In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Seven public sector unions, representing 800,000 workers, announce one-day strike for Tuesday Fin24 reports that seven unions in the public service, representing 800,000 members, have vowed to disrupt service at offices, hospitals and courts in a national day of action next week Tuesday in protest against the unilateral implementation of a 3% baseline increase in public wages. The national day of action will include a march to the offices of the National Treasury in Pretoria, and protest action in all nine provinces. The announcement was made at the headquarters of the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) on Thursday morning. The government's decision to unilaterally implement a 3% baseline increase prompted the Public Servants Association (PSA) to hold a one-day public service strike last Thursday, demanding a better wage offer and ending job cuts in the public service. The PSA had given the government a week to respond to its demands at last week's strike, but, at the time of the briefing, the government had not yet done so. Along with the PSA, other unions at the briefing were Nehawu, Popcru, Sapu, Denosa, Nupsaw and Hospersa. Announcing the national day of action, Popcru's first deputy president Khehla Masemola said the unions rejected the 3% baseline increase, especially after the government reneged on a previous wage deal in 2020. Masemola said demonstrations would continue beyond next week's national day of action "until the day that unions declare a [full-blown] strike". The unions at the briefing said even public servants who constituted essential services were prepared to embark on industrial action. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24. Lees ook, Nog duisende staatsamptenare staak Dinsdag, by Maroela Media
Magistrates fear for their lives as assassins stalk SA The Citizen writes that while political assassinations have been a feature of SA life for several years, equally concerning has been the recent spike in targeted hits on judicial officers, lawyers, whistle-blowers and anti-crime investigators. Targeted hits in general, as revealed by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, has reached crisis levels in the country, having increased by 70% since 2000 (84 cases in 2000 and 143 cases in 2021). At least seven magistrates were assassinated in SA between 2000 and 2022, according to the international non-governmental organization. This included the recent attack on Mount Aylif magistrate Buliswa Tseki-Phatho, who died in a hail of bullets that also injured her husband and children. The Global Initiative’s Chwayita Thobela said the impact of these assassinations was far-reaching and resulted in the intimidation of members of the criminal justice system. The analyst also noted that the taxi industry, due to decades of violence over routes and profits, had become a ready source of professional hitmen. “Police responses to instances of targeted killings have often been fragmented and ineffective. Few killers, or the people that recruited them, are ever brought to book,” Chwayita stated. More than 50% of the magistrates responding in the 2019 Magistrates Matter Judicial Officer Survey on perceptions of their work environment were concerned about their personal safety both in and outside of court. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipho Mabena at The Citizen (subscriber access only)
Ekurhuleni contract workers protest after going unpaid for months GroundUp reports that on Wednesday, over 100 security staff and cleaners working for companies contracted to the City of Ekurhuleni protested outside the Germiston Municipal offices. The protesters said they represented 3,000 workers who have not been paid for two to three months, were routinely paid late, or had been retrenched six months ago but were never paid out. The employees work at various municipal sites across Ekurhuleni – including Germiston, Benoni, Daveyton, Heidelberg and Boksburg – for companies such as Ngodvongodvo Security company, Khayalami Security, Zabalaza Security, Kenna Malobisi Security, Ntamo Technologies and Falaz Cleaning Company. They were demanding to be directly employed by the City. Mayoral Committee Member for Finance Fanyana Nkosi addressed the workers and promised to resolve the issue with the companies. City of Ekhurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dhlamini said the City was not at fault and that it was a problem between the contracting companies and their employees. He said the City was not answerable to the workers as the City only dealt with the contracting company and not its employees. The protesters said they would keep coming to the municipal offices until they got answers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kimberly Mutandiro at GroundUp
