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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Study shows cannabis consumption at work on the rise TimesLive reports that a recent study has found that more South Africans are consuming cannabis while working. The Cannabis Expo will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre this week and organisers said a study conducted by them found that 36.7% of users consumed cannabis at work. Of those surveyed, 81% said they consume cannabis edibles, while 76.7% said they experience positive health benefits from using the drug. The expo's director, Silas Howarth, noted that important discussions concerning cannabis use in the workplace needed to take place and would be discussed at the event. “It will be interesting to see the options organisations have to mitigate risks. We find most cannabis users find positive health and other benefits, and in many cases say it improves their productivity,” he indicated, adding that employers might struggle to accurately test and prohibit workplace use. According to Advocate Tertius Wessels of Strata-g Labour Solutions, the workplace is "not considered a private space" and is not protected by legislation. “Being under the influence of mind-altering substances at work renders the employee unfit for duty and can be dangerous, especially for those who operate complex machinery or drive vehicles. The issue with cannabis is that it can stay in the system for several hours, even days. This is worrying, especially from an occupational health and safety perspective,” Wessels pointed out. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kyle Zeeman at TimesLive At least 54 councillors and municipal officials killed since 2021 polls, says Salga SowetanLive reports that at least 54 councillors and municipal officials have been killed since 2021 local government elections, prompting the SA Local Government Association (Salga) to call for government to set a budget for provision of security. The organisation said it had noticed the growing number of cases of intimidation and killing of councillors and municipal officials, with at least 54 killed for various reasons since the local elections a year ago and more than 300 being murdered over the past few years. Salga president Bheke Stofie said the increasing cases in recent weeks was concerning. “It cannot be that week after week we convey condolences for public representatives who have been killed. The killing of municipal councillors and/or senior managers should be viewed within the contestation of power, it presents a direct attack on our hard-won democracy,” Stofile said. He went on to say: “Salga in the previous years suggested that the rate of successful prosecution of councillor killings must be raised by turning councillors slayings into priority crimes. The budget for the provision of security to councillors and senior officials must be appropriated from the national fiscus.” The most common attacks included the killing of both councillors and officials as well as damage to moveable and immovable property; security threats at offices and homes; threats for executing official responsibilities; intimidation from gangsters related to building projects; as well as extortion and families of councillors held up in their homes. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Sibiya at SowetanLive. See too, Modimolle-Mookgophong municipal boss lives in fear for flagging R1.8m road tender, at SowetanLive
EPWP contract workers in eThekwini threaten to play dirty if they aren’t made permanent TimesLive reports that contracted eThekwini municipality employees have threatened to vandalise the city centre if they are not made permanent. This emerged when workers aligned to the Municipal and Allied Trade Union of SA (Matusa) in the city’s expanded public works programme (EPWP) picketed outside the Durban City Hall on Wednesday. At least 200 people gathered there to await an update on a conciliation process facilitated by the CCMA between the union and the city. Among disputes Matusa submitted to the CCMA was a demand to be recognised by the employer and represented at the bargaining council. Matusa’s Thulani Ngwenya explained: “What happened today [Wednesday] was for the application to proceed, but a point was raised that there needed to be a verification process to determine whether we have enough members. We didn’t have a problem with that because we know we have more than 5,500 members in eThekwini.” Some workers had been with EPWP for more than five years, which demonstrated that they offered a necessary service and should be made permanent, Ngwenya claimed. An EPWP worker complained that she was in effect a permanent employee, but did not get the benefits afforded to such workers. She added that union members would “vandalise the city” if there was no progress on their demands by the time the festive season started in December. “If the city is dirty in December, that will be great because it will remind them of the role we play,” she warned. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lwazi Hlangu at TimesLive
Maintenance contractor at Eskom’s Camden power station arrested for sabotage Fin24 reports that a contractor working at Camden power station in Mpumalanga was arrested on Tuesday after being positively linked to an incident of sabotage. The contractor admitted to intentionally removing the oil drain plug from a bearing on Thursday last week, causing oil burners to trip repeatedly, Eskom said in a statement. The worker was employed by a maintenance company working at the power station, and said his employer was promised additional maintenance and repair jobs at the power station if he carried out the task. The arrest followed "intensive investigative work by Eskom teams", the power utility said on Wednesday. While the contractor was arrested, no details were provided of Eskom employees who might have been involved in the promising of additional work. A case of sabotage was opened at the Ermelo police station. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Marelise van der Merwe at Fin24. Lees ook, Kontrakteur vas ná sabotasie by Camden, by Maroela Media Other Eskom internet posting(s)
