur). The closures affected the 105km route from Komatipoort to Mbombela, which connects the city to Mozambique. This route is heavily used by trucks transporting goods between the two countries. Commuters in townships in the Lowveld were stranded on Wednesday morning as buses and taxis were not operational, reported RiseFM. Roads were blocked with trucks and debris, denying access to motorists. Taxi operators in the area were also up in arms and supported the protest. Sibusiso Mbazima said they would be forced to increase taxi fares, which was unfair due to it being so soon after the previous increase. “If we do not voice our frustrations, taking a taxi from Matsulu to town will cost up to R50, which is unrealistic for the average consumer who is living from hand to mouth”, said Mbazima. When asked who was leading the protest action, taxi association Top Star said it did not know as its leadership was not informed of the action. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zilungile Mnisi & Alex Patrick at BusinessLive. Read too, Mbombela shutdown: No way in or out of Kruger National Park due to closed roads, at News24
As fuel prices surge, Gauteng commuters hit with taxi fare increase of up to R5 IOL reports that commuters will have to dig deeper into their pockets with increases in taxi fares following the fuel price surge. At the start of the year, South Africans were paying R19.71 for 95 unleaded petrol, while the same grade costs R26.31 in July, representing a R6.60 increase since January. In May, Bafana Magagula of the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) warned that the minibus taxi industry would have no choice but to increase fares as the price of fuel continued to break record prices. In some areas around Gauteng, the fee hike was implemented on 1 July, however, some areas are still being lenient and will implement the increase on 8 July, with others on 15 July. Most taxis have increased their fares by between R2 and R5. The R2 applies to local trips and the R5 is for longer trips. For an example, a taxi from Pretoria CBD to Joburg CBD was R50.00 and now costs R55.00. A trip from Pretoria CBD to Midrand, including Mall of Africa, was R30 and will now cost R35. Soweto taxi fares vary based on location, but all locations are now paying R5 more on top of what they were already paying. Meanwhile, taxis which ferry commuters between Johannesburg CBD and surrounding areas, will increase their fares by between R2 and R4 from July 15. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Brenda Masilela at IOL National Taxi Alliance proposes to hike taxi fares nationally by up to 30% BusinessTech reports that South Africans who rely on taxis to commute face a possible fare hike of between 25% and 30% because of record-high petrol prices. The proposed hike comes courtesy of the National Taxi Alliance (NTA), which says that it has done what it can to stave off increases, however with fuel prices now at record highs, a hike in fees is imminent. NTA spokesperson Theo Malele indicated that prices were last hiked just before 2021, when the effects of Covid-19 took their toll on the industry. Fares have not gone up since then, even though the petrol price has increased significantly in the interim. Malele said that when petrol price increases became 25% higher, taxis started taking pain, and eventually something was going to have to give. The alliance is now proposing that taxi fares be increased nationally by between 25% and 30% to compensate. Malele reassured that the increase would not exceed the 30% threshold. “Our business is community-based and it is the material conditions on the ground that determine the margin of adjustment,” he indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at BusinessTech. Read too, Taxi commuters warned of huge increase in taxi fares, at The Citizen
Denosa plans mass protest against Gauteng health over the unfair treatment of nurses The Star reports that the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) will be continuing with its plans for a mass demonstration against the Gauteng Department of Health (DOH). Denosa threatened mass demonstrations against the department in a media briefing on Sunday. The union said the department had failed to pay the salaries of more than 700 trainee nurses in the past three months. It also claimed that despite a shortage of nurses, the department wanted to retrench over 800 trainees who had completed their mandatory community service training. “We are going to mobilise to visit the premier of the province and we will also be visiting the treasury in the province, because we believe the treasury must allocate funds to the health department in order for it to meet its mandate,” said Denosa provincial spokesperson Simphiwe Gada on Sunday. In response, the DOH issued a statement in which its spokesperson Motalatale Modiba promised that officials would continue working with stakeholders to address the challenges that had been identified. On Monday, the union said it noted the department’s statement, however, it added that it would not applaud the department for doing what it should have done in the beginning. It warned that it would only believe the commitment made by the DOH when it materialised. “In the meantime, Denosa Gauteng will continue with its plans to mobilise nurses in Gauteng to pay a visit to Gauteng’s premier and treasury and health department because we remain convinced that Gauteng health and the provincial government must give us a firm commitment that all 727 nurses (the 2022/23 cohort) who are currently doing their community service will not be retrenched in the next six months, that is on January 1, 2022,” the union stated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chulumanco Mahamba at The Star