Hawks arrest five alleged illegal mining kingpins in Rustenburg The Citizen reports that the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, assisted by members of the Illegal Mining Task Team, arrested five alleged illegal mining kingpins in Rustenburg, North West, on Wednesday and Thursday. During the arrest of the suspects aged between 33 and 72, two vehicles believed to have been obtained through the proceeds of crime were seized for further investigation. The suspects appeared in the Mogwase Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, facing charges that included illegal mining, public violence, defeating the ends of justice and malicious damage to property. According to Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso, the operation was the culmination of ongoing investigations into illegal mining in the Rustenburg area. The operation which took place at a Rustenburg mine, led to the seizure of illegally mined chrome worth over R2 million and equipment (vehicles and excavators) worth approximately R100 million. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Eskom workers worry the just transition will result in job losses Mail & Guardian reports that Eskom’s employees at Mpumalanga power stations have called on the government, Eskom and unions to provide alternatives to their jobs because they fear job losses with the introduction of renewable energy projects. These concerns come despite assurances by Eskom and President Cyril Ramaphosa that the plan for a just transition to clean energy will not result in job losses. The $10.7 billion loan agreements with France and Germany, following this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, to assist Eskom to move away from its reliance on coal, have also not alleviated fears. Irvin Jim of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has called on the government to clarify how the transition will affect employees. Coal workers believe they will not be needed if renewable energy becomes prominent. An employee remarked: “We have not been addressed by [Eskom’s] management about what will happen to our jobs when renewables come online and the West expects us to be fully off coal. How are they going to skill someone like me whose life revolves around coal and the surroundings of Mpumalanga?” The employee added that Eskom had not trained employees to ensure they would have jobs in a clean energy future. Jim noted that coal power stations were labour intensive but renewable energy plants were not. “What this means is that it is unlikely that hundreds of thousands of people will be absorbed by renewable energy companies in Mpumalanga,” he opined. A report by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research has predicted that at least 100,000 jobs would be lost along the value chain as a result of the shift to renewable energy. But Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said in a statement that no employees would lose their jobs as a result of the transition. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mandisa Nyathi at Mail & Guardian (subscriber access only) Eskom secures R180m for new renewable energy training facility at Grootvlei power station News24Wire reports that Eskom has secured a €10-million (R180-million) grant from German development bank KfW to set up a renewable energy training facility at Grootvlei coal power station in Mpumalanga. Eskom CEO André de Ruyter referred to the deal on Thursday at COP27, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. He was presenting on the steps taken to repurpose Eskom’s coal-fired power stations, specifically Komati, which has become a flagship of a just transition. Komati, which has been operational since the 1960s, decommissioned its last unit in October. The power utility is in the process of setting up a renewable energy training facility at Komati through an alliance with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology's South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre. Grootvlei, which is also based in Mpumalanga, would have a similar facility set up, De Ruyter said. He said that there were about 200,000 trained people in Mpumalanga working in the coal value chain, who should be upskilled and reskilled to take part in renewable energy sectors. As it stood, there were about 16,000 vacancies in the wind and solar industries because people have not been trained for these jobs, he explained. For that reason, training and reskilling people was a big part of ensuring a just transition in the energy sector. De Ruyter noted that the concerns of labour about job losses were "legitimate". He acknowledged there would be job losses in the coal sector, but said studies showed that 300,000 net jobs would be created in the new industries. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News
Cele concerned that SA Police Service loses more than 300 experienced officers a month to retirement The Citizen reports that addressing members of Parliament at a police portfolio committee meeting on Thursday, Police Minister Bheki Cele raised concern over the number of officers leaving the force. Cele reported he approved more than 300 retirements every month, which added up to nearly 10,000 officers over the past four years. Officers nearing retirement each have more than 30 years of experience, and since they were “leaving SAPS in short succession”, the skills gap was growing. Cele said the officers concerned, aged between 55 and 63, were the “creme, the experienced people. The detectives, the people you always talk about”. The experience shortage also extended to the officers in the field. A decade ago, the police-to-population ratio was one to 220. It has doubled since then and will continue growing as there is no increase in resources. Cele said current capability of SAPS “requires substantial, additional resources”. Budget constraints mean that only 15,000 new recruits can be trained over the coming three years – nowhere near enough to replace the experience lost over the past four years. Furthermore, Cele said the SAPS “workforce has aged significantly, with a reduction of more than 30,000 within the age group of 39 years or younger”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cheryl Kahla at The Citizen