Former CEO Peter Moyo suffers SCA defeat in bid to claim R250m from Old Mutual Fin24 reports that the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dismissed an application by former Old Mutual CEO Peter Moyo to allow him to appeal a ruling against him by the South Gauteng High Court. Moyo has filed various lawsuits against Old Mutual after he was fired in June 2019, but has not had any success in any higher courts. In January this year, the high court dismissed Moyo's bid to sue the insurer for R250 million in contractual damages. In July, he also lost an application for leave to appeal the verdict in the same court. Earlier this year, he again lost an application in the high court to have Old Mutual's board members declared delinquent. The SCA's judgment shows that Moyo lodged an application to allow him to appeal the high court ruling in August. On 10 November, the SCA ordered that his application be dismissed with costs. "[It] is dismissed on the grounds that there is no reasonable prospect of success in an appeal and there is no other compelling reason why an appeal should be heard," wrote the court registrar in the order. With the SCA not prepared to hear his case, this might finally be the end of this longstanding legal battle which began in May 2019, unless Moyo's legal team can find a constitutional argument to take the matter to the Constitutional Court. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Londiwe Buthelezi at Fin24. Read too, Peter Moyo fails again in Old Mutual saga, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Mhlathuze Water finally agrees to cough up back pay for staff housing allowances IOL reports that Mhlathuze Water has been forced to implement an arbitration ruling that will see it coughing up thousands of rand in staff housing allowance back pay. The Richards Bay-based bulk water supplier, which supplies the City of Mhlathuze (Mpangeni-Richards Bay) and big industries like Richards Bay Minerals and Foskor, was dilly-dallying until the CCMA instructed it to implement the ruling. The workers, through the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), have been fighting for payment of the housing allowance, which they claimed the water company had withheld without any justification. In their CCMA papers, the workers said the housing allowance, which now amounted to R3,300 per month, was last paid to them in 2016. In response, Mhlathuze Water claimed that the workers were mistaken in their claim because the money was not specified in their payslips. It claimed that the money was there and it had been diligently paying it to qualifying staff members. The CCMA ruled in favour of the workers, but Mhlathuze Water allegedly dug in its heels, saying it would not implement the verdict. The workers then went back to the CCMA to ask it to force Mhlathuze to implement the arbitration award. This week, the CCMA wrote to the Mhlathuze board informing it that the ruling should be implemented. Apparently fearing another wildcat strike, the board informed the staff on Wednesday that they would be paid their money as stipulated in the arbitration award. In terms of the ruling, the back pay has to start from 2016 up to the present, meaning that the company might find itself coughing up thousands of rand to pay the 256 staff members. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sihle Mavuso at IOL
Battle over Brian Molefe's retirement payout continues as Eskom pension fund vows to fight appeal bid Fin24 reports that the Eskom Pension and Provident Fund (EPPF) will oppose former Eskom executive Brian Molefe's decision to apply for leave to appeal last month's high court ruling in the ongoing battle over his pension payout. The fund indicated on Wednesday that it intended to file an opposing affidavit with the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in a bid to recover the funds from the former Eskom CEO. On 12 October, the North Gauteng High Court dismissed, with costs, Molefe's application for leave to appeal an earlier ruling that would have compelled him to pay back millions of rands. Molefe was ordered in 2018 to return "patently unlawful" payments in a case brought by the DA and trade union Solidarity. In July this year, a second ruling confirmed this, ordering him to pay back R9.9 million, plus interest, to the fund. The same ruling had also required the fund to pay back R30 million it had received from Eskom. The fund repaid the R30 million to Eskom, but Molefe sought leave to appeal the ruling. The fund said on Wednesday that Molefe’s legal team gave notice last week that he would petition the SCA for the opportunity to appeal or have the Pretoria court’s decision set aside. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Marelise van der Merwe at Fin24 Deputy President David Mabuza tells military veterans in Durban they’ll get pensions The Mercury reports that the KZN uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA) has welcomed the announcement of a pension for liberation military veterans, but warned it might not be enough to tackle the deplorable conditions faced by struggle soldiers. Deputy President David Mabuza told veterans in Durban on Tuesday that the pension of R4,962 a month would be rolled out by 1 December and a budget had been granted by the National Treasury to the Department of Military Veterans for the next three years. Military veterans have complained that since 1994 that their demands for better living conditions, employment, housing and medical aid have largely been ignored. Two years ago, the Liberation Struggle War Veterans staged a march to the Union Buildings and asked President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government to assist former liberation struggle combatants to be compensated for their role and their sacrifices. A month later, aggrieved members of MKMVA blockaded main routes into Durban to protest against what they believed was the government’s betrayal over their welfare since democracy. Mabuza said there had been significant progress in addressing some military veterans’ challenges, including the approval of the Military Veterans’ Pension Policy. He said other issues of progress included the provision of housing to veterans’ dependants via an amendment to the Military Veterans Act, improving the floor plan of purpose-built houses, and the execution of remedial work in a number of housing projects. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kuben Chetty at The Mercury. Read too, Mabuza pledges better care for military veterans, at The Star
