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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It’s been over one week since Ramaphosa promised an Eskom plan ‘in the coming days’ Business Insider SA writes that more than a week ago, on 11 July, President Cyril Ramaphosa headlined his regular weekly newsletter with "We can and will do more to end load shedding". He acknowledged the sentiment that came with Stage 6 load shedding, but effectively asked for just a little more patience, as the hard work already being done behind the scenes was completed. The President wrote: "Over the past two weeks, we have been working with the relevant ministers and senior officials on a range of additional measures to accelerate all efforts to increase our electricity supply. The message is clear: this is no time for business as usual. We need to act boldly to make load shedding a thing of the past. We will soon be completing the detailed work and consultations needed to finalise these further measures. We will then, in the coming days, be able to announce a comprehensive set of actions to achieve much faster progress in tackling load shedding." There has been no such announcement. Instead, since then, Ramaphosa's spokesperson said the President was "anxious" to address the nation on Eskom, while his administration appeared to float the idea of declaring a "power emergency". Neither has happened yet. Late last week, Ramaphosa said he supported the idea of an Eskom 2.0 built within government, as proposed by his energy minister Gwede Mantashe, to create competition in electricity generation while not allowing privatisation. By the weekend, Ramaphosa appeared to have cooled somewhat to the idea, saying Eskom must come first, while Eskom 2.0 can wait. Luckily in the time since Ramaphosa promised swift action in the face of immediate anger, the forecast for electricity rationing has improved, with Eskom saying things will look much better towards the end of July. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Phillip de Wet at Business Insider SA Other internet posting(s) in this news category
About 40 SARS offices across SA closed due to wage strike, with no talks planned to break the impasse BL Premium reports that unions striking for above-inflation increases at the SA Revenue Service (SARS) said on Monday that tax collection was among the services affected by their continuing industrial action. By Monday, the strike had resulted in close to 40 branches being closed across the country. Lwazi Nkolonzi of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) advised: “All services rendered by our members at SARS have been affected. Tax collection, all of them are affected as a result of the strike action.” Nkolonzi further stated: “The closure of SARS offices throughout the country will continue until Sars tables a better offer. Border post services rendered by our members have come to a standstill. Our members are resolute that they are going to forge ahead with the industrial action until Sars tables a concrete offer.” Reuben Maleka of the Public Servants Association (PSA) claimed: “All normal SARS services including customs, borders are completely affected.” SARS spokesperson Siphithi Sibeko said there was nothing to report other than that the strike was “ongoing as it has not yet been resolved”. No further meeting between the parties has been scheduled. Sibeko advised that the tax collection season was going ahead as planned. Members of the PSA and Nehawu downed tools in May to demand increases of 11.5% and 12%, respectively. The two unions, which jointly represent the majority of SARS’ 13,000 workforce, voted to resume the suspended strike last week after further talks with management deadlocked. SARS previously offered unions R70m to fund pay rises and R430m as a one-off gratuity payment for the 2021/2022 financial year. The offer, however, was rejected, with the unions saying it would mean an increase of just 1.3% and a one-off R3,000 cash gratuity. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, SARS strike impact endures, forcing scores of branches to close, at Fin24
After second attack on a worker at Kruger National Park, leopard euthanised News24 reports that SANParks euthanised a leopard after it attacked a lodge employee in the Kruger National Park on Sunday morning. The Shalati Concession employee was on his way to work when the attack occurred. SANParks head ranger Cathy Dreyer reported: “After fighting off the leopard and shouting for help, the animal disappeared into the surrounding bush. The injured worker was rushed to the doctor for treatment. He suffered deep lacerations and trauma, but the injuries are understood not to be life-threatening.” Rangers Corps and the Airwing immediately launched an operation to search for the animal and euthanise it. According to Dreyer, this was the second leopard attack on a worker in the park. "Since the first incident, every effort had been made to try and capture the leopard but without success. Given the location of the incident, we suspect that the destroyed leopard is the same animal responsible for the first attack, but we can never be sure," she indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Nicole McCain at News24. Lees ook, Luiperd van kant gemaak ná aanval, by Maroela Media Four years after three Joburg firefighters died in Bank of Lisbon blaze, the families still wait for answers News24 reports that nearly four years have passed since a fire raged through the old Bank of Lisbon building in Johannesburg, killing three firefighters, but the findings of four investigations into the blaze have still not been released. Last October, Gauteng Premier David Makhura pledged to release reports on the four investigations conducted by the police, the City of Johannesburg, the provincial government and the Department of Employment and Labour, but he has not done so. On 5 September 2018, the CBD building that housed the province’s health, human settlements and cooperative governance departments was engulfed in flames. Allegations at the time were that the fire was caused by an electrical fault that started on the 23rd floor of the building. Simphiwe Moropane, Mduduzi Ndlovu and Khathutshelo Muedi died while battling the blaze. Moropane reportedly died after falling from a ledge while trying to get some air. Ndlovu and Muedi were trapped in the building and died due to a lack of oxygen. Ndlovu's father, Sbusiso Ndlovu, indicated: "We still haven't received a report explaining what happened that day, let alone received money. My son died in 2018 and four years later, no one has said anything … I'm still in pain, and it hurts to hear the endless excuses for why the report hasn't been released.” The Muedi family expressed similar sentiments. In his latest response to the legislature, Makhura said his office was coordinating with agencies to ensure that all investigations were complete. He added that two reports had been received and two were still outstanding. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zandile Khumalo at News24