Mpumalanga teacher assistants struggling to put food on the table after not being paid for three months News24 reports that teaching assistants in Mpumalanga say they are struggling to put food on the table and care for their families after not receiving their stipends for the past three months. On 1 April 2022 they signed new contracts, which are expected to expire on 31 August 2022. The teaching assistants were promised R4,081 per month, but have not received a cent from the provincial education department. An assistant teacher from Springbok Colliery Primary School said: "It's been three months without getting paid. We are on the fourth month now, and if we keep quiet, we won't get paid again. This has affected my life because I'm supposed to take care of my family with this money. It's very difficult to manage without it. Every time we ask, there are no answers.” An assistant teacher from Magaduzela Primary School said that before the schools closed, the principal informed them that money had not been received from the education department to pay the stipends. Education department spokesperson Jasper Zwane advised the department had transferred the money to all schools last week, and schools had been directed to effect payment urgently. "This is payments for April, May, and June. The information at our disposal is that almost all education assistants were paid on Thursday and Friday last week,” the spokesperson claimed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Iavan Pijoos at News24
Court orders former Eskom boss Brian Molefe to pay back just under R10 million to pension fund Fin24 reports that Brian Molefe, the former CEO of Eskom, has been directed to pay back just under R10 million, plus interest, to the power utility's pension fund. This follows a drawn-out legal process that dates back to 2018, when the same court set aside all Molefe's pension payouts. But the former Eskom boss did not pay back the money in the intervening four years, arguing that he didn't know what exact amount he needed to pay. The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has now ruled that Molefe needs to pay the pension fund R9,985,540 plus interest calculated from 31 October 2019 up to the date he pays. In a statement, the fund said that this brought the matter of what Molefe needed to pay to a close. The fund, meanwhile, will pay back Eskom the balance of the R30 million it had received from Eskom. Molefe, who served two stints as Eskom's CEO, was initially ordered to pay back his pension by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria in January 2018 in a case brought by trade union Solidarity and the DA. "We find that Mr Molefe was never entitled to receive any pension benefits from the Eskom Pension Fund and the payments in lieu of such benefits were patently unlawful," the court ruled at the time. The court also set aside the power utility's acceptance of Molefe's early retirement and the controversial decision to reinstate him as CEO. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Jan Cronje at Fin24 Godongwana welcomes election of Dondo Mogajane as GEPF chairperson Engineering News reports that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has welcomed the election of Dondo Mogajane as Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) chairperson and that of Eddie Kekana as deputy chairperson. Godongwana convened the first sitting of the new GEPF board of trustees on 4 July. He thanked the outgoing board for its service and emphasised the need for the incoming board to continue to lead the fund with care and judiciousness during the challenging economic climate. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Free State Home Affairs official hands herself in after corruption allegations IOL reports that Department of Home Affairs (DHA) employee Dolly Goitsemang Sediti appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of corruption. In May, the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, based in Bloemfontein, received information about a DHA senior immigration officer who had demanded R6,000 from a foreign national for the release of his brother, who had been arrested for allegedly not having proper documents. “A sting operation was then conducted on Thursday, May 26, 2022, where the police arrested Leballo Maqalika, 50, after he was found with R6,000 he demanded from the victim,” reported Captain Christopher Singo. He added that further investigations were conducted, wherein the Hawks discovered that Sediti was implicated in alleged corrupt activities with Maqalika. “A warrant of arrest was issued and Sediti handed herself over this morning, together with her lawyers, where she was charged,” said Singo. The case was postponed to 11 July for a formal bail application. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Brenda Masilela at IOL
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