No foreigners employed in SAPS, says Ipid following whistleblower allegations The Star reports that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has denied that foreign nationals are working in the police service. This was indicated after whistle-blower Patricia Mashale alleged that the SA Police Service (SAPS) in the Free State had been employing foreign nationals who used fake documents to secure jobs in the service. Mashale is a former administrative clerk who worked in the Free State Police’s firearms, liquor, and second-hand goods departments. She has since been fired and has gone into hiding amid death threats against her. This week, she continued to level criticism against the police minister, Bheki Cele, and IPID boss, Jennifer Ntlatseng, as well as other officials whom she accused of condoning corruption. Mashale claimed that several high-ranking officials within the police force were undocumented immigrants who had secured their positions using fake documents. According to Mashale, she handed over a report on the complaints about the employment of foreign nationals to Cele and the IPID and she has evidence of the names of SAPS police officers whose names and ID numbers do not exist at the Department of Home Affairs. IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping said their investigation into foreign nationals being employed by the SAPS had yielded no results. On Monday, Cele denied receiving any intelligence from Mashale, adding that he has never met or seen her. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyabonga Sithole at The Star
Cosatu says penalties proposed in bill for school disruptions go too far BL Premium reports that trade union federation Cosatu has urged parliament to scrap provisions in the contentious Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill that criminalise disruption of schools. Parliament’s basic education committee has been hearing oral submissions on the bill, which contains wide-ranging reforms that include a ban on any disruption to schooling. The bill makes it an offence to “interrupt, disturb or hinder any school activity”, with penalties that include a fine or up to 12 months in prison. This includes teachers and pupils. “This definition of school disruptions is too broad, unconstitutional and will effectively criminalise teachers and education workers for exercising their constitutional and legal rights to picket, protest and strike. Such a ban won’t pass constitutional muster and will be challenged in the Constitutional Court if not removed by parliament from the bill,” Cosatu said in its submission. The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu), which represents 26,400 of SA’s 400,000 teachers, said people who disrupted schooling should be penalised, but the bill went too far. The bill should specifically exclude educators or union members who had embarked on a protected strike, it said. In its presentation to the committee, the union indicated: “There are sufficient existing laws pertaining to criminal conduct and violent protests, and (this) should not be the legislative tool where such activities are dealt with.” Cosatu’s parliamentary co-ordinator Matthew Parks also said the organisation was deeply opposed to the bill’s provisions allowing schools to sell alcohol on their premises as part of their fundraising activities. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) KwaZulu-Natal pupil, 16, appears in court for attempted murder of teacher News24 reports that a 16-year-old KwaZulu-Natal pupil appeared in the Ntuzuma Magistrate's Court for attempted murder on Tuesday after he allegedly shot a teacher. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the boy also faced a charge of theft of a firearm. "The State is alleging that he stole his cousin's firearm from a locked safe and took it to school. At school, he allegedly shot at a teacher," she reported. The pupil was released into the custody of a guardian. According to IOL, the 30-year-old Mqhawe Secondary School teacher had reprimanded the boy for making a noise while matric candidates were writing an exam. The pupil then reportedly threatened to shoot the teacher after school. Inanda police are investigating an attempted murder case. The case was postponed to 12 January for further investigation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Nicole McCain at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
University of the Free State Business School director suspended amid racism allegations News24 reports that University of the Free State (UFS) Business School director Dr Udesh Pillay has been suspended, reportedly over a racial spat. According to the Daily Maverick, a complaint was laid against Pillay by a whistleblower who accused him of stoking racial tension. The whistleblower reportedly accused Pillay of "unethical behaviour" after he organised a diversity workshop, to which he invited black staff members. The whistleblower claimed white staff members had been excluded. The complaint was reportedly shared with Pillay around six weeks later, after which he was allegedly accused of circulating it among colleagues. This appears to have led to his precautionary suspension. UFS spokesperson Lacea Loader confirmed the suspension, however she said the Daily Maverick report was "not accurate". Pillay's lawyers have reportedly threatened to approach the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration if the suspension is not lifted. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Nicole McCain at News24 SIU recovers R33m from Northlink TVET college as it probes corruption at NSFAS TimesLive reports that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has recovered R33.4m from Northlink College in the Western Cape as part of its National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) investigations. This is the first recovery of government money since the SIU was authorised by a proclamation signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in August to investigate alleged corruption and maladministration at the NSFAS. Northlink College is a technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college that receives NSFAS funding for students who need financial aid to further their studies. After the announcement of the proclamation, the college informed the SIU it received more than R33m from the NSFAS that was not allocated to students between 2017 and 2021 and had invested the money without authorisation. “The TVET college told the SIU it is fully aware the funds should have been returned to the NSFAS, but Northlink College failed to do so and instead decided to invest the funds. It said it would return the funds on request from the NSFAS,” the SIU indicated. The investigative unit said it was calculating interest earned from the investment and this would have to be paid into the SIU trust account. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLive. Lees ook, R33 miljoen se NSFAS-geld van kollege verhaal, by Maroela Media
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