Stunning rebuff at AVI annual general meeting on directors’ pay Financial Mail reports that consumer products group AVI made SA corporate history last week when shareholders blocked an unprecedented seven special resolutions. Moreover, three further resolutions were withdrawn ahead of the meeting in a bid to avoid a negative voting outcome. All of the unsuccessful resolutions related to proposed changes of the group’s remuneration policy that would have protected remuneration for executive and non-executive directors. This development is said to be the latest evidence that remuneration policies designed with equity bull markets in mind don’t work particularly well in bear markets and that flat fees might be inappropriate for non-executive directors (NEDs). The two non-binding advisory votes also failed to make the 75% mark, which means the board must now engage with the dissenting shareholders, comprising more than a small group of disgruntled investors. Four of the resolutions were blocked by a hefty 47% of the shareholders attending the meeting. The other three were blocked by between 33% and 46%. As for the non-binding advisory resolutions, 39% voted against them. AVI’S finance director, Justin O’Meara, commented: “We are still hopeful we will persuade shareholders that our variable pay proposal [for NEDs] will be an advantage in our changing environment and is in the best interests of all the stakeholders.” O’Meara claimed the low turnout at the AGM was part of the problem with just 69.5% of shares voted at the meeting. Apparently, the first time AVI shareholders knew of the proposal was when the annual report arrived in October. And in the same report, group chair Gavin Tipper and CEO Simon Crutchley provided shareholders with a distinctly downbeat outlook in their review. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Anne Crotty at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
State will press ahead with NHI regardless of state of economy, Health Minister asserts BL Premium reports that Health Minister Joe Phaahla told MPs on Wednesday that the government was determined to press ahead with implementing National Health Insurance (NHI) despite the fiscal constraints facing SA. MPs are presently considering the NHI Bill, the government’s first piece of enabling legislation for its plans for universal health coverage providing free services at the point of delivery for all citizens. The bill proposes a central NHI Fund that will purchase services on behalf of patients, financed by reallocating medical scheme tax credits, general tax revenue and a new payroll tax and surcharge on personal income tax. It was tabled in parliament in 2019 and is being considered by the National Assembly’s portfolio committee on health, which conducted public hearings on the bill in each of SA’s nine provinces. Phaahla indicated that the department of health had noted stakeholder inputs on the bill and believed that most of its provisions should remain unchanged. Noting that some stakeholders believed the economy was too weak to support NHI, Phaahla pointed out that the UK had built its National Health Service after World War 2 when its economy was in a dire state. He offered no concession on the long-term future of medical schemes, saying there would ultimately be no need for them as the NHI Fund would provide comprehensive benefits. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
SARS officer gets seven years behind bars for taking bribe from would-be Rolex smuggler Fin24 reports that a SA Revenue Service (SARS) employee has been sentenced to seven years behind bars after being found guilty of corruption. The officer, Malatse Kolokoto, was found guilty after being caught on CCTV accepting a bribe to help an unnamed traveller leave the country without properly declaring six Rolex watches. The traveler, however, was apprehended by a customs official and arrested, which led to Kolokoto being caught as well. Kolokoto was sentenced to seven years' direct imprisonment by the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court. SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter praised the customs official who helped to catch Kolokoto. The embattled tax agency, which has been attempting to turn itself around after years of state capture, has been working to improve revenue collection. Among other things, it has been in an aggressive drive to clean up the service internally and clamp down on smuggling. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Marelise van der Merwe at Fin24