Solidarity’s threat of cost order forces U-turn over University of the Free State’s Covid-19 vaccination policy Solidarity on Monday welcomed the decision taken by the University of the Free State (UFS) to scrap its Covid-19 mandatory vaccination policy after the trade union threatened the university with a cost order in its ongoing court litigation with the institution. Solidarity brought a court application against the university’s policy on 12 January, and in June it threatened UFS with a cost order should the university not amend its policy. “It remains a pity that the university insisted on offering resistance to the way back to normality. The implementation of a mandatory vaccination policy was questionable in the first place. When the Covid-19 regulations were lifted at national level, but the UFS carried on with restrictions on its campus, it was clear that the university was committed to restricting the constitutional rights of students and staff without any clear rationale,” Morné Malan, Solidarity’s head of communications commented. He went on to say: “Although it is a good thing that this draconian policy has now been lifted, the fact that it was only brought about because the university was threatened with a cost order in litigation, and not because it acted as a proponent for the rights of students and staff, will remain an embarrassing blemish on UFS’s name.” Read Solidarity’s press statement regarding the above matter at Solidarity News Sasbo demands that Old Mutual must reinstate its unvaccinated members who were fired BL Premium reports that Sasbo wants Old Mutual to reinstate its members who were fired for not complying with the group’s mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy, which was scrapped in June. The finance sector union, which recently succeeded in forcing Standard Bank to commit to rehiring at least 40 Sasbo members fired for noncompliance with the bank’s mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy, sent a letter to Old Mutual on 12 July demanding the “unconditional” reinstatement of its axed members. While Sasbo received an email from Old Mutual CEO Iain Williamson three days later acknowledging receipt of its demands, the insurer has apparently not yet responded to say how it will deal with this issue. However, the firm has requested a list of members the union wants rehired. Old Mutual has dismissed at least 49 employees for noncompliance with a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy it announced in November 2021 and put into effect in January 2022. The group indicated last week that some employees refused both vaccination against Covid-19 as well as the alternative option of regular Covid-19 testing, thereby forcing it to dismiss them. Yet ironically Old Mutual subsequently amended its Covid-19 policies on 22 June, which saw its mandatory vaccination policy scrapped thanks to an employee vaccination rate in excess of 90%. Though Old Mutual says only 49 employees have been fired for not complying with its previous Covid-19 vaccine mandate, Sasbo general secretary Modime Joe Kokela says the number of impacted staff could be far higher as many were still facing incapacity hearings when the policy was scrapped. Old Mutual claimed last week that these incapacity proceedings were scrapped after it revised its Covid-19 policy. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Garth Theunissen at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
A total of 97 illegal miners and a farm owner nabbed in Heidelberg for a number of crimes The Citizen reports that a 62-year-old farm owner and 97 illegal Lesotho nationals were arrested on Monday in Heidelberg, Gauteng, for a number of crimes. According to the SA Police Service (SAPS), all suspects will appear in the Heidelberg Magistrate’s Court on charges that include illegal mining, being in the country illegally, human trafficking, possession of explosives and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. The arrests were made after a team, consisting of various SAPS specialised units, swooped in on a farm where the illegal miners had been operating from. The police reported: “Upon further interrogation and inspection, the team seized mining equipment and implements. It was also discovered that all the suspects, between the ages of 18 and 35, are all Lesotho nationals and majority were in the country illegally. Three unlicensed firearms and 570 rounds of ammunition were also seized.” The farm owner was also found with illegal ammunition and gold bearing equipment. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen. Read too, Cops round up farmer and 97 illegal miners on Gauteng farm; seize 570 rounds of ammunition, at IOL. En ook, 97 onwettige myners vas, by Maroela Media Other posting(s) related to illegal mining