Ex-teacher accuses former model C school in Springs of racism and nepotism The Star reports that a former Pinegrove Primary School teacher has accused the school of targeting and vilifying him for pointing out incidents of maladministration and racism at the former model C school in Springs, Ekurhuleni. Farai Botha, who was a Grade 7 science and social sciences teacher at the school until September, said it all started in 2017 when he pointed out nepotism, race-based discrimination and other issues at the school. Botha has accused the school of withholding his bonus for 2017 as punishment for his stance, which had not been attended to for a long time. His complaints included the alleged employment of white student teachers without qualifications while black people were not afforded the opportunity to work at the school as student teachers without qualifications. “After pointing out some of these issues, I immediately became a threat and subsequently a target and a victim... and after they failed to successfully accuse me of sexual harassment, a new plan was hatched to get rid of me. I was dismissed for executing corporal punishment, which I was not the only teacher who practised this, but they eventually succeeded in getting me fired on this charge,” Botha alleged. The former teacher said the school had more than five employees who were related and who were employed without following proper procedures and, at times, without the prerequisite qualifications and experience. The Gauteng Department of Basic Education said the matters raised by Botha required a multi-stakeholder response as they touched on issues of human resources and other stakeholders. “To be able to respond ... I would want more information,” the department’s spokesperson said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyabonga Sithole at The Star
Veteran broadcaster Pat Cash dismissed by YOU FM after sexual harassment allegations The Star reports that YOU FM, formerly North West FM, has parted ways with veteran broadcaster Pat Cash, whose real name is Malik Maloyi. While it is not clear what the main reasons were for his dismissal, the station has alluded to sexual harassment, which has reportedly been brought to light by women members of the station. On Monday, the station issued a statement confirming the departure of the former Kaya FM broadcaster. "YOU FM has today terminated its contract with Mr Malik 'Pat Cash' Maloyi with immediate effect. The station took a decision to part ways with Mr Maloyi following a series of serious allegations by some women employees at the station that spilled out onto both social and mainstream media. Although YOU FM expresses no opinion on the veracity of these allegations against Mr Maloyi, our action seeks to prioritise and manage the reputational risks and commercial interests of the station," the station manager, Thabo Muridili, indicated in the statement. "In line with our commitment to ensure that a safe working environment for all our staff members, YOU FM will remain vigilant on matters pertaining to GBV and workplace bullying, whether direct or salient,” he added. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyabonga Sithole at The Star Sexual misconduct by teachers in schools is a blight that has plagued education sector for far too long The Citizen reports that according to an expert, it is time to call “sexual misconduct” by teachers what is really is, namely rape or statutory rape. Victimologist Professor Jaco Barkhuizen said the fact that so many teachers were engaged in sexual victimisation should worry every parent. “Teachers, like police, nurses and doctors, are considered trusted individuals. We place our trust in them to educate our children,” he said, adding that allegations against teachers fundamentally broke the trust placed in them. In Barkhuizen’s opinion, if teachers were found guilty of any sexual misconduct, they should be placed on the national sex offender register. SA Teachers’ Union spokesperson Stefan van der Berg said sexual abuse in schools, regardless of the nature or severity of such abuse cases, was a blight plaguing that has been the education sector for far too long. “We must continue to fulfil our moral and legal obligations to protect pupils and teachers from this blight by rooting it out and reporting the abuse,” he said. However, he warned that people should be mindful of cases of false accusations and that due process must ensure all accused persons have a fair opportunity to defend themselves. Gauteng department of education spokesperson Steve Mabona said they did not have teachers with pending sexual misconduct cases currently engaged in teaching pupils. “It is important to put a perspective on the 173 teachers reported with allegations of sexual misconduct in the last five years. Out of this number, 87 were dismissed after disciplinary processes were conducted. The remaining 86 accused were found not guilty and, in other cases, those who were found guilty, sanctions short of dismissal were imposed, such as a written warning or three months without pay,” Mabona indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marizka Coetzer at The Citizen (subscriber access only)
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