You can queue at dawn but still not be served at the employment and labour department in Belvillle GroundUp reports that queues form early outside the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) offices at Middestad Mall in Bellville. The office opens at 7:30am and closes at 4pm, but there are people who still don’t get served even when they have arrived early in the morning. At 8am last Wednesday, the queue outside was already long, with most people in it there to apply for their Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) money. They got up in the dark, spent money they can hardly afford on transport and wasted hours of their day waiting to be served. Many have to make several trips before they are either served or their UIF payment processed. There is no help desk, nobody to quickly check and vet forms so that people don’t wait for nothing, no effective queue management and no consideration for people who are elderly, pregnant or otherwise unable to stand outside. The clerks inside appear to be extremely slow, seemingly processing no more than 40 people a day. People in the queue indicated that about ten people had been let inside by 8am. They were the ones who had slept outside to be first. It was over an hour before more people were let in. Although officials give a cursory look at forms and give people a ticket number, there was no proper queue management and people complained about queue jumpers. At around 10am, a security guard informed everyone there would be load-shedding shortly. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tariro Washinyira at GroundUp
Delay in sentencing bogus Prasa head engineer Daniel Mthimkhulu Mail & Guardian reports that the lack of court transcripts have “unreasonably delayed” the sentencing of Daniel Mthimkhulu almost seven months after the former Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) head engineer was convicted of fraud. On Monday, it emerged in the Johannesburg specialised commercial crimes court, sitting in Palm Ridge, that the court records for January, the month in which Mthimkhulu was convicted on three fraud counts, had not been transcribed for the new magistrate presiding over the bogus engineer’s sentencing. Magistrate Benita Oswell convicted the fraudster on 31 January, before emigrating. Magistrate Phillip Venter replaced her as Mthimkhulu’s presiding officer. Oswell’s emigration necessitated the transcription of the court record, including the judgment, in order for Venter to begin sentencing proceedings. Mthimkhulu was convicted, among other things, for submitting six fraudulent tertiary education qualifications to Prasa, including a fake master’s degree from the University of the Witwatersrand; misrepresenting that he had a doctorate; and demanding that he be referred to as “Dr Mthimkhulu” despite a matric certificate being his highest qualification. He also forged an offer letter of employment from a German engineering firm in June 2010 to illegally get his Prasa salary hiked from R1.6-million to R2.8-million. His pay was only R64,530 when he began as an engineering technician in July 2000. Mthimkhulu, whose bail was extended, will return to court next month. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khaya Koko at Mail & Guardian
IT guru accused of defrauding State Security Agency of more than R1 million to be tried in October News24 reports that a suspended State Security Agency (SSA) employee accused of defrauding the intelligence service of more than R1 million made a brief appearance in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria on Monday. A stayed warrant of arrest had been issued for Thuso Leonard Oesi after he failed to appear in court earlier this month. At the time, his lawyer presented the court with a medical certificate on his behalf. On Monday, the lawyer handed over further documents pertaining to Oesi's health status, hoping it would "give the court comfort". As a result, the court cancelled the warrant of arrest. The case was postponed to 10 and 11 October for the plea and trial respectively. Oesi is charged with seven counts of fraud, three of contravening the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, nine for forgery and nine for uttering. The SAP system administrator allegedly defrauding the SSA of around R1.1 million between August 2019 and February 2020 by allegedly creating fictitious payment advance authorisations for himself for training courses that he never attended. Oesi, who had a monthly salary of R46,266, also allegedly amended the payment system to reflect a net salary of R80,268.71 in January 2020, and then R174,141.21 in February. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jeanette Chabalala at News24 Six Mpumalanga officials busted for multi-million Rand vehicle licensing fraud The Citizen reports that the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) busted an alleged multi-million Rand vehicle licensing fraud ring in Mpumalanga on Monday. Investigation into the ring estimates that the province has lost close to R60 million in revenue due to their activities. The RTMC’s National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit (NTACU) indicated in a statement on Monday that six officials had been arrested In Mbombela for vehicle licensing fraud. “Five provincial administrators and a municipal clerk in Mbombela are alleged to have fraudulently redetermined the classification of hundreds of vehicles to avoid paying licensing fees and penalties,” the RTMC advised. The suspects are alleged to have committed the crimes between 2018 and 2019 in collusion with many officials from registering authorities in Mpumalanga. They are facing a total of 603 counts of fraud, corruption and money laundering and were expected to make an appearance at the Mbombela specialised commercial court later on Monday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kgomotso Phooko at The Citizen Former Moretele council boss arrested for irregular R250-million IT tender The Citizen reports that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the arrest of a former municipal manager at the Moretele Municipality in North West over an irregular R250-million IT tender. Theletsi Roger Nkhumise was arrested on Friday and appeared at Moretele Regional Court on the same day. The former municipal boss faces charges of contravening the municipal Finance Management Act and the irregular awarding of a multi-million Rand IT tender. The SIU on Monday advised: “Nkhumise is accused of unlawfully appointing Flame IT Strategy to render ICT services to the Moretele Municipality to the tune of approximately R215 million.” An investigation revealed that Moretele paid far more than what another municipality had paid Flame IT. Madibeng municipality paid Flame IT R64-million compared to the R250 million that Moretele municipality paid the IT company for the same services. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kgomotso Phooko at The Citizen. Lees ook, Oudmunisipale bestuurder van Klerksdorp in hof, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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